CASE HISTORY

Ref: UK / CH / BR02 — Rev: 00, Jul 2016

SHUTTERTON PARK
DAWLISH, DEVON
BASAL REINFORCEMENT OVER PILES
Product: Maccaferri Paralink
Problem
Redrow Homes proposed a new residential housing
development within land off Shutterton Lane, Dawlish, Devon.
The development comprises a mixture of private and
affordable housing, private gardens, public open spaces, and
all associated infrastructure.
Part of the infrastructure design required a new culverted road
over the existing brook, connecting the two sections of the
site. The proposed road crossing spans an existing brook with
soft soil deposits on both banks.
The site investigation works carried out in the area of the
proposed crossing identified variable conditions with very soft
soils including peat.

To overcome the above constraints, the Consulting Engineer

Wardell Armstrong, considered various options:
a) excavate all of the loose or soft wet clay/peat material
and replace with acceptable site won or imported Global view of the site - piling configuration
engineering materials. Backfilling works would be
carried out to the appropriate engineering method or
performance specification, depending on the material
to be used. Unacceptable materials would have to be
removed from site either to a licensed tip or borrow pit/
landscaped area on site, subject to chemical testing
results;
b) excavate as above but select/crush/recycle acceptable
existing material and/or dry out/stabilise with lime or
cement as appropriate for soft clay and re-use
(excluding the peat). Backfilling works would be carried
out to an appropriate engineering performance
specification. Unacceptable materials, including
putrescible made ground and peat, would have to be
removed from site and taken to an appropriate licensed
tip. Additional acceptable material would need to be
imported to make up levels as necessary.
c) limited excavation and replacement (including crushing/
recycling) using suitable basal reinforcement geogrid
(Paralink) over a piled foundation to limit settlement to
an acceptable low value.
Option a) was considered preferable in terms of time albeit
the cost would be the most expensive, particularly if material
disposal included hazardous waste.
Option b) represented, potentially, the most suitable option
particularly if the unacceptable materials were able to be
re-used elsewhere on site and an acceptable engineered
Installation of the longitudinal layer of Paralink 450
material could be won on the site.

Main Client:
Redrow Homes - Exeter
Main Contractor:
Harris and Harris Construction Ltd
Principal Designer:
Wardell Armstrong
Products used:
Paralink 250 (4,000sqm) and Paralink 450 (1,800sqm)
Date of construction:
March 2016 - May 2016 Installation of the transversal layer of Paralink 250
However, although both options a) and b) could deal with and
overcome the problems associated with voids within the made
ground on the sides of the brook and hazardous waste,
option c) was finally chosen and Maccaferri invited to assist
Wardell Armstrong during the design phase.
The embankments for the proposed road crossing on either
side of the culvert were also to be supported on piles.
A load transfer platform, consisting of layers of geosynthetic
reinforcement (Paralink), was to be constructed directly over
the pile caps.

Solution
It was then proposed to use a granular material SFHW type
6N for the 300mm depth of the load transfer platform with the
lower strength site-won material for the remainder of the
embankment (with the exception of carriageway construction).
The design of the load transfer platform was carried out
to BS 8006-1:2010 using the Marston’s formula.
A surcharge load of 30kPa was assumed at road level and
acting over the entire width of the embankment.

The load transfer platform consisted of two orthogonal layers

of high strength geosynthetic reinforcement placed directly
over the pile caps. The design required one layer of ParaLink
450 in the longitudinal direction (i.e. perpendicular to the line
of the concrete culvert) and a layer of 500kN strength in the
transverse direction (i.e. parallel to the line of the concrete
culvert). However two layers of ParaLink 250 were selected
for the transverse direction to allow the required bond length
to be achieved within the available space.
The properties of ParaLink 250 and ParaLink 450 are in
accordance with the British Board of Agrément, Roads and
Bridges Agrément Certificate No 03/4065. Layers of Paralink within compacted 6N material

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Final compaction operation for the basal reinforcement Finished surfacing on the road

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