Industrial Site at Ferryboat Close, Swansea
Introduction:
We reviewed, supervised, implemented and reported an investigation at this complex site. Our work was in accordance with BS:5930, BS:10175 and specification provided by the client’s designer for a proposed commercial development.
Careful planning was required prior to the ground investigation, which included pre-commencement discussions to ensure all stakeholders were satisfied with the proposed work activities and associated health and safety requirements being employed.
During the ground investigation works, the complex conditions required careful management by ESP, with continual liaison and adaptation of the scope of works with the Designer and the Client, which ultimately led to the completion of a successful and safe investigation.
Details:
The site is a former recycling centre and industrial yards. During site reconnaissance, two yards were noted to contain various waste materials and the third was largely occupied by shipping containers and a fire damaged building. Large soil bunds were present along the boundaries.
Emerging conditions and constraints (services, obstructions, stockpiles etc.) required careful management by our experienced staff, this included the installation of aquifer protection measures.
Previous assessments and a site reconnaissance visit by ESP identified various contamination sources and hazards, including:
- Soil contamination associated with former uses including asbestos (shallow and above ground soil bund) and hydrocarbon contamination.
- Leachate, groundwater and surface water (on-site drainage) hydrocarbon contamination that posed a risk to controlled waters receptors (superficial and bedrock Secondary A Aquifers) and surface water drainage.
- On and off-site ground gas and volatile sources.
- Japanese Knotweed.
- Potential for Unexploded Ordnance (UXO).
Our work enabled an updated the conceptual ground model of Made Ground (including landfill materials) overlying fine and coarse-grained Alluvial soils. The vertical and lateral contamination distribution was refined through a combination of in-situ and laboratory testing followed by monitoring.
Relevant Services Provided:
- Review of preliminary risk assessment and specification.
- Advance site reconnaissance visit.
- Site-specific risk assessments and method statements for this ‘Red’ classified site (‘Guidelines for the Safe Drilling of Landfills and Contaminated Land’). This included site-specific asbestos management.
- Implementation of UXO Risk Management Plan and UXO Briefings.
- Supervision of a focused site investigation in accordance with BS5930, BS10175 and BS8576 including cable percussion boreholes, trial pitting, dynamic cone penetration (DCP) testing, plate load testing, permeability testing and monitoring of volatile hydrocarbons.
- Field ground gas, surface water and groundwater monitoring/sampling.
- Preparation and provision of a site investigation report and field data including investigation records to BS5930 and factual results of in-situ testing and monitoring.
Testimonial from Client’s Designer
“We would like to say how impressed we were with ESP during the site works. Our site engineers who visited the site during the works were impressed with the site set up, health and safety and technical quality of the staff on site… When we spoke to them as issues arose they always provided potential solutions rather than just the problems – which was appreciated.”