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This category is for schemes with a geotechnical value of less than £500k that demonstrate innovative design, value engineering, involvement with stakeholders and community, and efficient delivery.

Atkins: The Moors at Arne, coastal change

The Environment Agency (EA) is proposing to create an intertidal wildlife habitat on the Arne Peninsula, Dorset. The scheme comprises approximately 4.2km of new embankments, water management control structures, public access routes and vehicular maintenance access. It will also feature a new artificial creek network, habitat islands and intertidal lagoon system to improve habitat diversity.

Atkins has supported the EA to overcome the geotechnical design challenges of the environmentally sensitive scheme. Key drivers for Atkins’ design have been maximising the use of site won material; minimal impact on existing biodiversity; natural relocation and preservation of existing habitats; minimising carbon emissions.

The embankments are to be of sufficiently low permeability to act as tidal flood defences. Challenging ground conditions including soft organic clays, peat and shallow groundwater prevail, but are variable in their occurrence. Embankments that enclose the proposed intertidal lagoons will be periodically overtopped so flooded, normal and rapid draw down design cases were considered in the design.

Bachy Soletanche: Isle of Man Ferry Terminal, Liverpool

Bachy Soletanche was subcontracted by John Sisk to install 14 ground anchors for the new Isle of Man Ferry Terminal in Liverpool on the banks of the River Mersey. A 3D design model was developed with the scheme designers to ensure the anchors avoided the new terminal building piles.

A 90t long reach excavator fitted with a sonic high frequency drill rig was used to reduce loading on the existing quayside wall and advance the drilling up to 32m through man-made obstructions and rock. A 3D alignment survey tool was used to verify the as-built drill position of the anchor prior to installation.

All anchors met the required tolerances and passed their subsequent independent pull-out tests. Environmental protection measures were put in place to protect the Mersey during the works and various innovative plant items were used to eliminate manual handling.

Bam Ritchies: Tilbury Fort anchor inspections

Climate change is a primary focus of the Environment Agency (EA), so Bam Ritchies was brought in to help ensure that the historical ground anchors holding up flood defences today are still fit for the job in a further 20 years. The anchors were on the vertical face of a sheet piled flood defence wall and within the tidal range of the Thames. As a result, the team had to overcome access challenges, tidal working, aged assets and the unknowns associated with inspections of ground anchors.

Bam Ritchies worked collaboratively with its supply chain as well as the EA and its designer to identify the necessary tool kit of solutions to meet the project’s challenges early on. Using expertise from other disciplines in its business, the company succeeded in developing an approach that meant it could maximise the working windows from a place of safety and overcome the unknown challenges that aged anchors frequently pose.

Bam Ritchies was appointed in November 2021 to deliver the stabilisation of an abandoned mine shaft in Hemel Hempstead and associated voided ground to its perimeter. Key to the project’s success was avoiding any collateral damage to adjacent properties and keeping the local community on its side. It used its established relationships with Dacorum County Council, Arcadis and the community to engage these groups in advance of the contract award. Doing so, it developed workable, deliverable solutions that met the required outcomes.

Bam Ritchies believes its approach to this project demonstrates its consistent approach to delivering value for its customers as it met the challenge of providing bespoke equipment to deliver the works in a constrained residential location. It successfully took the guesswork out of grouting by applying digital integrated systems that enabled informed decisions and visibility of the work underground.

In August 2021 Bam Ritchies was approached by First Hydro Company (FHC) with a work list of stabilisation requirements at Dinorwig Power Station, primarily within the access tunnels. It carried out multiple visits to the power station over the next years to deliver the planned works. During 2021 Bam Ritchies attended to the tunnel known locally as “10 Series Tunnel” where the work scope was installation of 310 3,700mm long rock bolts.

It delivered the works successfully the first time around, all the while ensuring project safety. It eliminated hand arm vibration, hugely reduced manual handling and prevented any impact on FHC operations.

Bam Ritchies’ ongoing relationship with FHC and the visibility it has given the contractor on future works permits it to make informed decisions for the future, particularly in procurement of plant and equipment. This ultimately provides it with certainty and predictability, in delivery of their works.

