Emergency responses to issues such as landslips and embankment failures often involve two key phases of work: an initial phase to stabilise and make the site safe, and a second phase to enhance long-term stability and resilience.
Time is always short, which means expertise, close collaboration and rapid decision making are essential. Suttle Projects’ projects: simplified approach is perfectly suited to bringing these assets back into full service rapidly and safely.
Here are a few examples of emergency response projects we’ve delivered.
Colhayne Embankment
A landslip destabilised an embankment near Axminster. The emergency response element installed track and embankment monitoring equipment, carried out detailed site and ecological surveys, and devised a permanent solution.
The full scope included geotechnical, drainage and structural works and involved close collaboration with Network Rail’s asset engineers and designers. Although access was limited by the nature of the site and a single access bridge with a maximum 3t axle loading, our team installed and anchored gabion baskets to stabilise the embankment within a 52 hour possession.
Logistics were simplified by working with our sister company Suttle Stone Quarries who used their own fleet to transport materials to the site. (See the full case study here)
Yeovil Junction
The project aim was to stabilise steep embankments that had slipped due to heavy rain and saturated ground. The work involved a series of weekend possessions followed by a 12 week period of permanent works.
The short-term objective was to make the rail line safe. This was achieved by installing short sheet piles at the top of the embankment using a piling attachment mounted on a road-rail excavator.
Longer sheet piles, with grouted soil anchor ties, were then installed at the base of the embankment with gabion baskets as secondary retaining structure.
For longer-term resilience our team installed protection along the bank of the River Yeo to protect the embankment from scour. This was achieved in an environmentally sensitive way by using rock rolls, coir matting and planting. (See the full case study here)
Botley Landslip
Sustained torrential rain caused a large-scale embankment collapse closing the railway between Eastleigh and Fareham. Initial emergency stabilisation works lasted four weeks, followed by a five-month enhancement project.
As with many emergency response projects the work scope was dynamic and evolving. Integrated working between the designer, main contractor and Suttles achieved the rapid decision making demanded by the situation.
During the project Suttle installed a one-mile access road, removed 35,000 tonnes of saturated material, and installed 1800 Larssen sheet piles with a support system of heavy Macalloy tie rods and walings between sheet pile walls over the critical failure section.
40,000 tonnes of crushed aggregate was then used to backfill and over 1 km of drainage was installed to help stabilise the completed embankment.
Our specialists provided specific work package plans and associated task briefings, along with plans for lifting operations. Collaborative planning and working ensured the railway opened a week earlier than originally anticipated. (See the full case study here)
To find out more about how our projects: simplified approach works in practice, head over to our information and insight section by completing the form below.
