Deeside Wetwell: Ten weeks in, one connection left

There's a moment on every GRS job where the hard part is behind you and the finishing starts. The eight metre wet well at Summer Bridge, Deeside has just reached that point.

Our gang of Sean, Billy and Anthony have been plugging away for weeks on this mammoth pumping station and the finish line is fast approaching.

"Just the connection now," said Sean.

"That's really the last major piece. We need to get the slab level set and see exactly where the pipe is coming out at the end of the manhole. Once that's tied into the line running out into the road, everything should connect up as planned."

Looking around the site, it was clear how much work had already been completed. The drainage runs had been linked together, with drilled connections visible between the chambers. Despite the complexity of the scheme, the team had managed to avoid any major issues so far.

That was no small achievement.

Ten weeks, two of them lost with no fault of their own. The project had reached its tenth week on site, although two of those weeks had effectively been lost due to unforeseen ground conditions and weather-related delays. As with many infrastructure projects, progress often depended on completing one phase before another could begin. There were periods when the team simply had to wait, investigate and work through challenges before moving forward.

"It's not just one job," Anthony added.

"Every task has something that needs to happen before it. There are always different phases and dependencies."

Adding to the challenge was the level of scrutiny and stakeholder involvement. Client representatives had visited the site regularly, with multiple inspections taking place throughout the programme, including the clients rigorous Helath and Safety colleagues. Senior members of the project team had also made frequent visits to review progress and ensure standards were being maintained.

The feedback, however, had been overwhelmingly positive.

"They've been really happy with our approach to health and safety and how we've managed everything," Billy explained.

Handover time.

With the ring sections sealed, the cap on and the connection now the only outstanding piece, the finishing gangs move in next - taking over from the crew that's carried this job for ten weeks. Sean, Billy and Anthony won't be far away, though. They'll be back once the connection's made, for the final look at their own handiwork before it's signed off for good.

Considering the delays, the technical challenges and the number of moving parts involved, the amount achieved in ten weeks was impressive. What remained was largely focused on final connections and bringing the various elements together.

"All good then," Sean said.

"See you on the next one."

John Roughley, Contracts Manager at GRS, had the final word: "This is exactly the kind of job that shows what GRS is about. Sean, Billy and Anthony have delivered ten weeks of work most people will never see, to a standard that has to be right first time. The finishing gangs take it from here, but the team that built it will be back to check it - that's how we sign a job off properly."