Sheet Pile Wall Design for Cooks Shipyard, Wivenhoe, Essex
| Contract No: | C634 |
| Client: | Taylor Wimpey Construction Ltd |
| Location: | Cooks Shipyard, Wivenhoe, Essex |
| Value: | Approximately £900,000.00 |
| Summary: | Supply and installation of steel sheet piles, steel H piles, twin channel walings and tie rods to form new rivers walls for new housing development on former shipyard site. |
Sheet Piling (UK) Ltd were employed by developer Taylor Wimpey to construct new Sheet Pile Walls to the old wet dock area and river frontage at the former Cooks Shipyard on the river Colne in Wivenhoe, Near Colchester, Essex.
The Sheet Pile Wall Design required 11m & 12.5m long NSP 111W section sheet piles (section modulus 1800cm3/m) and 9.5m long 111W piles for the anchor walls. The sheet piles were supported by tie rods and twin channel walings. The soils consisted of 2 metres made ground, overlying 3 metres of soft clay, overlying 4 metres of medium dense sandy gravel, overlying stiff clay at 9 metres below ground level.
Planning consent was subject to strict agreements with regard to access to the site for plant and materials and all deliveries were subject to notification to local residents and limited hours during the day. The tie rods supporting the sheet piles were located under the two main apartment blocks on the site and, as these blocks were to be supported on CFA piles, close co-ordination was required between the Principal Contractor and Sub Contractors to ensure that the works were completed on time.
Vibration and noise restraints on the site were stringent, and the sheet piles were installed using a Giken UP150 silent vibration free pile press and land based crawler crane. Some obstructions were encountered as piling progressed but these were dealt with by the Principal Contractor.
A total of 500 No sheet piles were installed at an average of 12 No per day, and the tie rod, waling and capping beam installation followed immediately after sheet pile installation.