Otterbourne Water Supply Works

Fast-forward to 2024, and phase three of the project – the construction of a substation for power and controls linked to the water treatment works - was well underway. For this stage of the wider project, Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation (CGU) provided product in the form of Ridgiduct, SubTerra access chambers and bespoke steel access covers.

Derek Matthewson, Network Solutions Product Manager at Polypipe CGU said: “This is a project that came about through our strong key accounts relationship with Galliford Try. We were delighted to be able to offer a full solution, working to accommodate three or four different sizes of bespoke SubTerra chambers and covers.

Ryan Lamprell is Galliford Try’s Sub-Agent and is responsible for the civil design implementation on site, including the procurement and construction of the Subterra access chambers supplied by Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation.

“The phase three works cover the installation of three new high voltage back-up generators with their own dedicated fuel storage area and Motor Control Centre structure. The draw pits supplied are integral to the civil design where they will be encased in the slab that the generators land on with duct penetrations for the cables to be fed into the packaged units.

“The products meet all the criteria required and are easy to install – the installation guide was extremely easy to follow and was a useful resource to have for the team carrying out the install. We were recommended a hole cutter by the team, and this made a huge difference to the speed of installation – a perfect example of the support we’ve received from the procurement and supply teams. Derek, especially, has been very good at returning all information, including additional design information and calculations, promptly when these products were being considered at the design stage.

Clive Hewitt, General Foreman, said: “This is the first time I’ve used Polypipe CGU’s access chambers – I’ve used Polypipe CGU pipe elsewhere throughout my career, but I can honestly say that the way the chambers are designed and manufactured makes them so easy to put together. It works well, and the fact that the team has been so open to feedback from the people on the ground using the product is brilliant. Every process, whether it’s on site, in design or in manufacturing, can be refined to make it better but this is something that could be exceptional – from a sub-contractor perspective, I’ve even suggested having a designated team to work with this product at all times so I would definitely recommend it.”

“I would also recommend these products and absolutely suggest to colleagues to consider them in their own projects,” Ryan added, “Plus, from a sustainability perspective, while this was not considered when choosing products at a site level, we’ve been pleased to learn that the Polypipe products we’ve used have a much lower carbon footprint compared to other products and systems on the market. This is something that will be considered as a benefit when detailing products to be used in permanent designs for future projects.”

Lee Woodcock, Key Account Manager at Polypipe CGU, said: “The real story behind this project is communication and collaboration. Derek has a great eye for detail – his specialised expertise and one-on-one contact with Ryan and his team added a huge amount of value to the project. Regular feedback both ways meant that we were able to make improvements along the way, and ahead of the next stage of the scheme, as well as offering some tips and tricks to make the team on site’s lives’ easier. The result is the pinnacle of the impact that work between supply chain partners can have.”