Deep Recovery Research & Development Centre

Project:
Deep Recovery Research &
Development Centre
Deep Recovery Research & Development Centre
Sellafield
Location:
Sellafield, England
Project completed:
2012
Client:
Forth Engineering
Contractor:
Chambers & Harrison
Concrete Producer:
D A Harrison
Market sector:
Nuclear
Products used & amounts:
BASF Watertight System:
MasterLife WP 799,
MasterSeal 910
Sales contact:
Paul Gasson
paul.gasson@basf.com
Contact:
BASF plc,
Construction Chemicals,
Earl Road, Cheadle Hulme,
Cheadle, Cheshire,
SK8 6QG, United Kingdom
T: 0044 161 485 6222
F: 0044 161 488 5220
Deep Recovery Research & Development Centre - Open-air nuclear fuel storage pond
The background
This £3 million research and development
facility was built at Risehow, where client
Forth Engineering is developing robotic
technology to be used in nuclear
decommissioning at Sellafield. The research
centre provides Forth Engineering, local
engineering companies and Sellafield LTD
with the ability to carry out trials for
underwater recovery/retrieval operations for
redundant equipment.
The challenge
The facility was designed to include a pond
where methods likely to be suitable for reallife situations at Sellafield LTD could be
tested, including possible scenarios involved
in decommissioning the world’s largest openair nuclear fuel storage pond (NFSP). The
pond, which was to hold 6.5 million litres of
water, needed to be fully watertight to prevent
leaks.
Deep Recovery Research & Development Centre
Sellafield
Our solution
The BASF Watertight System offered an alternative to
membranes and built-up treatments: a quicker, more costeffective and more reliable solution than traditional construction
methods. It combines a reactive hydrophobic pore-blocking
liquid for wet or dry-cast concrete and high-range waterreducing/superplasticizing admixtures. The result is inherently
water repellent, non-absorptive concrete with a reduced
water/cement ratio, which is also protected against soluble
salts.
Additional options included air-entraining admixtures, which can
be used to limit the effect of the freeze–thaw cycle, helping to
prevent spalling and improving structural resistance to
weathering.
MasterLife WP 799, BASF’s all-in-one hydrophilic pore blocker
with superplastizing admixtures for concrete, was used in the
pond at the Deep Recovery Research & Development Centre.
Following the concrete’s correct placing, compaction and
curing, this single-bag system provides a waterproof structure
with minimum effect on the original appearance and texture.
BASF’s MasterSeal 910 hydrophilic waterstop, an expanding
strip for construction joints, offered a high-performance
alternative to waterbars.
The benefit to the customer
The system eliminated the need for waterbars, which are not
only expensive to install but can be displaced or damaged
during the concreting operation. Concrete is unable to adhere to
plastic waterbars, so a failure rate of 15-20 % can be expected
and, as there is no maintenance opportunity, the potentially
significant subsequent cost of repairing leaks is a further
drawback. The BASF Watertight System avoided all of these
potential pitfalls.
Project facts at a glance
 Fully watertight solution.
 Single-bag system.
 Minimum effect on structure’s original appearance
Master Builders Solutions from BASF
The Master Builders Solutions brand brings all of BASF’s
expertise together to create chemical solutions for new
construction, maintenance, repair and renovation of structures.
Master Builders Solutions is built on the experience gained from
more than a century in the construction industry.
The know-how and experience of a global community of BASF
construction experts form the core of Master Builders Solutions.
We combine the right elements from our portfolio to solve your
specific construction challenges. We collaborate across areas
of expertise and regions and draw on the experience gained
from countless construction projects worldwide. We leverage
global BASF technologies, as well as our in-depth knowledge of
local building needs, to develop innovations that help make you
more successful and drive sustainable construction.
The comprehensive portfolio under the Master Builders
Solutions brand encompasses concrete admixtures, cement
additives, chemical solutions for underground construction,
waterproofing solutions, sealants, concrete repair & protection
solutions, performance grouts, performance flooring solutions.
Further information is available at
www.master-builders-solutions.basf.co.uk