GRP Wash Down Stations and Access Platforms for Ringway
Ringway is one of the UK’s leading highway management and maintenance contractors, responsible for gully cleansing, flood mitigation, drainage maintenance, winter gritting and street lighting across the road network. Their vehicles and equipment operate year-round in demanding conditions, and keeping them clean and operational depends on reliable industrial washdown facilities.
The washdown stations at several of Ringway’s depots relied on steel access platforms. Constant exposure to salt from winter maintenance operations had caused significant corrosion, and the deterioration had reached a point where daily use presented a genuine safety risk. SGI Composites was appointed to design, manufacture and install the replacements.
Project Outcomes
- Replaced heavily corroded steel platforms with corrosion-resistant GRP access infrastructure across four live washdown stations
- Delivered 45 linear metres of anti-slip GRP walkways and platforms without disrupting 24-hour depot operations
- Improved operative safety in permanently wet, salt-rich working conditions through durable non-slip access systems
- Reduced long-term maintenance requirements by eliminating ongoing steel corrosion and repainting cycles
- Designed a modular platform system ready for future upgrades, including automated pump systems and recycled water infrastructure
The Challenge: Corrosion, Time Pressure and a Site That Never Stops
The steel stairs and platforms at Ringway’s washdown stations had been deteriorating for some time. Salt from winter maintenance operations, the same salt spread across roads to protect other vehicles, had worked steadily into the structure, accelerating corrosion to the point where daily use presented a genuine and growing safety risk to operatives.
Replacing the infrastructure was straightforward in principle. Doing it on a depot that operates around the clock, with multiple trades on site simultaneously and a hard deadline of 1 November for the first two platforms, was considerably more demanding.
The key challenges were:
- A continuously operational, 24-hour depot environment with no opportunity for full shutdown
- Salt handling and washdown activities actively accelerating corrosion in the existing structure
- Partial removal and re-sealing of existing steel elements required before new platforms could go in
- Multiple trades working concurrently on site throughout the programme
- Two platforms required and commissioned before the start of the winter operations season
- Sufficient working space needed around vehicles, hoses and pipework throughout installation
A like-for-like steel replacement was never on the table. The environment had already demonstrated what steel would do under these conditions. The solution needed to remove corrosion as a long-term risk, not reset the clock on it.
The Solution: Modular GRP Platforms Built Around How the Site Actually Works
SGI Composites designed a freestanding, modular GRP access platform and stair system from the ground up, shaped by the structural requirements, how operatives move around the washdown facilities day to day, and what future operational upgrades might demand.
GRP was the clear material choice. In an environment defined by constant moisture, salt exposure and regular chemical cleaning, GRP performs without protective coatings, without repainting cycles and without the structural degradation that had compromised the steel it was replacing. The platforms were engineered to:
- Provide safe, non-slip access in permanently wet, salt-rich conditions
- Eliminate corrosion as both a safety concern and a maintenance burden
- Meet relevant British Standards while keeping platform heights practical for daily use
- Allow clear, unobstructed access to pipework, hoses and vehicle washdown areas
- Be installed in stages using a one-out, one-in approach that kept the site operational throughout
All components were prefabricated off-site, then brought to site and installed sequentially. Each washdown station took around three days to complete, a pace that kept disruption to a minimum while meeting the programme deadline. The modular approach also means future upgrades, including the planned Stage 2 cabinet doors and Stage 3 automated pump systems, can be integrated without structural rework.
Outcome: Safer Access, Lower Maintenance, Scope for Future Development
The finished platforms delivered measurably improved safety, working space and structural robustness across all four washdown stations. Ringway’s response reflected both the quality of the finished installation and the working relationship on site:
“The Sui Generis team worked closely with us throughout the project, coordinating well around a live, operational site. Their approach to design and installation made the process straightforward, and the finished access platforms meet our requirements well.”
With Stage 1 complete, the project is already moving forward into further development phases:
- Stage 2: Laminated cabinet doors to close off platform fronts
- Stage 3: Automated pump systems with new sprinkler installations and recycled water infrastructure
The modular design ensures both stages can be integrated into the existing structure without requiring replacement or significant modification.
GRP Access Platforms in Live Highway Maintenance Environments
This project is a practical demonstration of what GRP access infrastructure can deliver when it is designed with the operating environment at the centre of every decision. The material choice eliminated the root cause of the original failure. The modular, phased approach protected operational continuity. And early engagement in the design process gave the project team the flexibility to accommodate site realities as they emerged.
For highway maintenance depots, utilities operators and any site where corrosive conditions, heavy use and operational continuity are non-negotiable, GRP access platforms offer a long-term solution that steel, in these environments, simply cannot match.