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Neptune Solutions Global Ltd
November 2014
The objective of the Neptune System is to provide a more economic, safe, environmentally
friendly, expedited resolution to our current climate issues. Creating a safe environment for
our people to live in whilst at the same time creating employment worldwide and saving the
economy almost half of the current cost of fluid retention and flood defences.
www.neptunesolutions.co.uk
0161 850 1608
[email protected]
Page: 2
Contents
VISION
3
THE KEY FEATURES OF THE NEPTUNE SYSTEM
4
THE NEPTUNE SYSTEM
5
THE INSTALLATION PROCESS
9
HOLDING TANKS
10
AQUEDUCTS
11
COFFER DAMS & FLOOD PLAINS
12
CLIFFSIDE EROSION PROTECTION
13
RAILWAY FLOOD & LANDSLIDE BARRIERS
15
SYSTEM MAINTENANCE AND CLAD OPTIONS
18
HOW DOES THE NEPTUNE SYSTEM COMPARE TO CONCRETE
20
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS
21
SYSTEM STRENGTH
22
PATENTS
23
Contact details
Michael Mulvihill – Chief Executive
Mobile: 07541092 111
Neptune Solutions Global Ltd
S1-10 Ivy Business Centre
Crown Street
Failsworth
Office: 0161 8501608
Manchester England M35 9BD
Email: [email protected]
www.neptunesolutions.co.uk
Copyright © 2014 Neptune Solutions Global Ltd. All rights reserved.
All materials on these pages are copyrighted by Neptune Solutions Global Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of these pages, either
text or image may be used for any purpose in whole or in part, without specific permission. Therefore, reproduction, modification,
storage in a retrieval system or retransmission, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical or otherwise, is strictly prohibited
without prior written permission.
www.neptunesolutions.co.uk
0161 850 1608
[email protected]
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Vision
Neptune Solutions has designed an innovative system which can be used for:
•
Sea and river flood defence
•
Water and gas storage
•
Water distribution
•
Retaining walls in general
The system has a significantly lower cost and higher safety factor than current solutions
which are generally dependent on concrete.
Concrete has limitations in the terrain and countries in which it can be used. The
Neptune System has no such limitations.
The Group aims to see its System in use worldwide for sea and river defence and providing
water storage and distribution.
Drinking water is becoming an increasingly scarce and valuable resource and the Group believes
its system can play an important role in conserving water and making it available to people
everywhere.
www.neptunesolutions.co.uk
0161 850 1608
[email protected]
The key features of the Neptune system
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SAFETY FACTOR
ADJUSTABLE HEIGHT
The design (without the front composite
panel) will withstand a force of 1.5
tonnes per cubic meter with a factor of
safety 2.5 if the components are made
from conventional plain carbon steel.
The system offers the ability to change the height
of the flood defences which, unlike traditional
flood defence systems, significantly reduces the
risk that flood defences will become inadequate
over time.
The factor of safety increases to
5 if these components are made from
steel with high strength.
The majority of coastal flood defences
around the world must be able to
withstand forces of 1.5 tonnes per
cubic meter. It can be seen that the
design easily surpasses that
requirement.
A highly valuable feature given the varying and
unpredictable projections in rising sea levels.
The Neptune System can also be used to increase
the height of existing flood defences which have
fallen victim to an underestimation of future sea
levels.
LIFE SPAN
The Neptune System has a life span of 33% more
than other conventional flood defences.
FASTER TO INSTALL
Just as important as lower cost is the time
saving. Flood defences can be erected at
least 3 times faster than with concrete based
solutions, providing earlier protection for
people and property and reducing the risk
of loss of life.
SIGNIFICANTLY
LOWER COST
The Neptune System provides a
significantly lower cost solution to flood
defence than concrete based systems.
ANY TERRAIN
The Neptune System is self- supporting, can be
installed in any ground conditions, requires a
low level of ground works and does
not require heavy plant and machinery which
eliminates the need for purpose built access
roads and other infrastructure.
ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY
The Neptune System does not have any of
the toxic properties of concrete. The system
incorporates recycled and locally sourced
materials wherever possible
and the system itself can be recycled.
