B & Q Carmarthen
Glengonnar Water Bridge
Construction of the A74M to Glasgow required installing new river crossings. One such crossing over the river Glengonnar, which feeds the river Clyde nearby, required a structure that was in keeping with more historic bridge structures, namely in the form of an arch. Reinforced Earth developed it’s precast arch in the late 1980’s that offered the client its versatility to fit into the surrounding landscape and represent a cost effective modular build. This was the first RECo precast arch to be used in the UK. With a span of 9.2m and rise of 4.6m the structure comprised of twin piece arch elements that ran the whole 40m length, which were joined at the crown. The wingwalls were completed using Reinforced Earth.
During construction of the retail complex near Carmarthen alongside the river Towy, it was necessary to incorporate a retaining structure that took vehicle loads as well as having a near vertical face to minimise the footprint towards the river and that was to be vegetated. Reinforced Earth Company Ltd (RECo) have a precast product that utilises the retaining properties with soil reinforcement, but that also incorporates large planting bays in each section. The product is called TerraVert, and this was its first ever use in the UK. The project was a huge success and whilst only a small surface area, the principle achieved some great results.
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