LDG Lloyds Civils Assesses Construction Feasibility at Private Dublin Remediation Project
LDG Lloyds Civils were appointed by Gavin & Doherty Geosolutions (GDGEO) working on behalf of families living at Owendore Avenue, Rathfarnam, Dublin, to assess feasibility of the construction phase of remediation works on a failing access road.
Residents of Owendore Avenue had noticed that the access road to their properties was beginning to fail. This road runs alongside the Owendoher River and features a slope running towards the river seven metres below. The clear signs of distress included a significant dip in the road surface, tension cracking in the pavement and movement in adjacent boundary walls.
Gavin & Doherty Geosolutions is a specialist geotechnical engineering consultancy providing innovative geotechnical solutions across a broad range of civil engineering sectors. They readily determined that the distress was related to the instability of the adjacent river slope and their options report proposed to stabilise the slope by using a combination of soil nailing and gabion walls.
The client appointed LDG Lloyds Civils on publication of the preliminary design to discuss construction feasibility. LDG identified the site constraints as:
- Severely limited access to the slope face and the toe of the embankment
- Maintaining access throughout the works
- Maintaining the channel width, gradient and habitat of the Owendoher River.
- Restrictions on instream works during closed season
- Maintaining services along the crest of the slope, a water main, a wastewater pipeline (storm and foul) ESB Network and a Gas pipeline
- Existing mature trees along the slope crest
The project also required LDG Lloyds Civils and GDGEO to engage with stakeholders from South Dublin County Council, ESB Networks, Gas Networks Ireland, Irish Water, Inland Fisheries Ireland and OPW.
Once the final design was issued and contracts agreed, works had to be completed in a 12-week period. Works comprised:
- Removal of 50 trees some up to 30m tall
- Removal of poor material from the slope nearly 1000 m3
- Installation of 300 m3 of Gabion Wall
- Installation of 40 Tension Anchors 8m in length
- Installation of 120 Soil nails up to 12m in length
- 500 m2 of soft facing mesh installed
- Realignment of services
- Reinstatement of the roadway
“This project had many challenges due to the location of the site and so planning was crucial. The restricted space on site meant we had to implement a traffic management plan that allowed us to get all the materials and plant to and from site and on time without disrupting the neighbour’s day to day lives. We worked directly with the neighbours informing
them daily of activity and movements, and liaised closely with Inland Fisheries Ireland due to the proximity of the river. We delivered the project to deadline, without incident and to the satisfaction of the client who was pleased with both progress and budget”.
Sean Hagan, LDG Lloyds Civil
To find out more about this or any other LDG Lloyds Civils project, or to discuss your own, please call Sean Hagan, Contracts Manager on +44 (0)7814 743 871 or email sean.hagan@lloydsdatumgroup.com