WATER CONSERVING
The Neptune System consumes very little water
during the construction process. Water is a highly
precious resource and the need to conserve it
increases rapidly day by day.
www.neptunesolutions.co.uk
0161 850 1608
[email protected]
Page: 5
The Neptune system
The Neptune System is very versatile and can be deployed in a wide variety of locations. The
frame is the heart of the system and is critical with respect to flood defence.
However it is also important from an environmental and visual standpoint that the system should
blend in with its surroundings.
A cladding system will therefore be available in a wide range of finishes to meet the
client’s specific requirements.
The key components of the Neptune System are:
1. Frame
2. Barrier
3. Facing mat
4. Cladding
The Frame
The frame is constructed from mild steel and is surface finished to protect the system against
corrosion, minimising maintenance and extending the life span of the system.
The system is produced in four sizes:
a)
Small (0.5m to 1m)
b)
Medium (1.5m to 3m in height)
c)
Large (3m to 6m in height)
d)
Extra Large (6.5m to 13m in height)
The thickness of the steel used to manufacture the frame increases with the size of the frame to
ensure that the strength and robustness of the system is maintained no matter how high the
requirement for flood defence.
The structural tests on the system (see page 16) have been conducted on the medium sized
frame (3m to 6m in height)
Technical reports available;
HTD-TR-000108—Structure Evaluation, Part 1, 2 & 3. (Loadings, Stress analysis &
conclusions)
HTD-TR-00109—Structure Integrity
HTD-TR-00122—18 Ton Vertical Loadings. (Description, Objectives, results, & Conclusions)
HTD-TR-00110—Instructions for use ( Description, Required Tools, Personal preparation &
Method of Assembly)
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0161 850 1608
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Page: 6
The Neptune system
The frame is easy to transport and assemble. The augers allow the framework to be erected
efficiently without the use of concrete.
The frame is adjustable in two aspects. The frame sits on four piles. The feet can
be independently adjusted to accommodate uneven ground levels and differences in the depth of the
piles.
The height of the system can also be adjusted so that the top of the retaining wall remains
constant regardless of any slope or undulation in the ground.
Diagram:
Visualisation of
holding tank shows
that it can be used in
extreme areas.
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0161 850 1608
[email protected]
Page: 7
The Neptune system
The frames are joined together using connection hinges and expansion rubber mats are
clamped in place to prevent water ingress.
The expansion rubber mats
have sliding rails so that they
can change in height with the
frame. These prevent any
water from penetrating.
The barrier will generally be interlocking steel sheets which will extend below ground to
prevent water seeping under the barrier. The sheet piles can be of any required thickness.
The depth of the piles will be specified by the customer and as they are supported by the
frame the length required will only need to be sufficient to match the depth of the sub
surface water.
In traditional systems sheet piles are self-supporting and, in order to achieve the
necessary structural strength, have to be long enough to reach solid ground which can
often be a considerable depth below the surface.
www.neptunesolutions.co.uk
0161 850 1608
[email protected]
Page: 8
The Neptune system
Facing Mat
The face of the system is protected by a rubber mat
and an aesthetic fascia can be placed over the top of
the mat if required by the customer.
The aesthetic fascia has no structural or mechanical role
in the system: It offers the customer a range of finishes to
suit the location. The fascia can be made from a wide variety of materials and the choice
would be made by the customer. The lifespan of the fascia is in excess of 50 years.
Cladding
As discussed above, the rear of the frame will be cladded so that the system blends into its
surroundings.
A wide range of finishes are available to
suit individual customer requirements.
In addition to providing a decorative
finish to the system, the cladding adds
further corrosion protection to the frame
resulting in an extension of its useful life.
The cladding is fixed to the frame in such
a way as to enable easy access for periodic inspection without damage to the
cladding or the frame.
Backfilling
Should cladding not be required the system can be backfilled with soil to provide a natural
embankment
www.neptunesolutions.co.uk
0161 850 1608
[email protected]
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The installation process
• Prior to Delivery to Site
• Manufacture of system components
• Components delivered to Neptune from suppliers
• Units flat packed or pre assembled according to customer requirements
• Site Preparation
• Access road to site prepared as necessary.
