Hanson supplies specialist concrete for high speed construction at Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome

The company supplied contractor PC Harrington with 600 cubic metres of concrete over two months for the slip-form construction of the service towers.

The £92 million venue will be one of the centrepieces of the 2014 Commonwealth Games and will then regularly host international sporting events.

“The slip-form process is less dependant on cranes, which is a benefit on a congested site. It also allows the contractor to get the vertical elements of the project completed quickly, reducing construction time and costs,” said Hanson UK technical manager Colin Reid.

“The concrete had to set quickly so that it was self-supporting once the shutter had been moved. This allowed construction to proceed at high speed. It was a challenge to find the correct blend of admixtures and cement for the mix design and to ensure that every truck load was the correct consistency.”

The concrete was supplied from Hanson’s Shawfield plant at Rutherglen, just two miles from the site, and was part of a total contract to supply 18,000 cubic metres over 12 months.

Steve Duncan, project manager at PC Harrington, said: “We have worked with Hanson in the past and have built a strong relationship with the company.

“The slip-forming work for the towers was complex and we needed a supplier we could rely on to deliver a high quality, consistent mix that would meet our target of pouring between 3.5 and four cubic metres of concrete each day.

“After an initial settling in period, a daily height of 4.5 metres of concrete was regularly achieved, allowing production days to be reduced and delivering real cost and efficiency benefits.”