Quench Tower

Port Talbot, Wales, United Kingdom

Cundall was appointed by Tata to prepare calculations, drawings, specifications, a bill of quantities, contract documentations and contract negotiations for a major environmental improvement to the Morfa Coke Works at the Port Talbot Steelworks.

The design featured a 40m high stack with concrete walls subject to extreme temperature and corrosive conditions, concrete settling ponds with sophisticated scraping equipment and an extension to the rail track including sidings.

Uhde, Germany, working with Otto Simon Ltd., prepared the process design, layouts and mechanical design. Cundall rationalised and anglicised an existing design for a similar facility built in Taranto, Italy. This resulted in a major reduction to the capital cost and programme.

The programme was reduced to bring the facility on stream earlier than planned. This meant that design and construction proceeded together, which placed a premium on good communications between client, process designers, specialist suppliers and civil contractor.

Sustainable design innovations included:

• substitution of piles with a raft structure on ground improved by vibro-floatation
• rationalisation of the concrete shape to reduce the cost
• substitution of timber components for steel to reduce corrosion
• use of ground granulated blast furnace slag cement to provide enhanced corrosion protection