Urban Village News
Legend speaks of pride as £18.6m leisure centre opens its doors Monday December 5 2011
Bilston’s new £18.6m Bert Williams Leisure Centre is open for business – much to the delight of the legendary Wolverhampton Wanderers and England goalkeeper it has been named after.
Bert Williams MBE spoke of his pride at having the state-of-the-art facility named in his honour as he and Wolverhampton Mayor Councillor Bert Turner cut the ribbon to declare the centre open on Saturday (December 3 2011).
The 91-year-old, who made 420 appearances for Wolves and was capped 24 times by England, hails from Bradley and used to play football as a boy on the very spot where the Nettlefolds Way centre now stands.
He said: “It was a great honour to play for Wolves, a great honour to play for England and a great honour to receive my MBE from the Queen – but to have this wonderful leisure centre named after me is the icing on the cake!
“I am sure the leisure centre will benefit many thousands of people over the coming years and I would like to thank everyone who has worked so hard to make this honour possible and make this day so very happy for me.”
Wolverhampton City Council’s 5,600m² centre replaces the ageing Bilston Leisure Centre and will provide the local community with a vastly improved range of facilities for all the family.
They include an eight-lane, 25m swimming pool, a studio pool, sauna, dance studio and a health and fitness suite kitted out with the very latest equipment.
In addition, there will be four squash courts, a sports hall which can be used for badminton, basketball, netball, volleyball and five-a-side football, dedicated gym equipment for older people and a special gym for youngsters aged eight to 15. A crèche and meeting room are also provided.
Councillor Elias Mattu, Wolverhampton City Council's Cabinet Member for Leisure and Communities, took part in Saturday’s ceremony and said: “It wasn’t a difficult decision to name the centre in Bert’s honour.
“He is a true sporting legend and in his day was the best English goalkeeper around. He did an enormous amount to raise the profile of Bilston and Wolverhampton and we are only too pleased to pay tribute to him in this way.”
He added: “I am delighted that this fantastic centre is now open for business and I am sure the people of Bilston and Wolverhampton are going to love the new facilities which are on offer.
“We have worked hard to ensure there is something for everyone at the Bert Williams Leisure Centre, including the very latest fitness equipment with specially designed pieces for older and younger customers, a main hall which can be used for a number of different sports, and two pools for swimmers of all abilities.
“We have also been able to provide many more exercise stations than we had at the old leisure centre as well as a brand new sauna, sports hall and dance studio.
“And the best news for our customers is that we have been able to keep charges for the new centre at the same level as for the old facility.”
Peter Millett, managing director of main contractor Shepherd Construction’s West Division, said: “It’s fantastic to see such a legend in the football world opening Bilston’s new leisure centre. It really underlines the importance of the centre within the local community and we look forward to seeing people enjoying the facilities for years to come.”
The new facility has been funded by the city council and via a £900,000 grant from Sport England.
Sport England Chairman Richard Lewis added: “I am proud to say that Sport England was involved in funding this fantastic facility. A good facility can make all the difference in people’s attitudes towards taking part in sport and I believe that the Bert Williams Leisure Centre will be of huge benefit to the local community.”
The former Bilston Leisure Centre closed its doors for the final time last month.
For more information on the Bert Williams Leisure Centre, please visit www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/sport, call 01902 552430 or e-mail bertwilliams.leisure@wolverhampton.gov.uk. To book an induction to use the new health and fitness suite please 01902 552430.
October 2011: Bilston Leisure Centre progress photographs
These photographs, taken on September 22nd, show parts of the leisure centre almost finished and some of the external works being started.
Come along and meet the artists selected to create works for the leisure centre
September 2011: Bilston Leisure Centre Progress Photographs
The Leisure Centre contract reaches its final stages. Tiling of the pools is undertaken and the changing rooms,toilets and showers are installed. All photographs courtesy of Shepherd Construction.
