Aggreko provides drying solutions
for Cheltenham Leisure centre after 2007 floods
In 2007 the UK suffered floods that were among the worst on
record, causing damage estimated at £3 billion. Among the victims
was Cheltenham Leisure Centre in Gloucestershire, which called in
specialist contractors BELFOR to undertake the necessary repair
work. BELFOR in turn asked Aggreko, leaders in the rental of power
and temperature control systems, to help devise and carry out
the clean-up operation.
Aggreko’s first job was to assist with the site survey and
determine the appropriate power and drying equipment needed for the
project. “Dealing with a flooded building requires a different
approach to drying out a building on a construction site,” said
Aggreko sales engineer Lee Knapper, who worked on the project. “As
a solutions provider, we get involved in the project from day one
to ensure that the specified equipment is right for the job. With
more than 111,000 people regularly using the leisure centre each
year, it was important to get it up and running as soon as
possible.”
To dry out the water logged building, Aggreko specified ten
KT1600 dehumidifiers and four generators to supply the 705kVA of
power needed to run all the equipment and provide electricity to
the operations and security cabins. In addition, Aggreko also
provided 1215 metres of cable and a fuel management service to
ensure the equipment ran continuously.
“Before we could even begin to consider redecorating the damaged
interior, we had to first focus on pumping out and vacuuming up the
surface water from the flood,” said Phil Jones, the site supervisor
for BELFOR. “As the leisure centre covers an extensive area,
Aggreko provided generators of varying outputs which were dispersed
around the site.”
The most effective way of drying out a flooded building is to
introduce large volumes of dry air, but the project had to be
modified continually to cope with changing conditions. A few weeks
after the dehumidifying process began, the on-site temperature
dropped, slowing the rate of drying. “When the temperature drops
and there is more dew in the atmosphere, dryers that move the air
around the building improve the rate of drying dramatically,”
explained Phil Jones.
Following completion of the dehumidifying process, BELFOR
retained the equipment on site to ensure the leisure centre was
kept warm and dry throughout the winter months as work
continued.
“Working with Aggreko has allowed us to get on with the job,”
said Phil Jones. “The provision of reliable, quality machines has
meant we’ve not had to worry where power will come from for the
equipment. Their specialist knowledge, identifying ways in which
processes can be sped up, has really helped to move the project
along.”
Aggreko has a proven track record in emergency response as well
as assisting with contingency planning and offering standby
solutions. From its 24/7 network of service centres, it is able to
offer emergency support through a dedicated team of technical
consultants who will visit a site and then tailor the best
equipment and service package to a specific situation. To ensure
that equipment runs safely and securely, specialist engineers
attend the site to carry out regular maintenance on equipment. A
fully ADR-compliant fuel management service is also available for
any project.