Challenging Banking Refurbishment Completed
Edwards Diving Services were selected by Caerphilly County Borough council to inspect damage to a stream banking backing onto resident’s gardens and a local school.
Due to restricting water flows the stream posed a potential flood risk to local residents and the neighbouring comprehensive school.
The previous gabion baskets had collapsed, dragging earth from resident’s gardens making the banks unstable and unsafe, as well as obstructing the stream flow. Not only did this present a flooding risk but the obstruction would effect the migration of spawning freshwater fish.
Access to the area was extremely limited within the narrow steep stream bed, which severely restricted the options for the use of plant and machinery, and hence presented a challenging refurbishment methodology. The works involved the excavation of 20m3 failed gabion baskets below the stream bed, formation of a concrete foundation and construction of new gabion baskets.
The site before work commenced, the removal of the damaged gabions, and the sump pumped dry.
The methodology used:
- Removal of all collapsing baskets from the area of stream manually
- Dig out foundations by hand, whilst managing & maintaining water flow
- Concrete pour new foundations
- Place and fill 15 new gabion baskets
- Place Rip-Rap (stone protection) around the pond
- Maintain 500mm water depth for Natural Resource Wales
- Build a dwarf wall and fence the resident’s gardens to restore stability and sustainable safe use.
Set up of pipeline and concrete pour and the filling of the new gabions with a temporary access
As the site was near to a local school the work needed to be carried out over the month of August outside the school term to minimise disruption. The team were limited to the six week school holiday to manually remove the collapsing baskets, dig out new foundations and place and re-fill the new gabions. This challenging work was successfully completely to time, and the client were delighted with the work.
The completed refurbishment