August 2011: Bilston Leisure Centre Progress Photographs
Photographs taken in mid June 2011 show the leisure centre taking shape including extensive work to the elevation facing the boulevard and further internal works. All photographs courtesy Shepherd Construction.
Cabinet Report on Bilston Urban Village - Update and Proposed Way Forward
The full report to Cabinet on July 20th is published below.
The report is also available to download here
May 2011: Bilston Leisure Centre Progress Photographs
The leisure centre is really now taking shape with the introduction of glazing and the completion of the internal cladding.
The photographs were taken on April 18th and are courtesy of Shepherd Construction.
April 2011: Bilston Leisure Centre Progress Photographs
The following photographs were taken on March 28th 2011. All photographs courtesy of Shepherd Construction.
March 2011: Bilston Leisure Centre Progress Photographs
The following photographs were taken on February 21st 2011. All photographs courtesy of Shepherd Construction.
Bilston Leisure Centre Public Art Project.
The following poster advertised the public art consultation event which took place on Wednesday 9th March 2011. Further details of the public art for the leisure centre will be put on this site in due course.
February 2011: Leisure Centre Progress Photographs
The following photographs were taken on January 18th 2011. All photographs courtesy of Shepherd Construction.
February 2011: Bert Williams visits the new Leisure Centre
Former Wolves and England goalkeeper Bert Williams MBE paid a surprise visit to the new leisure centre being built at Bilston this week.
Bert, who has just turned 91, was visiting family in the area when he dropped in on the site of the £14.9m building that will be named after him when it opens later this year.
Main contractor Shepherd Construction is scheduled to complete building work on the 5,600 m² leisure centre later this summer, and is currently forging ahead with the masonry, cladding and roofing work.
Bert, who posed for a photo with lifelong Wolves fan and site security guard Trevor Ranger, is hoping to return later this spring for a full tour of the site.
Photograph shows Bert Williams (right) on site with Shepherd employee Trevor Ranger
The leisure centre which is being delivered on behalf of Wolverhampton City Council, will create a striking landmark in Bilston and will provide state-of-the-art facilities for the local community including a 25-metre pool, learner pool, sports hall, health and fitness suite, four squash courts and meeting rooms.
In November 2010, Members of Wolverhampton City Council unanimously voted to name the leisure centre after Bert, who made 420 appearances for Wolves and was capped 24 times by England.
February 2011: Loxdale Pupils Leave Legacy At Bilston’s New Leisure Centre
Pupils at Loxdale Primary School put their stamp of approval on Bilston’s new leisure centre this week by signing their names on the building’s framework.
The youngsters got a sneak peak of the rapidly-emerging leisure centre and earned their place in history by signing their names on one of the steel girders that will make up the 800-tonne steel frame.
Main contractor Shepherd Construction also turned the site into a temporary ‘living classroom’, giving the youngsters a talk on the equipment frequently operated during building work and demonstrating how maths are used, for instance in calculating the cost of the steelwork.
The £14.9 million project is being delivered on behalf of Wolverhampton City Council with the project managed by the council’s Property Services team who have provided professional and technical support.
When work is completed this summer, the 5,600m² leisure centre will create a striking landmark in Bilston and provide state-of-the-art facilities for the local community including a 25-metre pool, learner pool, sports hall, health and fitness suite, four squash courts and meeting rooms.
Craig Fletcher, senior building manager for Shepherd Construction, commented: “It was fantastic to see the youngsters’ enthusiasm not only in leaving a legacy that will act as a reminder every time they visit the leisure centre in the future but also in learning how maths are applied on a construction site.”
Picture above shows Chante Wright signing the steelwork.
Helen Lewis, Year Six teacher, said: “Our work with Shepherd Construction has meant that we have really been able to bring our curriculum to life and it has given our pupils a fantastic ‘hands-on’ learning experience. We are very grateful to them for their commitment and vision throughout this project, which has provided so many learning opportunities for our pupils. “What a superb legacy for the children - having their name signed on the very fabric of the building. It has been a delight to see our pupils so highly motivated and engaged and we look forward to continuing to develop our links with Shepherd Construction.”
