Insulation and Cladding, at Crawley Sewage Treatment Works
Ward and Burke is an Irish turnkey design and build engineering contractor. Operating across Ireland, the UK and North America, they deliver sustainable and resilient infrastructure, whilst ensuring consideration to climatic conditions from the early design stage through to construction and long-term operation. They are heavily focused on climate change with a target of Net Zero Carbon by 2040. Their approach is aligned with industry best practice.
Ward & Burke were appointed as the contractor for renovation and maintenance work at Thames Water’s Crawley Sewage Treatment Works. Part of the contract was replacing the existing insulation and cladding of the roof of an anaerobic digester. Jade Insulation were chosen to provide the industrial insulation services to insulate and clad the digestor roof.
Project Details & Impact
As part of the renovation work at Crawley STW, the old insulation and cladding on the digestor roof are being replaced. Digesters have an important role in the biological treatment stage of wastewater management. They are dedicated units designed to break down the organic matter present in sludge, which is a byproduct of primary and secondary treatment processes.
The insulation and cladding needed to be replaced to guard against unnecessary heat loss. Heat loss can significantly affect the operational efficiency of a digester. New thermally efficient insulation would provide greater thermal efficiency, whilst plastisol cladding would guard against corrosion and extend the operating life of the digestor.
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Our Solution
Having consulted with the client, the chosen approach was to insulate with 3 x 50mm layers of SUPERCEL® ALUMEN AIR, which is a high-performance, rigid thermoset, non-fibrous material. It’s comprised of a phenolic resin foam insulation core with an external 25-micron aluminium vapour barrier foil facing, reinforced by 5mm glass scrim on the upper side and a saturated glass tissue facing on the lower side. All joints were sealed using 75mm foil insulation tape. The insulation was protected with 0.7mm Goose Grey Plastisol cladding, secured using coloured coded head tek screws.
All the joints were positioned to shed water where possible, with the seams sealed with low-modulus silicone sealant.
Our Work & Conclusion
- Ensured that the sludge was protected from solidifying and freezing, ensuring operational resilience no matter what the weather conditions.
- Improved operational efficiency by minimising heat loss.
- Protected critical infrastructure from corrosion and mechanical damage. This clearly increases operating lifespan and lowers long-term operating costs.
By appointing Jade Insulation as their chosen industrial insulation contractor, Ward & Burke ensured that the digestor at Thames Water’s Crawley Sewage Treatment Works operated effectively and efficiently, even in freezing conditions. This would ensure that Thames Water maintained operational stability, maintaining services in the local area. Our work also extended the lifespan of critical infrastructure, safeguarding Thames Water’s investment in the Sewage Treatment Works.
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