MENU
MENU

Collapsed stone arch culvert

Client: Sedgwick

Project location: Ramsbottom, Bury

Contract value: £255,000

STRESS UK were called by the loss adjuster to see if they could use their specialist masonry arch division, Goldhawk Bridge Restoration, to solve the problem of a collapsed stone arch culvert under a house in Ramsbottom.

Assessing the extent of collapse

The rear wall of a three storey stone former mill building was founded directly over the crown of a partially collapsed stone culvert. A large void had developed beneath part of the ground floor of the residential property. The options looked at were, to carry out a significant temporary propping scheme and demolish the rear wall of the house to allow the culvert to be rebuilt. This option would mean partial obstruction of the access road and the client vacating the house. This would be slow, expensive and inconvenient to the client and neighbours. An option to design a safe system of work was investigated by the STRESS Group so that the damaged section of the culvert could be rebuilt whilst leaving the house intact. This was designed in-house, independently checked and accepted by insurers. A full dynamic movement monitoring scheme was set up to ensure the safety of our technicians.

Safe system of works

Using Mabey props, the crown of the culvert and the house foundation were supported and the stream was diverted through pipes. The rebuild could then begin. New concrete abutments were constructed through the collapsed length of the culvert and then using the original stone, the arch was rebuilt. Once completed this then left a 18m3 void behind the arch which needed to be filled. An access hole was diamond drilled through the ground floor concrete slab above the void filled with pumped foam concrete.

The result

The historic stone culvert was rebuilt without the need to decant the owner or any rebuilding of the superstructure. This provided insurers with a successful, cost effective, practical and innovative solution to this unusual claim.

  • Residential property
  • Working with insurers
  • Dynamic monitoring scheme
  • Propping
  • Resolving difficult access
  • Minimal disruption

David Kitching

Stress UK,
Managing Director

This was another project where we were commissioned to carry out some specific remedial structural repairs to brickwork but were then challenged to find a solution for replacement of load bearing stonework at high level. We produced a temporary works design which was checked by CTP Consulting, and we thank Cliveden Conservation Workshop for their excellent stonework. It was a pleasure to work with a forward-thinking team and client.