Vibro Projects and Menard form new company in the UK
Vibro Projects and Menard have joined forces with the formation of a new company, VibroMenard, which will target major ground improvement work in the UK. Its first project is the year long scheme, which sees Vibro compaction ground improvement works being carried out on the dredged granular fill at London Gateway Port in Essex, deposited by Laing O’Rourke/Dredging International JV in the Thames Estuary.
Following a successful trial in January 2011, Vibro Menard is improving over 1.3 million cubic metres of sand and gravel to form the new land that will be behind the new Port’s 1250m long quay wall. The new team is to carry out 4220 Sand Compaction points, between 20 and 25m deep, to achieve a relative density of 65% and a 37-degree angle of shearing resistance. To date Vibro Menard has completed the majority of this work, using double and single shifts, and is due to complete the current phase during October.
As a fellow Soletanche Freyssinet company, Menard is one of the world leaders in ground improvement and brings a number of techniques not currently offered by Vibro Projects including Controlled Modulus Columns (CMCs), Vacuum Consolidation, Deep Stone Columns, Deep Band Drains, Vibro Compaction, High Energy Dynamic Compaction and Dynamic Replacement.
Gerry Crawford, General Manager for Vibro Projects, said:
“The rationale behind VibroMenard is to bring innovative cost-effective ground improvement techniques not widely offered in the UK, to the UK. With the niche skills of both companies, we are confident that the London Gateway Port will be a great starting point.”
Based in Preston alongside Vibro Projects, VibroMenard will focus on larger scale ground improvements contracts.
For more information please visit www.vibromenard.co.uk Vibro Projects Limited is a subsidiary company of Bachy Soletanche Limited and is part of the internationally renowned part Soletanche Freyssinet Group.