Client
Jones Bros Civil Engineering Ltd
Project Value
£2.4bn
Services
- Geotechnical Engineering
Completion
2024
Caulmert Limited were commissioned by Jones Bros Civil Engineering to provide design consultancy and value engineering for improving site won materials to meet the end-user’s requirements for the site of a new Interconnector Substation which will provide the first direct power link between Germany and Great Britain.
The scheme comprised a significant cut and fill earthworks operation to create a level development platform across 17 hectares of land. A total volume of 43000m3 recovered from areas of cut was treated with a binder specified by Caulmert and placed to create a level working platform for the construction of the new substation.
Caulmert’s Geotechnical Engineering Team provided an initial feasibility study for Jones Bros which determined that Soil Stabilisation could be feasible although further investigation and testing was specified to control risks associated with the prevailing ground conditions. Testing targeted two principal host materials to confirm acceptability in accordance with the Specification for Highway Works, 2016 as well as following guidance from the British Cementitious Paving Association (Britpave).
Further testing allowed Caulmert to confirm stabilisation of site won material was feasible and testing allowed for an optimum binder mix design in order to achieve the most sustainable and cost effective solution. Field scale trials were undertaken using a variety of binder concentrations on the two host materials to demonstrate to the end-user that the design was fit for requirement.
Caulmert provided both on site and remote support throughout the works to ensure compliance with the Earthworks Specification with site investigations and reviewing testing undertaken throughout the project as well as ongoing advice for Jones Bros as and when required. While the end users program was tight and the existing information was limited, Caulmert worked with all parties to ensure the elements controlled by Caulmert were delivered on time and within budget, whilst providing significant savings to the project through value engineering. Both savings in cost and carbon footprint of the project were achieved through the collaborative workings of Caulmert and Jones Bros by avoiding disposal of site won material and targeting testing to ensure the optimum binder concentration was determined.
