Butterley Engineering has significant capabilities in structural, mechanical, and electrical engineering design complemented by extensive experience in the manufacture, installation and commissioning of steel bridges (fixed and moving) and of steel plate structures that have technical novelty both in design and construction.

Butterley’s reputation is based on an ability and willingness to provide reliable cost effective technical solutions, engineered and manufactured to meet customer’s specific requirements.

Butterley operates to the requirements of BS EN ISO 9001: 2000 and BS5882 as required, with the additional capability of fully independent design verification work as appropriate.

Complete projects are undertaken from initial feasibility studies through to final commissioning and operator training backed by experienced teams of engineers, erectors, supervisors and service engineers.

Butterley has manufacturing facilities located at Ripley in Derbyshire with good road and rail access. The plant occupies a large site with covered production area totaling 20,000 sq. metres and capability of in-house fabrication, machining and trial assembly of significantly large finished components.The Falkirk Wheel is the centrepiece of the Millenium Link Project, being part of the project to revitalise the Forth and Clyde Canals.

The Falkirk Wheel

The dramatic boat lift machine was designed and built by Butterley Ltd supported by Bennett Associates and Tony Gee & Partners. The structure is 35m high and 28m long, weighs approximately 1800 tons overall and carries two 6.5m wide caissons each holding approximately 250,000 litres of water.

The wheel can transport up to eight boats at a time between a holding basin off the Forth and Clyde canal and a new aquaduct on the Union canal. The wheel was manufactured at Butterley's Ripley Works, including trial erection of critical components to verify interfaces prior to despatch to site.

The wheel was delivered on 20 sub-assemblies prior to being erected using conventional heavy lift cranes working singly and in tandem. All site connections are bolted with special hydrophilic seals used to prevent water loss in the caissons.

Tai Lam Tunnel cross-over doors, Hong Kong

The Tai Lam Tunnel cross-over doors provide separation between the two running tunnels of the newly constructed Tai Lam railway tunnel between West Kowloon and Tuen Mun in Hong Kong.

The cross-over doors are normally kept shut but are opened as necessary to allow trains to cross over from one tunnel to the other.

The cross-over doors are designed to withstand the maximum positive and negative aerodynamic pressures exerted by passing trains on both sides of the tunnels and to provide a minimum of four hours fire protection.

Butterley were contracted to design and supply all structural, mechanical, hydraulic and electrical systems, including full works testing and on site support of critical installation operations.

The Spinnaker Tower

In 2003, Butterley were delighted with the award to manufacture and erect the major structural steel assemblies for a Landmark Millennium Project that would provide an Accessible Tower which, when completed, would be the focal point of the Regeneration of Portsmouth Harbour.

The Tower will rise to 165 metres above the ground level and will have two inclined hexagonal concrete shafts merging into one shaft at 70m. Butterley are fabricating and erecting the two structural steel crossed bow sections that spring from ground level, cross between the shafts at 35m and rise to connect with the shafts at 120m. Butterley are also fabricating and erecting the aerofoil shaped ribs that span between the bows to give the distinctive Spinnaker sail appearance.

Jamuna Bridge Erection Gantry, Bangladesh

The World Bank Organisation required a road and rail link along the Sirajganj corridor over the River Jamuna delta some 300km upstream from the bay of Bengal.

Contractor Hayundai's design was a prestressed box, balanced cantilever superstructure. Butterley was contracted to design and build the launching gantry for constructing the bridge deck.

The 200m long gantry, believed to be one of the largest in the world, facilitated the building of the 4.8km bridge, erecting 50 spans, each of over 90m, and placing the 1200 segments during an 18 month construction stage.

The system was designed t position each segment in a predetermined balanced cantilever sequence.

The gantry exceeded its specified performance requirement and enabled the bridge to be constructed ahead of the contractor's schedule.