Following the collapse to a retaining wall at the rear of terraced houses in Merthyr Tydfill, Optera were appointed to undertake reconstruction works.
Optera are delighted to work in conjunction with Meadow Consultants Ltd., who are acting as Contract Administrators and Project Managers, bringing together several different insurers for the affected properties.
The project was complicated by a 600mm diameter Water Authority drain running directly beneath the line of the wall, meaning that a piled foundation was required to prevent any damage being caused To make matters worse, the head of the slope failure was less than 2 metres from the rear elevation of two of the houses – to overcome this piles were used to support the properties before the face of the failed slope was secured using ground anchors and reinforced geo-mat.
A structural wall of reinforced concrete blocks was then built, being laterally restrained using further ground-anchors. Stabilised backfill was then placed behind the wall, with suitable drainage to prevent a build-up of hydrostatic pressure behind the wall.
Gardens and fences are being installed now and a natural Welsh, Pennant stone is being used to face the wall.