JBA Bentley has completed and commissioned a new debris screen and associated infrastructure in Sheffield, South Yorkshire.
The £2m screen forms part of Sheffield’s flood defences, preventing the river from blocking with debris, protecting a nationally-important rail route and the lower Sheaf Valley from flooding.
With the existing screen and surrounding infrastructure in poor condition – with some elements operating beyond the end of their service life – significant modernisation was required.
As part of the Water and Environmental Management (WEM) Framework, the Environment Agency (EA) tasked JBA Bentley with designing, constructing and commissioning a new screen and innovative solution for debris clearance.
At the heart of the JBA Bentley solution was the use of an automated grab. Being automated instead of manual, the grab significantly reduces the number of site visits required by EA operatives and prevents any need for them to physically enter the channel to manually maintain the screen.
Opting for an automated grab provided a 50T carbon saving and has made the working environment for the client much safer.
In total, carbon savings in excess of 700T were made: the existing reinforced concrete bed was retained (rather than replaced) and Legato blocks from a nearby JBA Bentley site were re-used.
Tony Moran, director for JBA Bentley, said, "We’re delighted with the outcome we have provided the Environment Agency on the River Sheaf in Sheffield. "An important part of the city’s flood defences, we have delivered an innovative asset on time and budget, all whilst making significant carbon savings and leaving our client with an asset that is much safer to operate and maintain than it was before.
"Already tested by severe storms, the screen worked as expected, preventing a significant volume of debris from blocking the watercourse."
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Read more about innovative low carbon projects delivered by JBA Bentley in the projects section of our website.