en.Wedoany.com Reported - Roger Bullivant Limited (RBL) is delivering a high-engineering foundation solution for the redevelopment of the former Holborn Dock on the historic South Shields waterfront in the UK, supporting the transformation of this long-abandoned industrial site into residential and public spaces.
The redevelopment project, driven by Cussins (North East) Ltd, has secured over £9 million in investment from the North East Local Enterprise Partnership, plus £1.85 million in government funding. Located on the site of a former dry dock, it is one of the region's most significant industrial heritage sites. RBL, having previously collaborated with Cussins on Phase 1 of the Holborn Dock project, has now been appointed to design and deliver the foundation solution for the entire project, addressing the site's stringent technical requirements.
On the periphery of the historic dry dock, RBL encountered a stratum of hard natural clay overlying mudstone; within the dock itself, the ground consists of compacted engineered fill laid over a thick concrete dock floor slab. Ensuring each pile reaches the bearing stratum through this former dock floor slab is critical. However, due to the high density of the engineered fill, pre-drilling is required over large areas of the site to allow piles to reach the design depth, adding construction complexity and demanding close coordination between design and site teams throughout the process.
To address the variable ground conditions and sensitive location, RBL is employing a combination of driven steel tube piles, continuous flight auger (CFA) piles, segmental flight auger (SFA) piles, and its internally designed and manufactured prefabricated RBeam system. The steel tube piles can penetrate the hard clay and achieve secure bearing depth in the underlying bedrock, while successfully entering the original concrete floor slab of the filled dock. CFA piles are deployed near quay wall anchors and tie rods to reduce vibration and protect offshore infrastructure. SFA piles are installed on plots just meters from completed or occupied residential units, maintaining low-vibration operations to minimize impact on residents. The RBeam system, prefabricated under controlled factory conditions, is suitable for large-scale residential sites of this nature, reducing installation time and supporting safer construction.
Phil Howard, Pre-Construction Manager at Roger Bullivant Limited, stated that the team is delivering a robust, value-engineered solution to support the long-term success of the project.
