A water pumping station built to provide a vital back-up supply for Birmingham is being protected from an ingress of potentially deadly methane by Ultimate GeoSeal, the waterproofing and gas protection system from Visqueen.
The station at Lickhill near Kidderminster draws water from the River Severn which is then pumped over 16 miles to Frankley treatment works, south of the city.
James Walsh, Technical Support Manager for Visqueen, explained that coming up with a suitable gas protection and waterproofing solution for such a challenging scheme involved more than just specifying the right product. It also required a high level of technical knowledge and design expertise.
Visqueen Ultimate GeoSeal is a pre-applied membrane and for Lickhill it was used not only for its gas resistant properties but also for waterproofing, as the 16-metre deep main pumping station shaft passes through the water table, also known as the saturated zone.
The membrane was applied to the piles extending 18m below ground level and also to the 12-metre diameter base of the shaft.
Visqueen Ultimate VOC Blok, a flexible membrane suitable for brownfield applications which forms a barrier to volatile organic compounds and ground gases, was applied below the concrete slab and pre-cast planks of a number of support buildings.
Positioned at ground level, the specification for these buildings also required an under-slab ventilation system to exhaust and disburse to atmosphere any harmful gases present under the building. This was achieved with a full vent blanket using Visqueen Gas Vent Matting and Pro Gas Vent Boxes.