Geotechnical engineering specialist, CAN Geotechnical Ltd, has been awarded the contract to stabilise part of the historic Clock Café Chalet beachfront area in Scarborough, following the collapse of a retaining wall.
The landmark Clock Café Beach Chalets were damaged in a fire in 2013, and further impacted when the failure of the retaining wall saw it collapse against the historic, Grade 2 listed beach huts. The area had to be completely closed and securely fenced off due to the damage caused to the huts, leaving them at risk of complete collapse. Additional movement and a further landslip in November 2018 ultimately led to the demolition of the chalets in November 2019.
Following their own planning for the stabilisation works, a design was finalised, and Scarborough Borough Council put the stabilisation package out to tender in Spring 2020. CAN Geotechnical offered an alternative bid and was awarded the project based on their own bespoke, tailor-made design.
CAN’s solution was to replace the cast in-situ concrete retaining wall element with a more cost-effective option. This would consist of a hybrid reinforced soil retaining structure and rebuilt facing to the wall, backfilled with compacted Class 6I fill reinforced with layers of geogrid material.
Speaking about the project, CAN’s Business Development Director, Ben Foulger, said: ”With the layers of geogrid reinforcement tying the courses of the new wall into the soil nails installed in the slope behind the new structure, a robust, permanent stabilisation solution will be provided, whilst minimising the need to import a large volume of concrete to the difficult access area. As well as the restitution of the retaining wall, additional work will be carried out to improve drainage and to landscape the area on completion.
This means the popular huts can be replaced with new ones, after the retaining wall has been safely reconstructed and brought back in to use, in the same position as the original ones.”
CAN Geotechnical’s alternative design is now being finalised and construction works are programmed to start on site on 17 August, lasting for 12 weeks, with the popular Clock Café remaining open for the duration of the works.
For details about CAN’s recent projects, or any of the company’s products and services, visit the company’s website at www.can.ltd.uk or call 01246 261111.