• Note that heavy plant and machinery is not required
• Infrastructure needed will be minimal
• Ground cleared to accept units
• On Site Installation
• Piling completed
• Units assembled, or put into place , using small crane and hand tools
• Rubber mat fitted
• Fascia fitted if required
• Decorative cladding applied to units as required; or
• Backfilled with soil
www.neptunesolutions.co.uk
0161 850 1608
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Page: 10
Holding tanks
Our tanks have a roof to protect and seal
the unit.
Tanks can be built to your specifications
and to any size. There are no limitations to
the roof.
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Fresh water storage
Sewage waste storage
Chemical storage
Storage of other liquids
Storage of gases
Storage of silage
Storage of effluent
Bunded storage tanks
Diagram above: clad excess effluent holding
tank without roof.
Holding tank for fresh & waste water. solar panels and wind turbines can be installed to
the system to run pumps, power towns and villages or put the electricity back into the grid.
www.neptunesolutions.co.uk
0161 850 1608
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Aqueducts over land
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Visualisation of holding tanks
In the developed world water is taken for
granted.
All too often water is lost through seepage caused by
poor quality and old water mains.
Supplies of fresh water are becoming more scarce and
as the world’s population continues to grow, there will
be a greater demand.
Efficient and effective management of this precious
resource is essential. The Neptune System provides real
solutions to these challenges. Its holding tanks, reservoirs
and aqueducts can be built in locations where other
solutions cannot be installed.
Diagram above: optional water turbine can be
installed to generate electricity
The Neptune Aqueduct can be powered by installing
solar panels, wind turbines and water turbines to
generate electricity. This free power can then be used
to power the pumping stations and any extra power
can be stored and distributed to the grid to power
towns and villages.
Diagram above: optional solar panels can be
installed to generate electricity
www.neptunesolutions.co.uk
0161 850 1608
[email protected]
River coffer dams & flood plains
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Illustration of how the Neptune
System can be used to slow the flow
of water from tributaries into the
main river by creating a coffer dam
and large flood plains. Water built
up behind the dam is slowly released
protecting the cities, towns and
villages that would otherwise be at
risk of flooding by the main river.
Large retaining area for water
with dam and sluice gates to
create a flooded area to slow
down the volume of water after
torrential rain. This design can
also be used for high tides
www.neptunesolutions.co.uk
0161 850 1608
[email protected]
Page: 13
Cliffside erosion
As rivers overflow the Neptune System
halts the flow of water above ground
and also prevents the ingress of water
as it seeps down below the surface
This illustration represents
marshy, boggy ground
where there is no solid
foundation. The Neptune
System can easily be
installed above the water
level
The Neptune System can add height to an existing retaining wall to combat rising sea
levels.
Solid existing wall.
Neptune system only
required to increase
the height of the
defence.
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Crumbling existing
wall. Neptune system
stabilises wall in
addition to raising the
height of the defence.
[email protected]
Page: 14
Cliffside erosion
The Neptune System can be installed
on top of existing clay mounds which
are being eroded by water action
over time and need constant
maintenance.
This illustration shows how
the Neptune System can
be deployed to protect
against Cliffside erosion.
In a coastal location, the
Neptune System can
be installed in the water
above tide level as a
breakwater to minimise the
impact of waves
hitting the coastline.
www.neptunesolutions.co.uk
0161 850 1608
[email protected]
Page: 15
Railway flood barrier
A common scenario where a railway line may become flooded is on low lying land when a
nearby river burst its banks.
The Neptune System provides a barrier which prevents the water flowing from the river
encroaching on to the track.
In addition to the surface water there will be increasing ingress over time of water into the ground.
Our innovative sheet piles suspended from the frame prevent this subsurface water seeping
underneath the barrier.
Flooding can also occur when rain water flows down a slope on to a railway line below. The
diagram above illustrates the effectiveness of the Neptune System as a barrier irrespective of the
way that it is facing.