Councillor Stephen Simkins, Wolverhampton City Council’s Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture, said: “The young people of Bilston and Wolverhampton will be among the main beneficiaries of this fantastic new facility and I am delighted that the youngsters of Loxdale Primary School have been able to play their part in the development of the leisure centre.”
DECEMBER 2010 PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE NEW LEISURE CENTRE
The construction of the new leisure centre is progressing rapidly with the steelwork almost complete and swimming pool tanks being tested in January.
In the pictures below you can now see the dominant curved structure which will make the leisure centre so distinctive.
(above) Erection of steel over the cafe area
(above) Main reception/entrance looking north
(above) Main reception/entrance looking south
(above) View from the boulevard area looking towards the main entrance
(above) Back view of the main pool area. The main steel work is nearly complete and the installation of secondary steelwork has started
(above) View of west elevation. Side view of main pool with large roof beams in place
(above) View of the main pool with large stel beams over
(above) Mezzanine floor looking over sports hall before floor installation
(above) Upper floor squash courts, above the main pool
(above) Looking down into the reception/main entrance showing reinforcement membrane before pouring of the ground floor slab
(above) Mezzanine floor
(above) Mezzanine floor
(above) Looking north, this view shows the secondary steel being put in place on the main outer steel before the installation of the cladding
(above) View of the main pool walls from the basement
(above) Basement blockwork partitions
All photographs by Shepherd Construction.
DECEMBER 2010 - AREA ACTION PLAN - ISSUES PAPER
The Bilston Corridor Area Action Plan forms part of the Black Country Core Strategy and will guide the transformation of the Bilston Corridor. It will identify the location of new development in the area and help make decisions on planning applications. It will also influence decisions about transport, community facilities and jobs.
Bilston Corridor, including Bilston Urban Village, is one of the main regeneration areas in Wolverhampton.
The Issues Paper identifies a range of key objectives and ways to achieve them. Some of the key issues include:
~ Improve and attract further investment to Bilston Town Centre ~ Deliver 4,300 high quality new homes - the largest area of housing growth in the City. ~ Enhance economic development potential - protecting and improving 282 hectares of employment land. ~ Create an attractive environment with new green infrastructure and high quality locally distinctive design. ~ Overcome the challenges of improving transport and accessibility. ~ Provide the right infrastructure and services to serve new and existing communities ~ Address and adapt to the effects of Climate Change. ~ Demonstrate how development will be phased and delivered.The plan below shows some of the changes which are proposed. These include a significant shift from poor quality employment land to residential over the plan period.
Documents can be downloaded from the Council's website
NOVEMBER 2010 - PROGRESS ON THE NEW LEISURE CENTRE
Good progress continues to be made on the construction of Bilston's new leisure centre. These photographs, taken in early November, show the extensive steelwork and the start of staircases, floor and ceilings being installed.
All photographs courtesy of Shepherd Construction
OCTOBER 2010 - PLANS FOR THE NEW SOUTH WOLVERHAMPTON AND BILSTON ACADEMY AVAILABLE
The submission of the planning application for the new Academy school in Bilston brings together for the first time drawings, plans and supporting documents for the scheme. The information is available to download from the downloads page. A narrative on the proposals and links to individual documents is given below.
The application now submitted seeks to gain full planning permission for the following proposed development:
“Demolition of Existing School and Associated Buildings and the Erection of New Educational Facilities, Associated Outdoor Sports and Play Facilities, Vehicular Accesses, Car Parking, Landscaping and Ancillary Works”.
Background to the Proposal The Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme is the Central Government’s initiative to renew the provision of secondary school facilities in England over a 10-15 year period and was initially introduced by the previous Government in 2003.
The intention of the BSF programme is to transform the provision of secondary school education to children and to ensure that they have access to educational facilities fit for the 21st Century.
