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Project: Bank Stabilisation and Reconstruction Client: Morrison /
British Waterways
Following heavy flooding, a section of bank side between the house and the canal had collapsed, undermining the stability of the foundations of the house.
As British Waterways own the land, they chose to employ Condor Projects as a design and build specialist contractor to deliver a cost effective solution. Work had to be done sensitively as the house was to remain occupied for the duration of the works.
The picture shows the house from the opposite bank. The area to the right of the house covered in foliage had completely collapsed due to poor drainage.
The area immediately in front of the house was deemed dangerously inaccessible, unsafe and also needed stabilising.
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The only access was across a field and down the steep slope onto a sloping site. The proximity of the property to the canal added an additional level of difficulty, due to the restricted weight limits permitted on canal sides. Following detailed site investigation work it was determined that in addition to soil nailing, sheet piling the canal edge would also be required.
Condor had to design a solution that could be built on the difficult site but one that did not threaten the integrity of the property.
We started by putting in an access road and slope.
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| A hydraulic drifter mounted on an 18 tonne long reach excavator was used to install the anchors, with no vibration or disturbance to the house or the occupants.
The picture( below left ) shows one of the rows of
anchors at 1m intervals installed to a depth of 20m
Condor Projects Ltd installed three rows of ground anchors, totalling nearly 800 metres. The works have a design life of 120 years.
Having installed the anchors we built the reinforced concrete retaining walls incorporating the anchors
( below right ).
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Additional drainage was incorporated into the design adjacent to the bottom wall.
Reinforced concrete walls incorporating the anchors were then built in the middle and at the top of the site. The ground was levelled and the walls were cloaked in timber to improve the aesthetic appearance. |
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In the area of the main collapse we installed more 20 m anchors which were embedded into gabion baskets. Drainage was incorporated into the whole scheme to prevent future problems.
Steps were then built between the two areas giving the homeowners easy access to their boat before a cosmetic finish of turf and seed. We replaced two rocks at the behest of the homeowners to give the whole job a mature final appearance. A new piling wall was installed as part of the scheme to give the bank additional stability. The piles were driven to a depth of 6m.
The steps are just visible between the grassed and the seeded areas.
The job was completed within the target cost and ahead of program.
“I visited site yesterday, looks great! All the feedback from the photos that I sent out is very positive from ourselves and the client. Well done!!!!!”
Adam Gregson - Morrison Construction
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“Diana and I were very pleased that you won the contract for the bank repair …….
The results were outstanding. We feel that the slope and our property are
now more secure than when the house was built!”
David Walkerdine - Homeowner |
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"Martyn with his team brought a fresh, dynamic approach to problems and provided us with cost and time savings through their innovative solutions. A job well done!!"
David Parker
Quantity Surveyor,
Barr Construction
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