A major concrete pour at Sheffield Forgemasters’ new 13,000 tonne forging line uses a recycled steel by-product to reduce carbon by 30 per cent. 

The base for a Top-Hat-Furnace Quench-Tank, involved an excavation of roughly 1,000m3, four metres below ground level, installation of more than 90 tonnes of reinforcement, and pouring of more than 1,000 tonnes of structural concrete. 

All the concrete for the company’s Forge project incorporates Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBS), a recycled material from steel production which acts as a replacement for cement, improving sustainability, and saving approximately 30 per cent on carbon emissions.

Craig Fisher, Programmes Director at Sheffield Forgeamsters, said: “We have completed the first major concrete pour for our Forge project and the inclusion of GGBS as a cement substitute will clearly improve the environmental effects of casting large volumes of concrete.

“Both our Forge project, and the new machining facility, which has now been granted planning permission, will use GGBS structural concrete, adding strength, workability and durability, as well as environmental benefits.”

As the company’s £900 million recapitalisation programme to strengthen manufacture for UK defence gains pace, up to 10,000 tonnes of concrete per month will be poured for its Forge project, including works to the main press pit, furnace bases, and ancillary structures. 

Sheffield Forgemasters’ requirement for structural concrete will increase once it contracts main civils work for its nearby 35,000 m2 machining facility.

VINCI Building is the main contractor on the Forge project, which will create the UK’s largest open die forging line.

About Sheffield Forgemasters:

• Sheffield Forgemasters specialises in the design and manufacture of high-integrity forgings and castings for the world’s most complex engineering challenges
• The company operates a fully integrated end-to-end manufacturing process, including steel-making, forge, foundry, machining and testing, from a single site in Sheffield. 
• Some of the largest bespoke engineered steel products in the world are produced with capacity for castings of up to 350 tonnes and forgings of up to 200 tonnes finished weight.
• Global markets include Defence, Civil Nuclear, Offshore, Power Generation, Renewables, Steel Plant, Steel Processing and Ingot & Bar.
• The company was acquired in August 2021 by the Ministry of Defence who intend to make significant investments to re-capitalise defence-critical plant and equipment on site.

Manufacturing & Engineering Magazine | The Home of Manufacturing Industry News