Demolition phase complete at forge site

Located on the outskirts of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, the Brightside Lane facility is owned by specialist company Sheffield Forgemasters and has been undergoing demolition and remediation works for past seven months.

Vinci Building recently carried out the removal of the facility’s internal steel structures, ground stabilisation, the removal of contaminants and performed ground stabilisation . As part of the demolition phase, the contractors also processed over 25,000 cu m of spoil and crushed over 4,500 cu m of old concrete.

Chris Winspear, from VINCI Building, said, ”We are delighted that we have now completed the demolition and prepared the first areas of site ready to receive the substructure works for the new building. We are looking forward to the next phase of the project working in collaboration with our supply chain partner, Cementation Skanska, appointed to undertake piling and ground engineering package of works.”

The demolition and remediation works to Brightside Lane site, which measured 150 m by 84 m, were undertaken as part of a £138 million contract to build a new Forge facility. According to Sheffield Forgemasters, the project will also include a site-wide modernisation programme that will see the introduction of new technological advancements and production facilities that will support the UK’s defense programmes.

Now in second project stage, Vinci Building is currently carrying out piling works to lay the foundations for the structure, which will cover an area of 13,800 sq m and will house a new 13,000-t heavy forging press, furnaces, quenching pits, and cranes.

The new forging line is scheduled to be operational in the summer of 2027, and will be accompanied by a new machining facility, which is currently being planned.