Connecting Junction 19 of the M5 and Bedminster south of Bristol, a stretch of the busy A369 has been suffering from failing embankments near the Somerset village of Abbots Leigh.
ER Hemmings Limited was appointed by Somerset Council to rectify the situation. Rock was falling from the existing embankment and the public footpath and railings above were collapsing.
The A369, a main route through to the M5, is very busy and had to be kept open during the works; lack of space also meant that the existing embankment could not be re-graded. Furthermore, lack of access and the presence of solid rock areas meant that other retaining methods could not be used such as soil nailing. It was consequently decided that the best solution was to install a concrete crib retaining wall to hold back the existing slope. Phi Group Ltd won the contract to design, supply and install its Andacrib retaining wall system.
Andacrib is a modular pre-cast concrete crib retaining wall system and has a design life in excess of 120 years, meeting Highway Agency requirements. It can accommodate the demanding conditions required of structures by the highway, industrial and commercial sectors, and can be floriated afterwards to maintain an attractive appearance.
This Andacrib wall extended to a length of 128 metres and a maximum height of three metres. Built at an angle of 1:6, the project was completed in February this year and Phi Group were only on site for a continuous period of three weeks.
