Dorset Highways structures team has painstakingly rebuilt a retaining wall in Bothenhampton, Bridport.
Eight homes sit on the structure, with no foundations of their own, and rely on the stability of the wall to keep them standing.
Over the course of ten months, from October 2020 to August 2021, a small highways team has reinforced the 40m-long wall with steel piles and concrete.
First, the team dug a trench along the front of the wall so that 54, 6m-long piles could be drilled into the ground, these would support the ‘toe’ of the new reinforced retaining wall.
The team hand dug round the many utilities, with works complete without hitting any gas, sewer, electricity or water supply lines!
Next, the wall had to be propped. As the wall was supporting the houses on top, only a 1.2m-wide section could be worked on at a time and construction was carefully sequenced – to maximise the ground stability, work was carried out in 33 individual sections.
Each 1.2m-wide section had:
- stone wall taken down
- steelwork installed and connected to pile
- formwork made for concrete pour
- concrete left to cure, before moving on to adjacent 1.2m section
To finish the work, the new reinforced wall was then clad with Forest Marble Stone. The original steps were reused as were the coping (top) stones along the wall.
An additional challenge the team faced was moving the phone box library out of the works area. This heavy, cast metal phone box was disconnected from its power supply before it was braced with wood and moved out of harm’s way. At the end of the scheme, the phone box was put back as found for the local community’s continued enjoyment.
Another job well done by our in-house workforce – Mark, Major Contracts Foreman, and the gang!
We watched through the full extent of this work, so well done the team.
But, the total cost of this exercise should be made public
Hi Maureen, the cost of the retaining wall project was £590,000
Where did the stone comefrom for the new wall?
Hi Alan, the forest marble stone used for the new wall came from Stalbridge quarry.
NIce job, well done.
Looks fantastic! Well done everybody.
Stunning wall ! Congratulations all round !!!
We watched the whole process week by week and the team were always courteous and polite.
The result is amazing – excellent job!
The team members were always courteous and cheerful. There are, however, inaccuracies in the report. Firstly, my water was cut off twice during the excavation. Secondly, we were initially told the “ten month project” would take three months. There has been considerable damage to the inside of my property, particularly to the plaster work, for which the Council has yet to accept responsibility. So, yes, “Well done to the team” but not so the County Council. Local resident.