Bachy Soletanche develops piling solution at Liverpool Heritage Site

Leading geotechnical specialist, Bachy Soletanche Limited has provided an innovative piling solution at Liverpool’s Half Tide Dock, using a bespoke piling method in order to preserve a heritage dock wall adjacent to the site. The fast-track project, completed late last year will support the construction of a nine-storey luxury apartment block in the popular waterfront location on Liverpool’s dockside.
The development will form part of the final stages of the regeneration programme for Liverpool’s 2008 European Capital of Culture programme. The piling contract, worth £180,000 for Bachy Soletanche, was completed in a strict four week schedule, with the new residential building due to be finished before 2008. The prestigious waterfront development will comprise one hundred and twenty-one residential apartments, accompanied by underground parking.
Steve Mallinson, Contracts Manager at Bachy Soletanche Limited commented:
“The plans for the latest addition to the dockside residential area required only straightforward piling at first glance – but we were then made aware of the heritage status of the dock wall. This meant we had strict guidelines to adhere to, and the wall was not to be affected in any way from the nearby drilling and pile construction. As such, we installed permanent liners of 750mm diameter for the piles that fell within close proximity of the wall - ensuring the development had the required level of support whilst preserving the integrity of the heritage dock wall”
The new design meant that seventeen out of the total eighty-four piles were constructed using permanent steel liners surrounding the main body of the pile, each 750mm diameter. The liner effectively de-bonded the pile over the top 10metres of the pile and ensured no load was transferred from the pile to the surrounding ground and hence the dock wall.
Steve Mallinson continued:
“By constructing the permanent steel liner around the piles we could ensure that no load would transfer between the pile and dock wall. As such, no impact was made to the surrounding area at any point during the process and the strict guidelines for protecting the wall were adhered to fully.”
The first row of piles, which ran parallel to the dock wall consisted of seventeen LDA piles, each with a depth of 14 metres. It was for this initial row that the steel liner process was used. The piles were bored with a 10.0m rock socket, however 7.0m of this was de-bonded with the liner. The remaining sixty-seven piles were constructed using the faster CFA process, with piles bored to a depth range of 8-9metres.
Steve Mallinson continued:
“The combination of the CFA and LDA piles alongside the bespoke design allowed the project to run smoothly and within the four-week deadline.”
“This project is a great example of how bespoke designs can bring huge benefits to smaller contracts, as well as the larger projects with which this type of intricate process would be more commonly associated.” He added.
Bachy Soletanche has already completed a range of works throughout Liverpool as part of the Capital of Culture 2008 programme, including high-profile work at Kings Water Front in February 2007 on the other side of the River Mersey.
Steve Mallinson explained:
“Bachy Soletanche provided piling for the arena and the conference centre at the Kings Water Front project, as well as the multi-storey car park to be situated on the site, in a two-phase project worth a combined £3.2million. Much larger than the work at Half-Tide Dock, the piling work included 800 CFA piles and 420 LDA piles constructed within a four month schedule.”
“The Liverpool 2008 European Capital of Culture has been an excellent opportunity to regenerate the city and we at Bachy Soletanche are delighted to have been such an active part of it.” He added.

Email: Fiona@manifestcomms.co.uk