Overview

Led by Martin Stanley, our Southern Division offers design and build services for projects requiring geotechnical solutions across the South of England and South Wales. This multi-disciplinary team engineer and provide ground engineering schemes that are developed and delivered with our clients’ requirements clearly defined, understood and at the forefront of our mind.

Our clients receive real value from a local team of experts who are on-hand to provide one-to-one support from the early stages of project concept development right the way through to on-site delivery.

Geographic Region – Local Expertise, Global Support

We have an impressive record of project delivery across the region along with an in-depth and unrivalled understanding of the nuances different geographical, geological and operational conditions can bring. From the inner-city working on flagship infrastructure and commercial schemes across London, to marine works in coastal locations and remote working in less-accessible rural locations, our experts have the skillset to ensure your scheme is successfully completed.

We have a wealth of urban environment working experience from numerous projects delivered throughout London, as well as in Cambridge, Bristol, Reading, Brighton, Southampton and Cardiff.

We understand the particular challenges of operating in congested urban environments including the importance of just in time delivery and clear logistical planning, the process of obtaining and complying with planning conditions and consents including the monitoring of environmental impacts with our sister company Sixense. We have experience of assessing the effects of our construction activities on 3rd party assets and have numerous case studies of working next to a variety of structures including tunnels, sewers, utilities and existing buildings.

This regional focus is strengthened by the resources provided by the wider Bachy Soletanche UK and global Soletanche Bachy Groups, bringing unrivalled access to the latest technological, material and equipment innovations and world-wide engineering expertise.

Engineering Excellence

We collaborate with our clients and consulting engineers to develop solutions and overcome challenges. Our experience and geotechnical expertise help create conceptual designs, draft specifications, generate workable solutions and devise logistical and programme strategies.

Our engineers support your team with advice on material specifications, carbon footprint assessments, temporary works coordination, support for additional ground investigation and testing, and where applicable, assessment of existing foundations for re-use. We can also contribute into the wider scheme plans, for example, by providing support and advice on dewatering of excavations.

We hold a rich database of ground investigation data and pile test results that we can draw upon, not only to enhance our understanding of our engineered solutions but also to aid our clients at the early stages of engagement. This approach allows enables our clients to not only advance their schemes in a shorter timeframe, but also to reduce the risk associated with the works.

Bachy Soletanche’s in-house professionals manage all elements of the design process for permanent and temporary works. When needed we can embed our employees into a wider project team to provide a seamless and collaborative approach in order to deliver the most efficient and cost-effective design during the early stages of a project helping to streamline the overall programme by avoiding any duplication or abortive work.

Bachy Soletanche Wood Wharf Montgomery Bridge
Project management Bachy Soletanche

Project Management

Our Southern Division not only offers the full geotechnical package but can scale their work to manage and deliver multi-disciplinary schemes, including those requiring civil engineering and monitoring services. Our project management expertise and strong supply chain means we can manage the entire package of subcontract works for our clients, eliminating the need for them to manage multiple suppliers and contractors. The scalability of our team helps to streamline the process and minimise risk for our clients, whilst giving them reassurance that the full contract is in the safe hands of one team.

Supply Chain Southern

Supply Chain

We manage a network of loyal, local suppliers who bring their expertise, innovation and sustainable outlook to our projects. The strong relationships we have with our supply chain partners have been cultivated over decades of working together to understand each other’s capabilities, requirements and way-of-working. This collaborative approach drives efficiency on a project, by reducing time, cost and risk.

On each project, we take on full management of the supply chain, ensuring they continue to meet the high standards and values we set for our partners. Where and when required, we will work with suppliers local to the projects, to ensure that we contribute to social value targets and the local communities within which we work.

Techniques Southern

Techniques

Bachy Soletanche’s Southern Division designs and delivers a vast range of complimentary geotechnical solutions including all types of bored piling systems including continuous flight auger, cased continuous flight auger, rotary bored with/without temporary casings and/or support fluids, minipiling and bored displacement using our proprietary Screwsol system.

We also have extensive experience in diaphragm walls installed using both grab and Hydrofraise® techniques, slurry cut-off walls and soil mixing using our Colmix®, Trenchmix® and Geomix® processes, alongside other more specialist techniques including various forms of grouting (jet grouting, compaction grouting, permeation grouting and fissure grouting), anchoring and soil nailing.

Meet the Team

Key Sectors

The Southern Division operate across all sectors, but have particular strengths in the following:

Water

Energy

Infrastructure

Commercial

Industrial

Case Studies

Silvertown Tunnel, London

The additional route connecting Silvertown to Greenwich Peninsula is set to ease chronic congestion at the Blackwall Tunnel and enable more cross-river bus journeys. Bachy Soletanche monitored fuel usage throughout the project and integrated electrical equipment into its setups wherever possible, including electric pumps in its bentonite farms. The company also worked with its supply chain partners to design and procure low-carbon concrete and grout mixes.

Foundations Solution - Bridge On Water Street Canary Wharf - Marine LDA Piling minipiling (1)

Water Street Bridge, Canary Wharf

Water Street Bridge provides a road and pedestrian link between the new Wood Wharf development and Montgomery Square. Bachy Soletanche was responsible for the installation of marine piles and mini-piles to provide support for construction of the deck and bridge structure. The team operated within a restricted excavation period (1am to 4am) to comply with London Underground regulations.

Retaining Wall Solution - BA i360 Tower Project - Secant CFA Wall site photo (9)

BA i360 Tower, Brighton

The seafront location had the potential to disrupt the piling operations, but the team delivered the works ahead of schedule. The tower is the world’s tallest moving observation tower (162m), taking visitors 138m above Brighton. Bachy Soletanche provided the geotechnical package which included a CFA Secant wall and Bearing piles to form basement.

Emirates Airline Cable Car, London

Britain’s first cable car links two of the biggest entertainment and exhibition venues in Europe, the O2 and ExCeL. Built in time for the 2012 London Olympics, Bachy Soletanche, in Joint Venture with Red7Marine, carried out the piling. The team installed Large Diameter Rotary bored piling at five locations; the South Station and Compression Tower, South Tower, North Tower, North Intermediate Tower and North Station.

Retaining Wall Solution - The Madison Canary Wharf Project - Secant Pile Wall Contiguous Pile Wall CFA Piles (CGI 1)

The Madison, Canary Wharf

Prior to commencing the piling, activities such as coring and backfilling of existing piles, coring and plugging of an old Victorian sewer and removal and relocation of a gas governor had to take place. Bachy Soletanche, Principal Contractor for the initial phase, then delivered the design and installation of the piling package.

Retaining Wall Solution - Ilona Rose House, Tottenham Court Road - LDA piling Secant Wall Basement (6)

Ilona Rose House, London

Getting plant, concrete and reinforcement cages onto site was logisctically challenging due to the restricted access. Westminster City Council and Camden Council had to provide special dispensation to track the rig onto site from Charing Cross Road. For this project, Bachy Soletanche was responsible for the pile design which required a mixture of different techniques.