Working for EDF Energy‘s contract partner Cape, CSC Services installed a corrosion protection system to one of the drumscreen chambers at Hartlepool Power Station during the planned shutdown of one of the reactors. Two twelve-hour shifts were worked each day/night.
Meticulous planning and a scheme of 24-hour working meant power station refurbishment work that historically took over one hundred days was completed within three weeks by CSC Services.
Carbonation and chloride ingress of the reinforced concrete structure had been caused by sea salt passing through the drumscreen as part of the Power Station’s cooling process.
A corrosion protection system was specified to address corrosion across the entire area treated. This could not be achieved with conventional repair methods without removing all the concrete where salt or carbon dioxide had penetrated.
Hammer testing of concrete surfaces was undertaken prior to hydrodemolition to give an estimated square meterage of the repair site. Following the hydrodemolition of spalled concrete, a site inspection quantified the structural reinforcement replacement bar and anode requirements.
580 sacrificial anodes were installed and several hundred metres of structural reinforcement replacement bar in a range of dimensions were fitted. Over 22,000kg of concrete was then spray-applied to return the structure’s surface to profile. Access ladders, platforms and framework were then replaced.
Commenting on the scheme of work, Mark Lemon, Managing Director for CSC Services, said,
“We have completed the full scheme of work in under 3,000 man hours, which was a great achievement. We were able to manage and successfully complete all stages of the work, dramatically reducing the time associated with managing numerous contractors. CSC Services have worked on nuclear power sites for a number of years now and actively take on board lessons learned from each contract. This enables us to refine our process techniques to deliver the optimum repair solution within a minimal time frame.”