FK Lowry Piling recently completed £750,000 piling works at a newly proposed Hilton hotel site for principal contractors McAleer & Rushe. The site is located in the heart of Bournemouth town centre and will make way for a new landmark hotel.
The piling works comprised of bearing piles and a contiguous wall consisting of 438no. There were both 600mm and 750mm diameter piles ranging from 11 meters to 17 meters deep. Design responsibility was taken on by FK Lowry and formed both temporary and permanent retention. Design was satisfied by Static load tests, integrity testing and installation of inclinometer pipes.
Site conditions where challenging as work had to be progressed over four levels as construction works progressed. Key handover dates for capping beams at various levels had to be programmed concisely with steel deliveries and tight council jurisdictions limited working hours, delivery times and noise limitations.
FK Lowry and principal contractors McAleer & Rushe have maintained a good working relationship and are about to begin another hotel site in Maidenhead in Spring 2014 worth £600,000. The scope of works comprises a 750mm diameter propped secant retaining wall and bearing piles for the proposed hotel and commercial redevelopment.