Steel solution for UK’s first foam glass plant

Working on behalf of client and main contractor Thomas Armstrong Group, EvadX is fabricating, supplying and erecting 390t of steelwork for the UK’s first foam glass plant.

Under construction at Great Heck in North Yorkshire and using recycled glass as a raw material, the facility will produce lightweight building blocks.

This new method of production is said to be more sustainable, as previously blocks were produced from the waste material generated at coal-powered energy plants. As these plants have been phased out, the material is no longer available in this country and recycled glass is filling the gap.

The steel-framed elements are all structurally-independent but linked to form one large production plant. They consist of a glass storage bunker that excepts the raw material and feeds the processing equipment; a grinding mill structure that spans over the processing equipment; an independent six-storey mezzanine that supports the processing equipment within the grinding mill; and a block production building.

Curtins Project Engineer James Smith, said: “Ensuring internal open space was critical for plant and site operations on this job.

“With the exception of the mezzanine, internal columns were limited so as not to impact on the working space for loading shovels and forklifts. Steel proved to be the ideal solution.”