Articles & Case Studies

Longwood Engineering installs UK's largest Escalator Screens for UK's largest sewage treatment works

Posted: Wednesday 15^th July 2009

Located in the London Borough of Newham, treating daily sewage from 3.4

million Londoners, Thames Water's sewage treatment works at Beckton is

the largest sewage treatment works in the UK. As part of a major

programme of extension and upgrade of these works, undertaken by primary

contractor, Laing O'Rourke, Longwood Engineering was awarded the

contract to install a total of 8 new Escalator Screens. The contract was

awarded in October 2007 and completed in March 2009.

Weighing 12 tonnes each and measuring 2.85m wide by 5.8m deep, these are

the largest Escalator Screens ever manufactured by Longwood Engineering

to date. In order to meet increased volumes of waste, the screens are

designed to handle a flow of 4,500 litres per second and are installed

at a 45 degree incline for maximum screening area. Each screen was also

fitted with dual speed motors, to enable waste to be removed at a faster

rate in times of storm. Six of the screens were located inside and had

to be manufactured in modular form to ensure they would go in to the

building, while the other two were located outdoors, with the additional

capability of being pivoted out of the floor to act as an emergency

bypass.

Longwood Engineering originally installed Storm Screens at Beckton in

2006 and also 12 Escalator Screens to Thames Water's sewage treatment

works at Mogden in 1999. Altogether, Longwood Engineering have now

installed over 1100 Escalators worldwide.

Says Mike Ellis, Project Manager, Laing O'Rourke: "We chose to work

with Longwood Engineering due to their renowned expertise in providing

bespoke screening and screening handling solutions along with their

proven track record, having previously supplied screens for Thames

Water. The new screens are continuing to meet expectations and are

operating well. Both Laing O'Rourke and Thames Water are very happy with

Longwood Engineering's management of this part of the project."