The barrier would normally face the flow of water but in this case has been reversed to enable
the rubber facing mat to be positioned well below the surface of the ground to optimize the
protection against water ingress below the surface.
www.neptunesolutions.co.uk
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Page: 16
Railway flood & landslide barriers
In addition to flooding, railways are often vulnerable to landslides which may either undermine the
track as in the diagram below, or flow on to the tracks from above.
The Neptune System acting as a retaining wall supports the ground and prevents slippage.
www.neptunesolutions.co.uk
0161 850 1608
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Page: 17
The Neptune system
This illustration shows how the Neptune System can be deployed to protect against
Cliffside erosion.
The Neptune System can add height to an existing retaining wall
to combat rising sea levels and will also stabilise the wall if
necessary.
www.neptunesolutions.co.uk
0161 850 1608
[email protected]
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Protecting & Monitoring the system
The Cladding would be attached to
the system via our robust ribcage
system which would in turn increase the
lifespan of our overall system to over
100 years!
In addition, the cladding would have
access points to allow internal
monitoring and inspection of the
Neptune System
Any cladding chosen along with the
ribcage system will assist with the
prevention of vandalism of the overall
system.
www.neptunesolutions.co.uk
0161 850 1608
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Visualisation of River defence
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The image below is a visualisation of the Neptune Solutions river defence encased in
various types of cladding and optional solar panels & wind turbines can be installed to
generate electricity to return a revenue.
www.neptunesolutions.co.uk
0161 850 1608
[email protected]
How does the Neptune system compare to concrete?
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Concrete must be delivered to site and poured within a ninety minute timeframe. For many projects this will require a
staging post to be built at considerable cost. Additional staging posts may be required on major projects as the site
moves further and further away.

Staging post costs are avoided with the Neptune System
The production of concrete requires the correct quantity and quality of materials which must be mixed under the right
conditions and used within a specific timeframe before their condition deteriorates and they become unusable.

The Neptune System does not require special care, storage or processing and will not deteriorate.
In areas that are remote and difficult to access, the Neptune System can be delivered component by
component if necessary. Concrete must be delivered in large vehicles, weighing around 30 tonnes laden, which
will often require the building of an access road which in some locations may not be possible rendering
concrete totally unsuitable.

Where access roads can be built, the cost will be higher than for the Neptune System, because of the heavier loads
that must be carried with concrete. In comparison the Neptune System when loaded will weigh around 3 tonnes
compared to 33 tonnes for concrete
With many ground conditions a concrete retaining wall will require the use of piles in order to provide stability. The
number of piles required for a concrete wall is 3 times the number required for the Neptune System. In addition the
piles for concrete must be long enough to be anchored into solid ground.

This could make the length of each pile many times greater than needed for the Neptune System which does not
require solid ground in order to achieve stability. In addition piling required for concrete walls will be at least
twice as long as for the Neptune System due to the heavier equivalent weight of concrete.
To construct a concrete retaining wall a significant foot must be provided. The ground must be dug out to a sufficient depth
to enable the footing to be put into place which requires earth moving equipment and vehicles to carry the soil away.

The Neptune System sits above ground and so no excavation is required.
To construct a concrete wall shuttering is required to enable the wall to be formed. The shuttering must be removed
after the initial curing period of the concrete (14 days) after which the concrete must be left to cure for a further 3
weeks.

Overall concrete walls take at least three times longer to construct than the Neptune System. The main
limiting factor with the Neptune System being the time taken for the piling to be completed. The Neptune
System can be erected at a rate of 3 x 3 meter units per day (9 Meters). For an equivalent measure of a
concrete wall it would take 29 days (included curing time)
Other factors which affect the performance of concrete is temperature and weather conditions.
www.neptunesolutions.co.uk
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Page: 21
Environmental Benefits
Concrete is not an environmentally friendly material
·
The cement industry is one of the primary producers of carbon dioxide, a major
greenhouse gas.
·
Besides CO2 both cement and concrete production generate considerable quantities of
air-pollutant emissions.
·
Another environmental issue with cement and concrete production is water pollution.
·
Some substances in concrete, including useful and unwanted additives, can cause health
concerns due to toxicity and radioactivity.
