This high profile scheme, winning a Brunel Medal from the ICE, consisted of construction of a new sea wall reinforcement to provide protection adjacent to where the track was breached in the major storms in February 2014, resulting in the main line to Penzance being closed for 2 months.

Following on from assisting with the emergency repairs to re-open the line following that breach, CAN worked with AMCO to construct this new sea wall. Utilising our specialist drilling skill and experience in difficult access environments, CAN deployed a team of 40 personnel working around the clock on split shifts between high tides, when the seawall is partially or wholly flooded, to maximise productivity.

Drill rigs mounted on mini excavators accessed the existing narrow sea wall from specifically commissioned barges, with long reach machines also operating from the beach, to drill vertical anchors into the existing wall. Over 350 anchors were installed to depths of 20m with up to 16m of casing, with the anchors pre-tensioned to providing a solid footing to secure precast concrete units, which were crane lifted into place to form the outer face of the wall. The void between the old and new walls was then mass filled with concrete to complete the sea wall structure.

Duration:        11 months

Client:             AMCO

Location:        Dawlish, Devon