Gel Engineering upskills team with PERI
Gel Engineering has teamed up with PERI UK to upskill staff ahead of major works at Rye Meads Sewage Treatment Works, part of a long-term Thames Water upgrade programme.
A 13-strong team – including apprentices, operatives and supervisors – attended a bespoke training day at PERI’s Brentwood facility, focusing on the safe and efficient use of RUNDFLEX Circular Wall Formwork and MULTIPROP Aluminium Slab Props. The systems will be used to cast reinforced concrete collars around existing tanks at height, as part of a five-year programme to refurbish 12 tanks by 2030.
Rye Meads, one of Thames Water’s largest treatment works, serves more than 400,000 people across North and East Hertfordshire. With the upgrade requiring collar casting around existing tanks at approximately 10 metres above ground level, Gel Engineering needed a tailored formwork and shoring solution to meet the site’s safety and logistical demands.
Training tailored to the job
PERI’s Brentwood facility, a 600 m² exhibition and training space, allowed Gel Engineering’s team to get hands-on with the exact equipment they’ll be using on site. PERI senior sales engineer Patrick Connachan said: “Our formwork solutions are project-specific, so training has to be too. These sessions ensure that crews arrive on site with the right skills and understanding to work safely and productively.”
As a CITB Approved Training Organisation, PERI UK delivers site-ready training that combines theory with practical application. Gel Engineering’s session focused on RUNDFLEX’s curved wall capabilities and MULTIPROP’s lightweight aluminium shoring performance – both critical to the tank refurbishment at Rye Meads.
Robin Heath, mechanical site supervisor, welcomed the opportunity to familiarise himself with the system: “We’ll be using RUNDFLEX to add an extension to a digester wall. It’s great to get a feel for it – and, as a supervisor, I need to be confident it’s being used correctly.”
Supporting future works
Apprentice fitter Mitchell Armstrong called the training “really valuable” for his development, while project engineer Michael Owolabi said it had boosted his confidence in managing projects involving unfamiliar equipment. Civil supervisor Darren Crandle added that it was a great team-building opportunity: “I’ve been using PERI gear for years, but this was a great chance to bring the team down and let them see how everything fits together.”
With additional Thames Water projects on the horizon, both PERI UK and Gel Engineering plan to repeat the training every few months to ensure wider team readiness.
Patrick Connachan concluded: “It’s not just about supplying kit – it’s about long-term support, knowledge sharing, and helping customers deliver critical infrastructure projects safely and efficiently.”
Subscribe to the weekly newsletter
