Case Study | Eastman Chemical: Decommissioning

The challenge

The Eastman Chemical Workington UK manufacturing site covers approximately 18 acres. It commenced operation in 1969 producing acetate TOW for cigarette filter manufacture and closed in early 2015.

The scope of works incorporated:

• Hazardous Material Surveys – Residual Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) tank sludge and R&D type asbestos survey.
• Decontamination of residual HFO (fuel storage tanks).
• Asbestos Removal.
• Selective deplanting of equipment identified for resale.
• Asset marketing and resale.
• Demolition of all above ground structures to top of ground level.
• Waste segregation, processing and disposal.
• Backfill of voids and large basements with processed arisings.
• Cladding of exposed sides of retained service buildings and general making good.

Veolia’s solution

Complex site clearance and recycling project
The main process plant was five storeys with the original structure being a concrete frame approximately 30m in height with a 4m deep basement underneath. The later extension was a steel beam and column type construction with heavy reinforced concrete floor slabs. It was comprised of manufacturing lines with heavy process plant equipment. A broad range of ancillary process equipment was housed within the unit.

Significant volumes of notifiable asbestos insulation boarding materials were used both within the equipment and within the main building structure. Also double skin heavy gauge asbestos cement sheeting formed the cladding to the majority of the building structures on the site complex.

The works were appointed in two Phases:

• Phase 1 – Site clearance of the Manufacturing facilities – Appointed August 2015.
• Phase 2 – Site clearance of the remaining service buildings and general site infrastructure; including boiler house, offices, equipment stores, warehouse – Appointed February 2016.

KDC (Veolia’s company) undertook all principal roles and activities using in-house resource with the support of KDC approved subcontractors for selective asbestos removal works and tank cleaning and waste disposal.

The benefits for our client

The project was delivered on schedule, in line with safety, commercial and environmental targets, without incident and to client’s full satisfaction.

In addition, control measures put in place during the pre-planning and engineering development stage ensured that the impact on the surrounding environment did not exceed the set target levels and as a consequence there were no environmental incidents reported on the project throughout the duration of the works.

Process description

Ensuring minimal disruption to everyday operations KDC undertook the demolition predominantly adopting remote demolition
techniques, using both high reach and standard reach demolition excavators with hydraulic attachments (including specialist rotating, high specification concrete pulverisers and multi processors).

The external units included large distillation and process columns and storage silos. In these areas we adopted remote demolition and deliberate collapse techniques using wire rope pulling in accordance with BS6187.

Some items of equipment required careful deplanting and adopting careful segregation and lifting operations, as they had been selected by KDC for retention as re-saleable items. Some service buildings connected to the manufacturing facility to be demolished were also being retained, so careful separation was required in these areas.

“In all my time working with contractors on site I would say your guys were one of the best crews I have seen.”
BRIAN RUSHFORTH
Contractor, Eastman Chemical