CLIENT
Sainsburys Plc
YEAR COMPLETED
2020
SIZE
11.7 HA
BUILD TYPE
New Build
SERVICES PROVIDED
Earthworks
Contract Administration
Drainage Strategies
Environmental Impact Assessment - Technical Chapters
Environmental Consulting
Ground Investigation
Retaining Structures
Remediation and Land Quality Management
Utilities
Waste Management
Geotechnical Engineering
BWB provided multi-disciplinary services to a site in Selly Oak that was formerly used as iron foundry, gas works and commercial and domestic tips. Following the regeneration of the site, it will be home to a new Sainbury's supermarket, student accommodation and a range of shops and places to eat and drink. A third of the site will be taken up by a Life Sciences Campus (LSC) led by Birmingham City Council.
Our involvement in this project began in 2006 when we were instructed by Crosby Lend Lease to review the existing remediation strategy for the site which required the wholesale excavation and offsite disposal of two landfills and importation of clean material to prepare the site for development. Work on the site came to a halt during the recession. BWB were re-engaged with the project in 2010 to support the planning application led by the Harvest Partnership, a joint venture between Sainsbury's and Land Securities. In 2013 planning consent was achieved and BWB were retained to develop the remediation specification, earthworks strategy and sewer diversion for the site.
Remediation of the site included the excavation and remediation of over 290,000 cubic metres of waste material from two landfills at the site. Specialist processing of the landfills has allowed re-use of over 90% of materials on site with the majority of unusable material able to be used as refuse derived fuel. By reducing the amount of waste material being removed from the site we were able to reduce costs for our clients, as well as reduce the environmental impact of the project from reduced vehicle movements.
Our specialist teams worked closely with the regulatory authorities, design team and Careys, the appointed contractor, to ensure that the remediation works were coordinated with extensive service diversions and retaining wall construction. BWB were retained by Sainsbury's to provide full time engineering supervision of the remediation works to ensure that the works were completed to specification and to ensure any unforeseen contamination would be dealt with appropriately.
The key challenges included:
- Remediation and recovery of significant volumes of waste materials for beneficial reuse
- Extinguishing an underground fire in one tip
- Co-ordination of remediation with diversion of 132KV overhead cables, 44KV cables, intermediate pressure gas main and sewer diversion
- Working near an adjacent active railway
- Assessment of cost effective foundation designs using shallow footings.
- Assessment of structural geology (faulting) with respect to retaining structures for potential future canal alignment.
Tim Hull
Technical Manager, Contaminated Land
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