Two highly complex ground-engineering schemes have been awarded to Kvaerner Cementation Foundations, adding a further £900,000 to its order books.
At Newcastle United’s ground, KCF has been called in to ensure the premiership team’s expansion plans are built on solid ground, while in Glasgow it is shortly to start work on securing an 11-storey facade as part of the city’s distinctive skyline.
The company’s Doncaster office has won a £600,000 contract from Ballast Wiltshier to support new extensions to the Magpies’ North and West Stands at St James’ Park.
A key element of the groundwork involves filling in a network of old coal workings lying 14 metres below the city centre site. A series of voids left by coal extraction need to be stabilised before foundation piling can be augered into the rock strata above them.
Over an area extending around 9,000-square metres, KCF is planning to drill a matrix of some 600 holes and pump in up to 1,000 tonnes of PFA/cement grout to fill the voids and the surrounding broken ground.
Said KCF contracts manager Geoff Prudhoe: "Although we have some records to work on, no-one can be sure exactly what conditions are like below ground. In some parts, workings have collapsed, while in others the void left after extraction has remained intact. We shall be grouting the entire area to ensure the ground is completely stable."
At the same time, the outer bases of the North Stand and North-West corner are being strengthened with the installation of 140 minipiles.
When the grouting and drilling operation is completed, a further 600 Continuous Flight Augur (CFA) piles of 600mm and 900mm diameter will be augered into the rock to support foundations for the new extensions.
Meanwhile, KCF’s Glasgow office has been awarded the piling contract for the redevelopment of a landmark site on the corner of St Vincent Street and Hope Street, near Glasgow Central Station.
Awarded by HBG GA Construction, main contractor for Scottish Mutual, the 10-week scheme involves installing a retaining wall, rock anchorage’s and load-bearing piles, starting next month.
Sunk into three sides of the site, the 100-metre retaining pile wall will secure both the 100-year-old facade and the new multi-storey insurance office building within.
With a retained height of up to seven metres, the wall will be constructed with 137 contiguous bored rotary piles, using tripod methods to cope with restricted headroom within the facade retention works. To maintain stability in varying ground conditions, the capping beam will be tied to 29 rock anchorages prior to excavations for basement parking.
In addition, the contract includes installation of 16 load-bearing piles with a capacity of up to 10,000 Kilonewtons. KCF site engineer Andy Shaw commented: "The technical demands of the job are made all the more complex due to the varying levels of rock strata across the site, ranging from virtually ground level to 15 metres down."
END
For further information contact:Cheryl Eaton, PR Manager - 01923 423 030Kris Birkett, Press Officer - 01923 423833