Under the EU’s renewable energy plan (still in place post-Brexit) the UK set targets to meet 15% of their energy needs from renewable sources by 2020, including generating 30% of electricity from wind, solar and other low carbon sources (The Guardian, 2016). Wales selected 7 SSAs (Strategic Search Areas) which were chosen for good wind speeds and lack of statutory designations. One of these was selected as a site for Garreg Lwyd large scale wind farm, which will be capable of providing sufficient renewable electricity to meet the average needs of more than 26,000 homes.

At the substation, there are two long precast concrete trenches: one 19 metres long with a span of 765 mm, the other 25 metres long with a span of 1250 mm. The trenches are set flush into the ground, with an edging created using upright concrete slabs. The trenches required a covering solution that could be easily manually removed for maintenance and monitoring while performing at D400 load rating (40 tonne). The Substation specified a GRP composite solution to meet the required specifications. Covers also needed to provide a safe walking surface for operators, whatever the weather conditions.

Stanton Bonna, the precast trench manufacturer partnered with Fibrelite to create a series of custom GRP trench covers to fit onto their precast concrete trenches.

Fibrelite designed and manufactured a series of custom GRP trench covers to fit onto the Stanton Bonna precast concrete trenches. Covers are ‘stepped’ to reduce unit weight and increase the load rating capability. The D400 load rated 1250 mm wide covers can be safely manually removed by two operators without risk of injury. The equivalent size concrete panel would have weighed approx. 400Kg. The standard Fibrelite tread pattern provided the perfect slip resistance required for a safe walking surface, with test reports demonstrating that even when wet, Fibrelite covers have anti-slip properties far exceeding health and safety advisory limits.

Fibrelite covers are a fit-and-forget solution: no maintenance is required, and the composite material has an inherent resistance to corrosion. Structural performance is guaranteed for years to come, with all covers independently tested to BS EN124 criteria.