·
One cubic meter of concrete requires 1,000 litres of water for mixing and washing
out.
·
Energy consumption is the biggest environmental concern with cement and concrete
production.
On The Other Hand
The Neptune System is self-supporting and doesn’t require concrete. It does not, therefore,
create the problems of toxicity and radiation that are associated with concrete.
It does not require large ground works and infrastructure during construction and when no longer
required it can be dismantled and reused in another location; or its components can be recycled.
The system itself is constructed from recycled materials wherever possible and the
Neptune Group uses locally sourced materials whenever it can.
Crucially it takes 1,000 litres of water to make a cubic meter of concrete – 250 litres to mix and
750 litres to clean the equipment afterwards. This is an extravagant waste of water and makes the
use of concrete a nonviable proposition in some parts of the world.
www.neptunesolutions.co.uk
0161 850 1608
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Page: 22
System strength
The design of the Neptune System has been independently tested by Dr. Ali Albadri.
Dr. Albadri is a Chief Engineer with a BSc in mechanical engineering and BSc in
Nuclear engineering, MPhil and PhD in Materials Science. He has published many technical
papers in the fields of materials science, nuclear science, electromagnetic waves, and
mechanical escalators.
He has worked for Alpha Fry Ltd, ABB, Olympus, Hydronix, and London Underground. He is a
chartered engineer, a fellow of the Institute of Mechanical Engineering, a fellow of the
Institute of Materials and Mining, and a fellow of the Institute of The American Mechanical
Engineer.
The design was fully tested/evaluated using sophisticated computer modelling. Dr Albadri’s analysis
confirms that the design is fit for purpose as a coastal and river flood defence system.
In testing the strength of the system, Dr Albadri found that depending on the material specifications
of some components the design is considerably stronger than originally conceived.
The design (without the front composite panel) will withstand a force of 1.5 tonnes per cubic
meter with a factor of safety 2.5 if the components are made from conventional plain
carbon steel.
The factor of safety increases to 5 if these components are made from steel with high strength. The
majority of coastal flood defences around the world must be able to withstand forces of 1.5
tonnes per cubic meter. It can be seen that our design easily surpasses that requirement.
In those locations where flood defences are required to withstand a force in excess of 1.5 tonnes
per cubic meter a greater thickness of steel would be used to provide an appropriate increase in
the structural strength required.
In fact the factor of safety increases dramatically if the strength of the front composite panel is
added to the structure. It increases the factor of safety from 2.5 to 7.5 depending on the
strength of the joint between the panel and the soil. At this stage is difficult to conduct such
calculations until site soil analysis is conducted.
All clients/customers have the opportunity to peruse and analyse Dr. Albadri’s technical reports
and raise any queries they may have.
Dr Albadri’s full reports are available upon request.
www.neptunesolutions.co.uk
0161 850 1608
[email protected]
Page: 23
Patents
All rights in the designs are held by Mike Mulvihill and a master license has been granted to
Neptune Solutions Global.
The designs have been evaluated and approved by the UK Patent Office and are currently being
processed through the PCT route (application number PCT/GB2013/000448). The European Patent
Office has confirmed that the design is novel, an inventive step and has industrial applicability
Publication of the design by the European Patent Office is expected within the next few months and
national patent applications are currently being made for Europe, the United Kingdom and the USA.
Further national patent applications will follow.
SUMMARY
The Neptune System is a particularly versatile design and can be deployed in varying locations,
in a variety of cosmetic finishes and to whatever height and structural strength required.
This brochure has highlighted some of the potential uses and locations in which the system could be
deployed. However, this is only the tip of the iceberg in respect to the number of possible flood
defence solutions that the Neptune System is able to deliver.
We would be more than happy to discuss how the Neptune System could be used for specific
projects requirements that you have.
Please contact me at any time to discuss the system in more depth.
Michael Mulvihill
Chief Executive
Neptune Solutions Global Ltd
Telephone: 0161 850 1608
Mobile: 07541 092111
Email: [email protected]
www.neptunesolutions.co.uk
0161 850 1608
[email protected]