Doka Slipform crucial to huge energy from waste facility

The South Clyde Energy Centre, being built in Glasgow jointly by Fortum and Gren Energy, will be responsible for diverting up to 350,000 tonnes of residual, non-hazardous and non-recyclable waste away from landfill each year. This will generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of up to 70,000 homes.

Doka designed and supplied the Slipform system for the energy centre’s 22-metre-high waste unit. The massive 35-metre-long, 33-metre-wide building will store non-recyclable waste before its conversion into energy. With a dedicated Doka Slipform supervisor on-site daily to oversee operations, the system facilitated the construction of the structure’s columns, 800mm-thick walls, and two separate wing walls.

After completing the bunker, Doka also supported the Slipform construction of two additional cores: the turbine core and the boiler core, but also a third smaller core utilising the MF240 Jumpform system. This comprehensive approach ensured the successful delivery of key components within the energy centre.

Apart from its sheer size, devising the ideal concrete mix for the structure’s core elements presented key challenges and required significant exploration. Doka, along with the contractor PJ Carey, instigated multiple trials and Doka’s Slipform Project Manager remained on site throughout the assessment process to support the client further. The collaboration led to the ideal mix and additives to help achieve the high-quality Slipform finish.

Proud edging and blemish-free corners were crucial to the large, square-shaped recycling unit’s overall aesthetic. Correct tapering was required to achieve both outcomes, with Doka’s on-site support being essential to the Slipform’s assembly to accommodate the design.

Benefits of a Three-Deck Slipform System

Doka’s hydraulically lifted three-deck Slipform system allows for building work to be carried out with increased safety. The additional assurance and space – Doka’s Slipform systems can be designed to have a wide working platform which in this projects instance were between 1.2-1.5 metres – is also a pathway to improved productivity. These benefits, along with the project operating a 24-hour pouring process involving two mobile pumps dispensing 300m3 of concrete daily, ensured the recycling unit’s columns and walls were constructed in just eight weeks.

Design, construction and data precision

Doka Xact Slipform digital lasers were utilised throughout the South Clyde Energy Centre project, providing real time app-based documentation. The seamless process was crucial to confirming the Slipform rig’s tolerance and the concrete’s completed height. Doka’s Glasgow engineering team also contributed to the project’s successful and timely completion. They devised a bespoke design solution that led to the formation of vital large doorways at the waste unit’s base. Highlighting the benefits of Doka’s one-stop-shop product and service provision, the company’s heavy duty Eurex 60 550 propping was used vertically and horizontally to form the doorways within the Slipform panels.

Due to begin commercial operations by the end of 2026, the South Clyde Energy Centre will increase Scottish energy resilience by generating power straight to the grid. It will also boost the local economy. It’s estimated the centre’s opening will provide about 40 permanent jobs. The site’s construction phase involves approximately 500 construction workers.

Doka’s superb Slipform system, coupled with its technical team’s excellent supervisory support throughout the project, was integral to the safe, smart, time-efficient delivery of the recycling unit’s construction, the concrete cornerstone of the energy centre’s operation. By being able to offer both Slipform and Jumpform solutions, Doka enables customers to select the most suitable formwork system, ensuring optimal results that align with any project needs and constraints.

Read more about why Doka Slipform is the best choice for your next project.