Combined Soil Stabilisation: Tattenhall Phase 3

The use of lime modified fills to improve soils to successfully support commercial structures is widely recognised. However, the use of the technique to support residential structures is less widely adopted. The project team behind the Gifford Lea retirement village in Tattenhall, Cheshire, has been unable to determine an example of this approach for residential development in England.

Combined Soil Stabilisation was appointed to carry out the ground works at Tattenhall. By adopting different techniques supported by robust performance specification and validation requirements, it delivered a robust, cost-effective soil stabilisation solution for the residential development.

The company says that the Tattenhall project is one of two firsts: it shows the successful use of lime to improve soils for a residential development and it is the first such project to receive a comprehensive industry warranty.

Concept Engineering Consultants: South Molton Triangle

Concept Engineering was appointed to complete a geotechnical and geo-environmental investigation as well as a full fabric survey of the South Molton Triangle properties – a mixed-use development in London’s West End. The investigations aimed to support the design of the new buildings, basements, underpinning and retention of the facades, as part of a new redevelopment in the area.

The investigation included several boreholes which needed to be drilled in the area, a few of which required underpropping of coal vaults and the construction of bespoke scaffolding platforms, to support the drilling rig over a lightwell. A detailed fabric investigation and ground penetration radar scan of building façades were used to determine the make-up and thickness of the front facing building facades, which have been used to aid in the design and underpinning of the retained facades.

A storm in February 2020 significantly damaged the busy B4224 road between Fownhope and Heresford. Dywidag and its partners successfully completed the complex reconstruction of a collapsed rural stone retaining wall and road adjacent to a stone cottage. Site specific conditions challenged the team to devise creative and innovative solutions: one side of the road needed to remain intact because it included a functioning gas main and pedestrian access, and a protected garden limited accessibility.

A new wall would need to be constructed while also supporting the existing highway and upper slope. Dywidag, in collaboration with partner Huesker, developed an innovative hybrid soil nail and high tensile mesh geogrid system to stabilise the slope. It acted as a temporary support while difficult excavations were completed, by construction partner Alun Griffiths providing a long-term, reliable repair.

Geobear & Amey: Kentish Town slab track treatment

Working with Amey, Geobear’s engineering team produced an innovative design solution to stabilise a section of rail slab track between Kentish Town station and St Pancras station, London. There was a significant geotechnical challenge where the slab track had experienced rapid deterioration which manifested in concrete slab cracking in numerous locations.

A design solution was engineered which would utilise one of Geobear's expansive geopolymer materials, injected beneath the slab, to strengthen the sub-grade. The pattern, depth and control of the geopolymer material was critical to stabilise the area with minimal affects to the existing asset.

The asset’s life was extended by up to 15 years and the programme was delivered within a small window reducing the period line-speed reductions were in place and the delays associated with conventional replacement.

Piledesigns: Foundation solution to a historic backfilled opencast Marl Pit

As part of redevelopment of a scheme in Hanley, Stoke on Trent, Piledesigns was appointed to provide a geotechnical design, advice and approval for a suitable foundation solution.

The development of this site posed a number of challenges for the design of the piled foundations, such as the presence of “high walls” along the edges of the opencast works where piles could be deviated off the sides. There was also uncertainty regarding socket lengths of piles driven into the underlying solid strata.

Working with Hawk Developments and In-Situ Site Investigation, Piledesigns re-engineered the foundation solution based on sound engineering and geotechnical principles along with 3D modelling techniques. The solution consisted of using reused steel tube, which did not require any major excavation or removal of material off site, thus reducing the carbon emissions of the build.

Tobermore was appointed by contractor Engie to strengthen a dangerously unstable brick wall to the rear of a social housing development in Darlaston, the West Midlands. The brick wall, located on the Latches Close social housing site owned by Clarion Housing Group, was built directly on top of soil with no concrete footing.

Following consultations with Tobermore’s civil engineering consultants, Engie proposed installing a Secura Grand retaining wall as a solution to strengthen and stabilise the existing wall. Rather than replacing the entire wall, the existing wall and its timber buttress was incorporated into the retaining wall designs, restoring land for the residents and property managers.

As a result of the retaining wall, the area on the estate which was previously cordoned off has now reopened to residents.

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