Building Resilience, Protecting Productivity: Effingham Steel
Client: Effingham Steel Services Ltd
Industry: Steel manufacturing
Location: Sheffield, UK
Date: February 2022
At a Glance:
Full site mitigation strategy delivered
Barriers and brickwork installed to protect key access points and assets
Site now flood-resilient up to 1.6 metres
Specialist barrier storage solution provided
Completed on time and on budget.
The Challenge
Established over 50 years ago, Effingham Steel has built a reputation as a preferred quality approved hire-worker to the Steel Industry, providing steel rectification services by automatic grinding and cold sawing.
It is a proud third-generation, family-owned business and serves many industries, including aerospace, nuclear and automotive.
Based in the heartland of the British Steel Industry, Sheffield, it is a city that has a history of both fluvial and pluvial flood events, which unfortunately Effingham Steel has directly experienced. Its worst flood saw severe flooding with depths reaching up to 1.2 metres inside the facility. The flooding risk not only disrupted operations but put valuable stock, machinery and infrastructure at risk.
With climate change likely to increase the frequency and intensity of flooding events, Effingham Steel needed a long-term, robust solution to help safeguard its operations and assets.
The Solution
Watertight was appointed to design and deliver a comprehensive flood resilience strategy for the extensive site.
Following an in-depth survey, it was identified that the east side of the factory was particularly vulnerable due to the lay of the land and required targeted protection. The Watertight engineering team implemented a range of structural and resistance measures including:
1.4 metre flood barriers to protect key doorways
New brick pier walls installed to withstand hydrostatic pressure
Waterproof render applied to external walls to prevent water ingress
1.6 metre internal barriers to protect high-value assets and machinery
Bespoke storage provided for demountable barriers and components
All works were completed on time and within budget, without disruption to ongoing operations.
Mark Arrowsmith, Operations Director, Watertight International: “Our aim is always to go beyond just installing kit. We want our clients to feel confident, prepared and protected. That means futureproofing against rising flood levels and thinking through every detail of how a site functions, before, during and after a flood.”
The Results
Thanks to the installed property flood resilience measures, the Effingham Steel site now has defences in place to safeguard against floods of up to 1.6 metres, taking into account the potential future impacts of climate change.
Key operational areas, including loading bays and critical machinery and assets, now benefit from flood resistance, giving Effingham Steel confidence to operate through adverse weather events.
Watertight’s work didn’t stop at installation; the team also provided on-site storage solutions and full user guidance to ensure the system is flood ready whenever needed, and to give the team confidence in implementing it correctly, at critical times.
“Effingham Steel now has a clear plan, robust resilience measures and confidence that their flood risk has been significantly reduced. More than that, they’ve gained peace of mind, not just in protecting critical assets, but in safeguarding their people too. These measures give the business greater certainty that production can continue during adverse weather, avoiding the costly disruption and damage that a flood can bring.”
