The existing sea defence along this stretch of coast had been eroding to the point of failure, threatening the main railway route into the south west. The new sea wall will protect the line and nearby houses as well as improving safety for pedestrians.
Hanson supplied a total of 6,000m³ of ready-mixed concrete for the works, which involved pouring concrete foundations on the sea front to house a precast nib section. A separate precast facing panel sits in the nib, tied to the existing wall behind and the void between the existing wall and facing panels was then infilled with ready-mixed concrete before a paving concrete was laid on top to create a new, widened pedestrian walkway.
“In addition to the specialised mixes we created for the original elements of the project, we stepped in to create a colour matched solution to help BAM Nuttall make some precast facing panels when the original supplier experienced issues due to Covid-19,” said David Cullimore, area general manager for Hanson Concrete.
“We also designed a pumpable low carbon concrete which contained a high percentage of our Regen GGBS to help improve sustainability credentials and durability in aggressive conditions.
“Working in partnership with BAM Nuttall we frequently overcame difficult logistical, technical and operational challenges created by pouring large amounts of high specification concrete up to 200 metres through the night in very short tidal windows.”
Jack Brookes, site manager, BAM Nuttall, added: “The team at Hanson demonstrated high levels of professionalism and commitment during the project, consistently going above and beyond what was expected.
“The design called for several complex mixes – often needed within only a few days – and Hanson’s quick turnaround on mix designs and technical support allowed us to stay on schedule.
“We worked together to overcome specific challenges on this complex phase of the project and Hanson was proactive in dealing with the additional issues brought by Covid-19, putting control measures in place to enable the supply of materials to continue safely without putting the workforce at risk.”