In addition, a significant aspect of the BSF programme is that the improved facilities are also made available for the use and enjoyment of the local community outside of normal school hours.
The BSF programme seeks to bring significant educational reform of the secondary school system through investment in new educational buildings and ICT in order to achieve a step change in the quality of educational provision in England.
The vision for the BSF programme will seek to improve standards in secondary level education across the country by raising the attainment, achievement and ambitions of all learners across the City of Wolverhampton, as well as improving the availability and accessibility of such facilities to the whole community.
The site now under consideration has been brought forward under the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme to accommodate one of Wolverhampton's two proposed new Academies. A Local Education Partnership (LEP) has been established with the developers, Inspire, which has access to £370 million to invest in secondary school buildings and facilities across the City. Construction of the City’s sample schools schemes began in Summer 2010 and, subject to the granting of planning permission, in early 2011 for the South Wolverhampton & Bilston Academy (SWABA) proposals which are the subject of this application.
The SWABA will also play a critical role as part of the wider regeneration proposals in the area in and around the Bilston Town Centre which includes a new leisure centre currently under construction on the site adjacent to the current application site, and a new Primary and Community Care Centre. A new pedestrian link to the Bilston High Street, immediately adjacent to the site, is also being progressed.
More background information and a description of the proposed development can be found in the Planning Statement
OCTOBER 2010 - UNIQUE NEW SHOTS OF THE LEISURE CENTRE SITE
The photographs below show a unique view of the Leisure Centre under construction. The shots are taken from a 20m mast and give a stunning view of the emerging works. The old school sports hall, currently being demolished, is clearly visible as is the rest of the Academy site.
Photo credit: Sky Shot Photography
OCTOBER 2010 - BILSTON’S NEW LEISURE CENTRE SHOWS ITS METAL
The framework of Bilston’s new leisure centre is starting to appear out of the ground.
It will take around 12 weeks for main contractor Shepherd Construction to erect the 800 tonnes of steelwork that will form the frame of the 5,600m² leisure centre which is being built on behalf of Wolverhampton City Council.
Work will also include installing 25 huge steel beams, each of which will be 22m in length, and will require being lifted into place by mobile cranes.
The beams, which have been fabricated by Black Country-based steel fabricator Angle Ring, will create the internal frame separating the main areas of the leisure centre, such as the squash courts on the first floor, from the main pool area occupying the ground floor.
The £14.9 million leisure centre is the first phase of the Bilston Urban Village Regeneration Programme and is set to become a striking landmark development providing a 25 metre pool, learner pool, sports hall, health and fitness suite, four squash courts and meeting rooms.
It will be a new landmark in the town with a contemporary curved structure and rows of floor-to-ceiling glass windows and is due to open for the first time in the summer of 2011.
Peter Millett, Shepherd Construction’s managing director for the West Division commented: “People can expect to see a dramatic difference to the site as the steelwork shoots upwards and the shape of the leisure centre becomes visible.”
Councillor Matt Holdcroft, Wolverhampton City Council’s Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture, said: “I am delighted to see how well the work on the new leisure centre is progressing.
“This will be a state-of-the-art facility for local people and one which we hope will help to dramatically increase the health of residents in our city.
“It will form an integral part of the new Bilston Urban Village and also form strong links with the new South Wolverhampton and Bilston Academy which will be built close by.”
JULY 2010 GOOD PROGRESS ON BILSTON LEISURE CENTRE
The contract to build Bilston's new Leisure Centre continues apace, with work on schedule. Substantial amounts of concrete have now been poured to form the basement areas. The photographs below show how the building is taking shape. Photographs have been taken by Shepherd Construction unless stated otherwise.
The photograph below shows the site from the Black Country Route in early August 2010.(photo credit: Wolverhampton City Council)
Plans for Health and Social Care Developments Revised
The current LIFT/PFI (Local Improvement Finance Trust/Private Finance Initiative) programme’s proposals for six joint schemes (one of which was earmarked for the site next to the new leisure centre in Bilston) has been subject to a major review in the light of significant changes in the landscape for both the city council and primary care trust.
