ALMONDBURY, HUDDERSFIELD

SOCIAL HOUSING

Client - Eon
Main Contractor - Kirklees County Council
Project - Closed Loop, Ground Source Heat Pump System

In April 2009 GDC were appointed as specialist Ground Source Drilling Contractors by EON to undertake the drilling and installation of single heat exchangers for 11 social housing properties located on the Broadgate housing estate at Almondbury in Huddersfield.

Boreholes were drilled to the rear of each property at 115mm diameters to depths of 80 metres, utilising polycrystalline diamond drilling bits to penetrate the carboniferous lower coal measures which consisted of interbedded coal bearing mudstones, siltstones and sandstones.

In view of the coal bearing strata, gas monitoring for CH4, CO, CO2 H2S and Oxygen was undertaken throughout the drilling programme with hand held gas meters to identify any fugitive gases.

Minimal disturbance to the gardens was achieved by water flush drilling via a settlement tank and all arisings were removed for disposal off site. Clean water was either recycled or transferred to the approved disposal point.

Single loop, 40mm PE100SDR11 heat exchangers, 80 metres in length were installed within the boreholes and following water pressure testing to confirm the loops integrity, the loops were grouted into position with a high thermal conductivity grout.

Following loop installations, earthworks to link the boreholes via header pipes to small 5KW heat pumps at each property were undertaken by GDC, together with the associated site reinstatement.

The contract was completed on programme and budget and called upon the experience and skills of the GDC team in providing a successful conclusion to the project with minimal disturbance to the residents.