The Grantham Southern Relief Road scheme will give better, safer access to Grantham town, by delivering a new 3.5km distribution road.

Our piling team joined the project to help construct part of a key underpass needed to take the relief road underneath the existing A1 in Lincolnshire.

Constructing the underpass required 207 12m long contiguous bored piles, forming abutment and wingwalls. To work in the least disruptive way, we constructed the pile groups closest to the central reservation at night, with temporary lane closures in place.

Project Highlights:

• We joined the project during pre-construction, to lead risk management and quality control of the piling works.
• We attended a range of risk reduction workshops to ensure right-first-time performance.
• To improve concrete quality, we carried out trial mixes from our UKAS accredited laboratory.
• We used 4D-models throughout the project to mitigate risks and ensure 100% compliance.
• We delivered defect-free complex piles on time, in difficult ground, despite the challenges of COVID-19.

Risk averse planning

Working collaboratively with Galliford Try and the client team, we set out to calculate and manage every potential risk, before construction took place.

We went to logistics, buildability and Get It Right Initiative (GIRI) workshops with the client team, to help us deliver safe, predictable, right first-time performance. By engaging the client early in this process, we were able to stay aligned in our goals throughout the project.

Improving quality control

One of the key issues Highways England has faced on recent projects, is the use of inadequate ready-mix concrete giving poor results on site. This was addressed using our in house UKAS expertise and laboratory.

As the only UKAS accredited Tier 1 geotechnical division in the country, we have the ability to test earthwork and materials anywhere in the UK. This meant we were able to carry out a set of trial mixes for the project from our in-house laboratory. With our UKAS accredited team overseeing quality control, we ensured a much higher quality of materials to use throughout construction.

We built it before we built it

Our digital approach brought substantial value to the project. We used 4D models to mitigate risks early, manage interface clashes efficiently, and sequence programmes smoothly. And we captured all delivery records digitally, to ensure 100% compliance.

Result

Feedback from the client has been excellent, with praise for our ability to deliver the complex piles on schedule, without defects, in particularly difficult ground. All whilst dealing with the evolving challenges of COVID-19.