New continuous concrete pour record set at Hinkley Point C

We’ve helped set a new record for the largest continuous concrete pour in England at Hinkley Point C (HPC) new nuclear power station in Somerset.

We supplied the raw materials for the concrete to main civils contractor BYLOR, which operates the on-site concrete production plant.

The 9,000 cubic metre, five-day, pour was to construct the last of five reinforced concrete segments that make up the cross-shaped foundations on which all of the first nuclear reactor’s buildings will sit. The record-breaking pour beats the previous record for England set by the Shard in London.

The completion of the foundation platform, which is up to four metres thick, represents a significant milestone for the project, described by HPC as J-zero. It marks the transition from below ground activity to the construction of permanent reactor buildings above ground.

Stewart Cameron, head of nuclear operations at Hanson UK, said: “Every batch of concrete must be exactly the same and must comply with the stringent quality standards laid down by the Office for Nuclear Regulation. 

“Trials of the mix design for HPC took three years of development and testing to ensure concrete of the required quality can be produced consistently right first time, every time.

“We have 65 employees directly involved in the HPC project team but, across the UK, we have some 750 enlisted onto our nuclear safety culture education programme, which everyone who is involved in the project in any way must complete.”

We are also supplying construction materials to other aspects of the HPC project. To date this includes 51,000 cubic metres of concrete; 2.5 million tonnes of aggregates; 210,000 tonnes of marine sand; 65,000 tonnes of cement; 105,000 tonnes of Regen GGBS and 125,000 tonnes of asphalt.