The review looked at the affordability of the schemes, how they would be approved and whether they are still what is needed in Wolverhampton. The review found that major savings would be needed to make the original programme affordable, particularly for the primary care trust.
The review also provided an opportunity for the council to refresh its plans to use Private Finance Initiative credits from the Department of Health, worth nearly £30m, and ensure that the programme promotes independent living through services that are both personalised and community-focused.
Following the review, the city council is now developing proposals for “community hubs” offering health and social care services and a wider range of community activities. The site for these hubs have yet to be determined but will be decided through public consultation and will include, where appropriate, sites previously identified for the LIFT/PFI programme.
Further details will be given in due course.
Soil Shifting Shapes Site For Bilston’s Leisure Centre June 2010
Excavation work on the site of Wolverhampton City Council’s leisure centre in Bilston is well underway.
Main contractor on the project, Shepherd Construction, is shifting 10,000 cubic metres of soil – enough to fill around 90 double decker buses – as the site is re-shaped prior to work starting on the building’s foundations.
All the excavated soil is being recycled, with 6,000 cubic metres being donated to Wolverhampton City Council’s Bowmans Harbour project where it will be used to form attenuation ponds. The remaining soil is being used to help in the landscaping of the new South Wolverhampton & Bilston Academy adjacent to the leisure centre.
The soil recycling is part of the sustainability plan during building work on the new 5,600m² leisure centre which is scheduled to open in summer 2011, and will comprise eight-lane, 25m swimming pool, learner pool, health and fitness suite, four squash courts, a sports hall, cafe and meeting room. The new build will replace the existing leisure centre in Bilston and will be the first permanent building of the £175m urban village project.
Shepherd Construction’s Peter Millett, managing director for the West Division, said: “The site is now taking shape as work progresses at a rate of knots. Once the excavation work is complete, we’ll move onto the foundations programme and will be looking to commence steelwork on the leisure centre this autumn.”
Councillor Paddy Bradley, Wolverhampton City Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration, added: “I am delighted that the work on the new leisure centre is progressing well.
“The people of Bilston and the surrounding areas have a fantastic new leisure centre to look forward to. It will be a state of- the-art leisure facility which will meet the needs and aspirations of the whole community and which will form an integral part of the new Bilston Urban Village.”
Photo credit: Wolverhampton City Council.
Bilston Leisure Centre March 2010
Work has now begun on a new £14.9m leisure centre in Bilston.
Councillors joined contractor Shepherd Construction Ltd yesterday (Monday 15th March) to cut the first sod on the site of the state-of-the-art facility.
The striking building, located on former brownfield land off the Black Country Route, will replace the existing leisure centre on Prouds Lane and is due to open in 2011, with the creation of 33 full-time jobs.
It will also be the first permanent building of the new 100-acre Bilston Urban Village, a £175m project that will also include new homes, primary and community care centre and school, parkland and a pedestrian boulevard linking it to the existing town centre.
The 5,600m² leisure centre will be a landmark in the town with its contemporary curved structure, three-storey entrance and rows of floor-to-ceiling glass windows.
The ground floor will include the eight-lane, 25m main swimming pool, a training pool with moveable floor, changing rooms, children's crèche and play areas and café.
On the Mezzanine level will be a four-court sports hall with viewing galleries suitable for badminton, basketball, five-a-side football, netball and volleyball, a dance studio, meeting rooms and more changing rooms.
And on the first floor there will be a health and fitness suite including cardio-vascular equipment and a free weights area, four squash courts with a spectator viewing area and further changing facilities.
Councillor Matt Holdcroft, Wolverhampton City Council’s Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture, said: “The facilities which will be on offer in the new leisure centre will be second to none and I am sure residents of Wolverhampton will be as pleased as I am to see that work is now underway.
