Embedded Walls
This market is one of our key areas of interest and one within which we have been increasingly active in the last ten years. We have designed freestanding cantilever walls with up to 9.0 metres retained without detrimental effects on adjacent structures, as well as anchored walls and walls requiring propping.
We are specialists in the design of embedded retaining walls for use as basement walls, temporary works support or as independent retaining structures. The following types of walls can be designed to suit your requirements, click on the links to go to the subject.
Contiguous Bored Pile Walls
The contiguous bored pile wall provides a robust solution for forming deep excavations in city centre locations where ground water retention is not a consideration.
We have extensive experience of this technique throughout the UK but particularly in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds where extensive redevelopment in the late 1990’s and early part of this century has called upon our services for this type of wall. This wall type is also extensively used for highway structures.
Take a look at some recent projects.
Secant Walls
The secant wall is an adaptation of the contiguous bored pile wall where adjacent piles are over bored so that the piles interlock, they are ideal where water retention is an important consideration.
The technique has become more prevalent with the introduction of high torque twin table CFA rigs with the ability to overcore the female piles using casing (Cased Secant Piles - CSP). The advantage with this technique over conventional methods is that higher tolerances can be achieved with the consequential increase in watertightness.
Diaphragm Walls
Diaphragm walls are at the heavy weight end of the embedded retaining wall marketplace, suitable for high integrity structures where watertightness is paramount.
Whilst this technique has its uses it is slow and expensive and with the development of CFA rigs in recent years has seen its market share decline. Nonetheless, we are able to offer a design service for this type of wall as the need arises.
Sheet Pile Walls
Sheet pile walls are another method for construction of basements and temporary excavations, however they are increasingly being used as permanent structures with the correctly specified surface coating.
We have experience of marine cofferdam construction and are actively seeking new clients for the design of their sheet pile wall systems.
King Post Walls
The king post wall is a technique popular in mainland Europe and the United States, increasingly however, it is being used here in the UK.
We have designed king post walls in Manchester City Centre, Oldham, Sale and Nottingham and are happy to continue to do so for any new clients seeking this type of solution.