LAND & WATER COMPLETES SUSTAINABLE WORKS AS PART OF THE
THAMES TIDEWAY TUNNEL PROJECT
Leading wet civil engineering company, Land & Water, has completed its works as part of the Thames Tideway Tunnel project to transport and unload the London Clay mined from the new “super sewer” tunnel to its Habitat Creation Scheme in Rainham. The project, which is being carried out on behalf of client AC Ben- nett & Sons, who are employed by the BAM Nuttall, Morgan Sindall, Balfour Beatty joint venture, is delivering the west section of the new 25km tunnel. Through the use of river barges, over 25,000 lorry movements have been kept from the roads of London. This not only significantly re- duced carbon emissions but also helped in transporting 850,000 tonnes of material from the west section’s main drive site at Carnwath Road Riverside in South West London to Land & Water’s Jetty at Cold- harbour Lane. A proportion of the material was then reused to help regenerate natural habits at Rainham Marshes. The Thames Tideway Tunnel is a 25km sewer tunnel designed to help tackle the millions of tonnes of raw sewage pouring into the River Thames each year. It will ensure the city’s predominantly Victorian sewerage network is able to meet the demands of a rapidly growing population for generations to come. Since 2015 Land & Water has been working with the Port of London Authority (PLA), RSPB, and Natural England to use inert and non- hazardous soils to restore part of the Rainham and Wennington Marshes SSSI. This is part of the company’s wider commitment to increase biodi- versity and enhance the ecology in the areas in which it works. This collaboration will see Land & Water operating the restoration scheme until 2042, resulting in over six million tonnes of wet and
dry spoil material being repurposed and 110 hectares of valuable habitat being created, encouraging greater areas of greenery along the Thames Corridor. Having become involved in the Thames Tideway project in January 2018, Land & Water has worked alongside the joint venture through- out the tunnel drive to unload barges supporting the delivery of the west section. So far, this has seen the west section contributing over 450,000 tonnes of material to Rainham, helping to create an oasis for birds and wildlife. As part of Land & Water’s continued commitment towards safeguard- ing the environment and investing in UK infrastructure to build sus- tainable solutions, the Habitat Creation Scheme at Rainham allows for the River Thames to be utilised as a liquid highway. TomMelhuish, Project Manager at Land &Water, says: “For many years, Land &Water has been working hard to deliver innovative logistical solu- tions which will unlock future supply chains in and out of London. “This project is a truly great example of how the River Thames can be harnessed as a sustainable transport system, reducing both conges- tion and air pollution, whilst also championing the beneficial re-use of waste to design new habitats and foster biodiversity. “Despite receiving up to 5,500 tonnes a day and having the added chal- lenge of requiring barges to be unloaded within 12 hours, the project team successfully completed the works without any delay to the tunnelling.” Land & Water prides itself on being at the forefront of driving envi- ronmental and behavioral change, within its sector, through the use of innovative and sustainable practices.
32
csengineermag.com
march 2021
Made with FlippingBook Annual report