“We are fortunate to have some excellent leisure facilities in Wolverhampton already, with Aldersley Leisure Village recently selected as a potential training camp for the 2012 Olympics, and this new leisure centre in Bilston will raise the bar higher still.”
Councillor Paddy Bradley, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Enterprise, added: “This will be a state-of-the-art leisure facility and we have worked hard to ensure that the development will meet the needs and aspirations of the whole community.
“It will also form an integral part of the new Bilston Urban Village which is one of the largest regeneration projects in the Black Country and will see a former brownfield site transformed into a bustling community.”
The innovative building was designed by the city council's Property Services department in alliance with their strategic partner, Jacobs UK Ltd.
Bilston’s existing leisure centre will remain open until the new facility opens its doors for the first time.
Bilston Primary and Community Care Centre March 2010
The Bilston Primary and Community Care Centre is one of six large schemes in the City aimed at providing new ways of working in health and social care. It will be situated next to the new Bilston Leisure Centre and will have a main entrance onto the boulevard.
Local people will see:
More choice about where their care is provided
More equity of access to care-although for some people this may change how their care is provided
Better access-locally and through more flexible opening
Clean, modern health care facilities-where they want to be treated All of this closer to where they live
Health and care services are changing –increasingly, care is being provided in community settings closer to where people live- in response to what local people have told us they want to see. The SSDP programme is part of that broader programme of change, and is helping us to provide health care buildings that are fit for the future.
The Strategic Services Delivery Plan (SSDP) programme will help us to empower and regenerate local communities; by providing better health care facilities, providing employment in construction and service industries, and by a greater sense of community involvement and ownership of services.
Our staff are our biggest resource. Their skill and commitment has served local people well, and we need that to continue. It is essential that we provide opportunities for them to train and develop within our organisations in order to have the high calibre staff we need to provide our services. We want to provide health and care services in buildings where our staff will want to work.
At recent public open days people were asked to comment on the sort of building they wanted to see. The designs shown below illustrate possible approaches to the new Bilston development.
Bilston High Street Link
The establishment of a high quality pedestrian link between the new Urban Village developments and the Town Centre is considered to be vital in maximising the benefit of the new investment to the Town.
The draft development brief describes the Council's preferred approach to achieving this and will be adopted as a Supplementary Planning Document following a six week period of consultation, the main focus of which having been a 3 day event in the Town centre in November 2008.
The link involves the acquisition and demolition of a number of High Street properties and the building of new shops, offices and apartments facing onto the link.
All of the documents connected with this consultation are available on the downloads page.
PLOT A DEVELOPMENT BRIEF NOW ON LINE (March 20 2007)
Plot A is the first phase of the Urban Village and as such it is vital that the development of the plot should set the right standards in terms of urban design, architectural quality and environmental performance. In order to achieve this we have produced a design guide to inform the way the individual design teams approach the task.
The over-riding objective of the guidance is to enable "firm commitments to be made regarding external environmental treatment, the aesthetic approach to the architecture and form, infrastructure, structural and ornamental landscape, lighting and street furniture." The overall aim is to "achieve a prestigious development of co-ordinated identity, with striking landmark buildings located within an attractive, high qualitty urban setting"
You can download the Development Brief by clicking here.
PLOT A MINEWORKINGS CONTRACT (March 2007)
As part of the development of the first phase of the Urban Village, comprising the new Bilston Leisure Centre and the Primary Care Trust's new health resource centre, we have just finished the first of two major contracts to prepare the site.
M&J Drilling Services have completed a 26 week contract involving the grouting of shallow mineworkings on plot A together with the location and stabilisation of vertical mineshafts on the former Brook Terrace scrapyard site and on the embankment to the south of the former GKN Sankey sports ground.
In addition, three mineshafts and an old well were discovered on plot A. These were unrecorded shafts and were found during the contract and subsequently grouted.
