Weir Barrage Units Cromwell Weir, Nottinghamshire
The buoyancy of EPS has led to its adoption by Vencel Resil for use in floating weir barrage units. These units comprise an inner core of EPS coated in GRP with a galvanised steel tube axially through the centre. As many units as required can then be "strung" together by means of a cable running through the centre. This leaves the floats free to rotate to allow the passage of floating debris but preventing boats and other craft from passing over the weir. The floats are robust, easy to handle and virtually maintenance free. The installation at Cromwell Weir consisted of 34 floats guarding a 60m wide river channel.

Greenwich Docklands Regeneration
Vencel Resil's revolutionary highly buoyant expanded polystyrene product (EPS) Floatmaster, has proven itself an essential element in the on going regeneration of the Greenwich Docklands.

Contractors River and Marine Ltd was recently asked to create a pontoon, part of a new initiative to promote the use of pleasure crafts and commuter services on the Thames, allowing pedestrian access to the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich. The pontoon not only needed to meet stringent safety guidelines, but also to prove cost effective for clients, Greenwich Borough Council.

Mr Shane Carr, Director of River and Marine Ltd and the designer of the pontoon commented: "We had to ensure that the pontoon would remain safely afloat if punctured by any passing boats, creating a safe platform at all times for a full compliment of passengers. Under normal circumstances we would have had to create 26 separate water tight compartments, consisting of numerous heavy steel bulk heads and plates, making it very heavy and very expensive but on this occasion, I recommended the use of Floatmaster (EPS)."

The pontoon is 32 metres by 10 metres and filled with 531m3 of Floatmaster 70. This lightweight product has tremendous buoyancy capabilities and ensures that if a puncture occurs, the EPS provides sufficient buoyancy, allowing the pontoon to remain stable and level. It was constructed by packing the blocks of Fillmaster tightly together within a steel frame, forming a completely water tight and solid structure.

Mr Shane Carr concluded: "I would definitely use Floatmaster again, as it is easy to use and cost effective, allowing us to reduce build costs without skimping on quality and strength. If we had used a more traditional method for construction, we would have had to use in excess of 20 tons of steel, which could have cost in the region of £30,000. The Vencel Resil product saved us 50% in material costs and provided an ideal solution for both ourselves and our client."

The pontoon will provide a station for the Thames River Boat, allowing visitors to stop and visit the Royal Armoury museum as part of an overall tour of the Docklands and its surrounding attractions.