VolkerGround Engineering at Catterall
VolkerGround Engineering recently installed a series of AZ14-770 steel sheet piles at Catterall Footbridge, Garstang. The piles were required to enable the main contractors’ onward construction of a new steel truss footbridge, spanning 36-metres across the river. Meticulous and detailed planning was completed to ensure safe delivery in a restricted working area.
Working adjacent to the River Wyre, VolkerGround Engineering first installed steel sheet piles to 10.2m in length to serve as scour protection piles. The piles were installed utilising a 250T lattice crawler crane, which handled and pitched the sheet piles through a temporary piling gate, spanning 18-metres in length. Once pitched through the gate, the piles were driven to design toe depth using a crane suspended vibrator and impact hammer.
On completion of the scour protection piles, VolkerGround Engineering mobilised a 23-tonne excavator equipped with a movax vibratory hammer. The excavator served to install steel sheet piles, 8.2-metres in length, for construction on two cofferdams either side of the river. Piles were first driven with the movax, and finally to design toe depth using an excavator mounted impact hammer. The team also utilised the same technique for construction of a steel sheet piled floodwall. Other works included welding of shear studs to the cofferdams and steel angles to the flood wall piles.
The project achieves UN sustainability goals, in utilising affordable and clean energy, through purchase of steel sheet piles forged in an electric arc furnace using recycled content. Additionally, the project addresses climate action and protecting life on land, through construction of a steel sheet piled flood wall protecting adjacent homes and the wider community.