Improving Lincoln’s Flood Defences
As part of the Foss Bank Flood Alleviation Scheme we installed sheet piles to a stretch of the Foss Dyke Navigation in Lincoln. The project being part of a wider £6 million Environment Agency led initiative to improve the city’s flood defences for around 4,000 homes and businesses.
Using Giken Silent and Vibration-free technology, steel sheet piles were pressed into the bank of the waterway to reinforce existing defences and maintain the area’s standard of protection. The piles were pitched from floating pontoons into the chuck of the silent piler using an excavator fitted with a Movax side-grip attachment.
Minimal disruption for residents, motorists and boaters
The Giken method of installation was chosen with the local environment in mind, eliminating noise and vibration often associated with the piling process. This greatly reduces impact on residents and businesses in the area with minimal disturbance to existing wildlife and ecological features.
The Foss Dyke Navigation is an important waterway connecting the rivers Trent and Witham, so it was paramount that access was maintained throughout piling works for passing vessels, including larger pleasure boats performing guided tours from nearby Brayford Wharf. Installation was carried out from our modular floating pontoons in the river, alleviating the need for public restrictions or highway diversions and closures.
Proactive collaborative planning with our client developed this scheme over time and the resulting benefits will future-proof these flood defences for many years into the future. Now completed, the pile line has been backfilled with gravel and finished with a concrete screed to blend in with existing surroundings.
All deliveries of materials, plant and equipment were made using Ivor King’s in-house Transport facilities, bringing further efficiencies to the project.
