Case Study — Water & Wastewater

Rapid Structural Remediation & DWI-Compliant Sealing — Rodbourne Balance Tank

Repaired inlet pipe penetrations sealed with cementitious compound on a balance tank wall

Introduction

UCL was engaged to address a critical asset failure at Rodbourne, where the grout seals on a balance tank's inlet pipes had failed, risking leakage and operational downtime. UCL's technical team deployed rapidly to assess the structural damage and restore long-term asset integrity under tight time constraints.

Our Solution

UCL's engineering team began by breaking out all defective materials, making precise square cuts to create a deep, keyed surface for optimal repair adhesion. A hydrophilic sealant was installed around all pipe penetrations prior to structural reinstatement, ensuring a robust water stop. High-performance, DWI-approved cementitious compounds were then hand-applied to repair the complex junctions around the inlet pipework. To correct widespread structural degradation, all uneven, delaminated sections along the entire wall profile were stripped back, resulting in a uniform finish. Following the repairs, the balance tank was washed and chlorinated, and legacy staining left by a previous contractor was removed, leaving a clean, compliant asset.

Key Benefits

  • Rapid asset reinstatement — all emergency remedial and rectification works completed within a strict 48-hour window
  • Regulated compliance — high-specification, DWI-approved cementitious materials meeting stringent water industry standards
  • Structural integrity restored — delamination and substrate defects eliminated, with an engineered, uniform finish to the tank wall
  • Comprehensive remediation — legacy staining from previous contractor workmanship extensively cleaned and removed

Conclusion

By combining reactive engineering agility with high-specification materials, UCL resolved the structural failures at Rodbourne. The rapid 48-hour turnaround minimised critical asset downtime, returning the balance tank to active service in a fully compliant, secure and structurally sound condition.

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