Trench Control, piling contractor and supplier of ground support equipment for hire, has been selected by Bowen Construction to retrofit 167 x 7.5m sheet piles to ensure safe installation of the Waste Water treatment Plant upgrade works in Midleton, Co. Cork.

Bowen Construction has been successful in delivering many Waste Water Treatment Plant works across the country. The Midleton project required an upgrade to the capacity of the plant incorporating the installation of additional tanks.

To enable this installation, an excavation of 30m X 20m was required. The initial excavation to a depth of 4m went to plan, however, the effects of local tides from the Owenacurra river led to water ingress from underneath the foundation level and subsequent slippage on the sides of the excavation.

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After further ground investigation was completed, it was decided that a three sided cofferdam would be required to both ensure safety within the excavation and also to prevent further slippage to the surrounding bank and adjacent roads.

At this point Trench Control was called in to assess the situation and provide a design for the cofferdam which would also include the supply and installation of the sheet piles. The Trench Control design team reviewed all information and discussed the practical issues on site with Bowen Construction. The final design allowed for a 7.5m sheet pile in a cantilever design that would be installed using the Trench Control leader rig for both speed and accuracy of the pile line.

From initial enquiry, through design to arriving on site took only four days and was one of the key reasons why Trench Control was selected. It is widely accepted that no other sheet piling contractor in Ireland has the ability to provide their own designs, materials and installation by leader rig within a four day turnaround.

Once onsite Trench Control set to work making the area safe and the 167 sheet piles where installed in five working days, enabling Bowen Construction to be back at work after only one week.

(GK)