Doran Consulting is providing Civil and Structural Engineering design services to Hitachi Zosen Inova, the EPC contractor, for the Newhurst Energy Recovery Facility, located near Leicester. 

The facility will process up to 350,000 tonnes of non-recyclable waste per year producing an average gross electrical output of 42MWe.   

The facility is located adjacent to the former Newhurst Quarry, on land built up through deposition of arisings from the quarrying operations. The site poses significant challenges for foundation design given its history – Doran have been heavily involved in development of efficient foundation solutions for the main process buildings and waste bunker, which extends up to 8m below ground.

The building superstructure is complex, incorporating curved roof and façade profiles. Doran have designed the superstructure elements in full, utilizing internal vertical support points from the process steelwork to reduce the main roof spans and create a more efficient solution.

 

Externally, there is an extensive network of roads and hardstandings, including a gatehouse with weighbridges for incoming and outgoing vehicles.  The scheme also has a complex network of underground services including fire mains, drainage and various conduits for power and data across the site.  All of this has been modelled in 3D for coordination purposes.

Doran Consulting have also developed detailed 3D terrain models at all stages of the proposed development, to assist with earthworks design, and ensure the project aim of no material to be removed from site. This has included complex geotechnical assessment associated with creation of filled slopes of up to 20.0m in height within the existing quarry cutting.