Project Description

Cidon was appointed by Vinci Building to deliver the reinforced concrete works package for the UK’s largest £138 million open-die forging facility, situated on a 13,800m² site in Sheffield. The new state-of-the-art facility forms a central part of a major Ministry of Defence (MoD)-owned development, designed to enhance the UK’s advanced manufacturing capability.

The facility will support the production of high-integrity forgings and castings for complex engineering applications. With a fully integrated end-to-end manufacturing process—including steel-making, forging, foundry operations, machining, and testing—the site represents a significant investment in national engineering infrastructure.

Cidon was awarded the contract to deliver the critical reinforced concrete structures necessary for the seamless integration of the facility’s core functions. The scope includes

  • Main Press Pit – A structurally robust foundation to support the high-pressure forging operations.
  • Furnace Bases – High-durability reinforced concrete bases to accommodate extreme thermal conditions and heavy-duty industrial furnaces.
  • Ancillary Structures – Supporting infrastructure required for operational efficiency and site functionality.

Unique Features

  • The Top Hat furnace base works have involved an excavation of circa 1000m3 to a depth of 4m below existing ground level
  • Top Hat furnace, circa 90 tons of reinforcement, pouring of over 460m3 of structural concrete
  • 4500m3 of concrete per month for main press pit, furnace bases and ancillary structures
  • Two 7m deep pits
  • All the designed concrete mixes on the project have been specified with GGBS
     

This video captures a milestone in the construction of the Top Hat Furnace – a 448m³ concrete pour forming the base of this critical structure. Once complete, the total structure will be approximately 1200m³.  

Area: 35m long x 7.1m wide x 1.8m deep  

Special thanks to Murray Scott Photography for the footage

Sheffield Forgemasters
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