On behalf of main contractor Galliford Try, Thompsons of Prudhoe has awarded Aarsleff Ground Engineering the contract to design, supply and install a retaining structure approx. 150m long for part of the development of Queen Elizabeth School on Whetstone Bridge Road in Hexham.

The school complex currently consists of a four-storey main building with associated structures. As part of the wider scheme, the work will see the current Queen Elizabeth High School and Hexham Middle School co-located on one site. Specifically, the Grade II listed building will be preserved, and the new buildings developed to its rear – with the middle school to the south and high school to the north.

With its new Casagrande C6XP-2 rig, Aarsleff will install 360No. soil nails of up to 12m in length over a 923m² face area. To provide a safe working platform during the soil nail installation and to prevent cut face collapse, Aarsleff will carry out a staged top down construction. Aarsleff’s final scope of works includes the provision of facing comprising a 150mm thick gabion mattress backfilled with granular material to provide an aesthetic finish.

Speaking about the work, Aarsleff’s Senior Geotechnical Consultant Dan Adams said:

“We are delighted that Thompsons of Prudhoe have awarded us this soil nailing contract. We have worked closely on several schemes with Thompsons and we are delighted to further develop this collaborative relationship.

As a leading exponent of soil nailing and with its own geotechnical and design team, Aarsleff Ground Engineering can offer a one stop shop solution from the design and supply to installation and testing for all slope stabilisation projects.

Aarsleff will be on site from the 1^st June 2020, with completion expected end July 2020. The schools are expected to open in September 2021.

For more information about Aarsleff and its soil nail solutions, contact the company on 01636 611140 or email info@aarsleff.co.uk  

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Notes to Editors:

Aarsleff Ground Engineering Ltd, is the UK trading arm of Danish contracting giant Per Aarsleff A/S, and is one of the UK’s leading piling and geotechnical design and installation specialist contactor; actively promoting early consultation to ensure each scheme can be Value Engineered to give clients the best service, quality design, safety and value.

Aarsleff’s strategy and philosophy of investment into the future has resulted in its wholly owned subsidiary Centrum Pile Ltd having the most advanced precast pile production facilities in the UK, producing segmentally jointed precast concrete piles to BS En12794 to Class 1A.