When not drilling shots for water pipes, GMAC Utilities Ltd can be found all over the United Kingdom drilling shots for every other utility from gas to data and electric lines, the latter of which has led to GMAC’s involvement in one of the largest construction projects in the country.
Hinkley Point C in Somerset is a well known project. The first new nuclear power station to be built in the UK in two decades, brings a number of contractors and suppliers onto the prestigious project. Balfour Beatty and J Murphy & Sons are two of the large contractors suppling the infrastructure, to allow the clean burning power station to connect to the 6 million homes that it will supply through the national grid.
GMAC are working alongside both Balfour Beatty and J Murphy & Sons to provide their directional drilling services.
This is a large project and has required up to seven of GMAC’s rigs and crews on site at any one time. The skilled crews are having to drill through a variety of substrates from hard rock through to peat and mixed clays, each with its own challenges.
The conduit requirements vary from 125mm, through to bundles of 3x180mm and up to 355mm with a 125mm rider.
It’s not just a single shot in each location either. On the J Murphy & Sons contract, GMAC are drilling two parallel bores at each of the seven locations and, with the Balfour Beatty contract, they are drilling twelve parallel bores at each of the six locations. All this will eventually lead to the 400,000 volt connection back to Hinkley Point C and reduces the number of overhead pylons in the area, helping the stunning vistas remain uninterrupted.
Welding pipes on site has been streamlined with GMAC’s welding unit. The demountable cabin has the facility to fuse two pipes at a time to half the required production times, essential on a large scale project with so many shots at each location.
As usual all possible environmental protections are being taken at each location to minimise the damage to the ground. Low pressure tyres on the tractors and GMAC’s hook lift trailer assist and their adapted mud mixing JCB Fastrac has come into its own on the project, being a water carrier and mixer in one, aiding in reducing damage to the ground where the mud trucks cannot access.
To get a competitive quote for your project, contact GMAC at either
wayne@gmacutilities.com
or any of the contacts below:
Conor McCloskey: 07967 445556 (UK)
Gerald McCloskey: 07823 526240 (ROI and NI)
Wayne Cartwright: 07378 505006
(Bid Manager)
