Bachy Soletanche prepares Liverpool site for landmark museum
Leading geotechnical specialist, Bachy Soletanche Limited has recently completed piling works at another one of Liverpool’s prestigious waterfront locations, Mann Island, which is set to house the highly anticipated Museum of Liverpool. The proposed landmark building and surrounding grounds will be fully complete and open to the general public in 2010.
At the core of Liverpool’s world heritage site, the new Museum of Liverpool will replace the former Museum of Liverpool Life – providing a landmark building, enclosed public area and an extension to the Leeds-Liverpool Canal.
Steve Mallinson, Contracts Manager at Bachy Soletanche Limited commented:
“Mann Island is a key waterfront location and ideal spot for the unique world class cultural facility that the Museum of Liverpool will provide. Liverpool is currently thriving and the centre will allow visitors to see how the city has changed and progressed throughout the years.”
“We were pleased to work on a site that is steeped in so much history, as Mann Island was part of Liverpool’s working dock front, prior to the original museum.” He added.
PIHL Galliford Try JV awarded the geotechnical contract to Bachy Soletanche Limited, which required the construction of bearing piles to support the further building and expansion works.
The fast-track project included a total of 22, 750mm continuous flight auger (CFA) bearing piles - each drilled to a depth of 22metres. The bearing piles were bored through fill, dock silts and founded into the sandstone. A powerful SoilMec CM-120 rig was utilised, as Steve Mallinson explained:
“Drilling to depth of 22metres is not easy when using the CFA piling method and can cause difficulties when a pile is being installed. As a result, we brought in a very powerful rig which could maintain the accuracy and tolerance required for such a depth.”
“All went smoothly on site, and we completed the £75,000 project at the end of April - although the final construction and expansion works will continue until the end of 2008” He added.
The Mann Island contract is another project to be undertaken by Bachy Soletanche Limited on Liverpool’s waterfront. The leading geotechnical firm has also completed several piling contracts at the Kings Waterfront development over the past twelve months.