Bombay Sapphire gin, the world’s number one premium gin by value has now commenced work on its distillery in Laverstoke Mill, Hampshire.
The project is a multi-million pound restoration of the historic buildings which housed one of England’s most significant bank note paper making facilities. The design for the site is headed by acclaimed London designer Thomas Heatherwick and his team at Heatherwick Studio. The site will be completely renovated from a derelict mill into a state of the art premium gin distillery and visitor centre encompassing the highest standards in design, functionality and sustainability.
Dew Piling in consultation with main contractor Meller and Engineers Graham Schofield Associates designed a temporary sheet piled cofferdam for the SSSI site (Site of Special Scientific Interest) to enable the construction of the foundations associated with a new Glass House situated approximately 3 metres below the adjacent River Test. Access to the site was through a listed stone arch only 10ft 3” in the centre which was too small for standard articulated units to navigate. Dew mobilised their own Shunter Tug normally at work in their Oldham Depot to reverse all equipment through the arch and into the site. To overcome the strict noise and vibration limits associated with this site Dew decided to install the 110 piles with one of its Kowan Still Worker WP150 hydraulic press machines which proved very successful in the soft white chalk.
The SSSI site had an Environmental Agency restriction on silt disturbance therefore the normal practice of high pressure water jetting was not considered but instead a continuous hose pipe feed at standard domestic pressure was used to lubricate the pile during installation. The contract was successfully completed within the programmed 2 week window and Dew will return to extract the piles in the coming months when the foundations are complete.