Dam good savings at the reservoir by Whites Concrete

Innovative cost-saving solutions from Whites Concrete have played a key role in the upgrade of Doe Park Reservoir

Impounded behind a Victorian Pennine-style embankment dam, work of this magnitude at the 800,000m3 reservoir near Denholme would usually take up to 12 months, but by implementing Whites Concrete’s proven techniques and specifications, construction time was almost halved to just over six months.

Instead of traditional masonry, the exposed external concrete faces of the wave wall and spillway were covered with masonry-effect formliner.  This more sustainable option has saved £70,000 initially.

During construction of the spillway, pre-fabricated reinforcement saved considerable time and also improved safety because it minimised the amount of steel fixing required on site.

A further 12 weeks were also saved by using pre-cast concrete wave wall units, compared to in-situ concrete and shuttering.  This accelerated option also helped maintain much needed access to a property on the other side of the dam.

As part of collaborative planning and lean construction techniques, treated recycled sludge was used instead of topsoil, which saved a further £14,000.

Interface with local residents was managed very sensitively by all parties, resulting in praise from the public for the helpful and understanding practices carried out during the project.  This included improvements that were made to Denholme Sailing Club, such as a new slipway and recreational area.

The main elements of the scheme compromised:

• Design & reconstruction of dam crest to ensure the flood rise from the PMF was fully contained.
• Design and construction of a 17m single-span bridge over the spillway channel (for HA loading).
• Design and construction of a new concrete spillway channel capable of passing the design flood of 120m3/s.
• Improvements to the existing valve shaft and access bridge such that the shaft does not act as an overflow during the PMF.