Grouting of mineworkings involves drilling down to the shallow coal seams to discover the extent of broken ground and voids. If left untreated, these can collapse over time and eventually this comes to the surface causing instability. After drilling, a mixture of 10 parts PFA (pulverised fuel ash (from power stations)) to 1 part cement is mixed and this is then pumped into the voids. When the mixture sets it consolidates the ground, preventing future movement of buildings and services - very important when we are planning to build a new swimming pool on the site!
In total, around 10,400 tons of grout were used and the total length of drilling on site amounted to just over 47,000 metres (47 kilometres).
STRATEGY DOCUMENTS (July 2005)
We are now drawing to the end of the feasibility stage of the design of the Urban Village and a series of strategy documents have been prepared which set out the current work in progress.
These cover the whole range of topics and each one is available to download separately. The complete list is given below:
1. Introduction
2. Highways
3. Footpaths and cycleways (1)
4. Foorpaths and cycleways (2)
5. High Street Link
6. Public transport
7. Traffic Calming
8. Recreation
9. Nature Conservation
10. Drainage
11. Public Art
12. Canal
13. Indicative plots
14. Affordable Housing
15. Crime Prevention
16. Community Facilities (1)
17. Community Facilities (2)
18. Utilities Diversions
We still want to hear from anyone who wishes to make a comment on the current proposals. A report on the recent public consultation will be produced shortly together with responses from the design team on the way in which comments have been incorporated into the design process.
The detailed design commission is the way the framework plan gets translated into the detail of what will actually get built.
Arguably it is the most critical part of the process and it is vital that as many people as possible take the chance to get involved in the process.
After a lengthy tendering process four design teams were interviewed on May 22 2003.
The detailed design team has now begun working on the next critical stage of the development of the urban village. This involves looking in detail at every aspect of the proposals, based on the original masterplanning work but refining and adapting it to take account of new opportunities, further ground condition surveys and feedback from consultation.
The design team is led by an engineering and project management consultancy called Waterman Civils (www.waterman-group.co.uk) supported by a urban design/landscape consultancy called Faulks Perry Culley & Rech (FPCR) (www.fpcr.co.uk)
The initial stages of work will involve a review of available information and an assessment of further investigations and surveys which will be required before the design work proper can start. As this stage of the project develops information will be available on the Detailed Design page so that the website can act as one of the tools in the consultation process. The consultants will be working to a brief which is available on the downloads page.
GROUND INVESTIGATION WORK BEGINS
The latest round of work on site started last week (13/09/04) with Soil Mechanics undertaking a comprehensive investigation of ground conditions on site. The ground investigation has been designed and specified by Waterman Burrow Crocker, Consulting Engineers, who lead the detailed design team and they will be supervising the ground investigation on site during the 7 or 8 weeks that the contract is due to run. On completion of the site works Waterman Burrow Crocker will interpret the ground investigation data.
The work will enable the detailed design to proceed with greater confidence as we will have a better understanding of the engineering properties, distribution and composition of �Made Ground� (i.e. material deposited as part of a previous use on the site, rather than natural ground), levels of contamination and the extent of shallow underground voids left by the former coal workings.
A number of different techniques are used to investigate the below ground conditions. There are three different types of drilling used, these being:
� Cable Percussive
� Rotary Percussive Open Holes
� Rotary Cored Holes
Each type of drilling is used for a different purpose. Cable percussion use smallish rigs to determine the depth, composition and engineering properties of soils including the �Made Ground�.
Rotary percussive open holes go much deeper and will reveal the presence of shallow voids (normally no more than about 30 metres below ground level). Rotary cored holes are more expensive, but enable samples of material to be retrieved for analysis.
Trial pits are large rectangular excavations about a metre wide and excavated to a depth of no more than 6 metres. As the trial pit is dug and material is stockpiled at the side, samples of soil are taken and sent to laboratories for geotechnical and chemical analysis.
A plan showing the approximate location of the boreholes and trial pits is available by clicking here.