Solid Recovered Fuel & Refuse Derived Fuel Production Facility at Nine Mile Point Industrial Estate, Cwmfelinfach, Wales

Albert Fry Associates are pleased to be providing Civil and structural Engineering design services to Woodvale Construction’s D&B team with regards to the new 3,600m2 Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF) and Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) Production Facility at Nine Mile Point Industrial Estate, Cwmfelinfach, Wales.

The scheme comprises a 45m x 80m clear span portal frame in which highly specialist plant sorts, shreds and processes domestic waste to produce refuse derived fuel which can be used to generate electricity and hot water for communal heating systems (SRF) and cement kilns (RDF). The facility is protected by a fully FM compliant fire suppression system with attendant sprinkler tank and pump house. Not only is the storm water system SAB and SuDS compliant in accordance with Welsh Water requirements, in the event of the deployment of the sprinkler system, potentially contaminated “black-water” is contained within the site boundary prior to being commercially disposed of without detriment to the environment. The facility is constructed in a valley historically upfilled with collier spoil. The use of ground remediation techniques allowed for specification of conventional spread foundations in lieu of a prohibitively expensive piled substructure solution.

Critical to the success of this project was AFA’s commitment to the use of 3-D visualisation techniques. At the outset, we initiated our Revit Model by creating an analysis model, used for structural member sizing & uploaded to Revit. The sharing of this within a CDE & the use of clash detection software ensured quality in design in a fully co-ordinated pre-construction package. The use of 3D Civil & Micro-drainage software in conjunction with a digital topographical GPR survey allowed modelling of the site topography & utilities to provide informed cut/fill exercise & utilities clash detection.

project details