BESPOKE CONTRACTING
CASE STUDIES
WH Bond specialises in bespoke contracting for commercial and residential projects throughout the South West. Our services include civil engineering, groundworks, earthworks, enabling, arboricultural, tree clearance and landscaping. With a focus on quality and precision, our experienced teams deliver tailored solutions to meet the unique needs of each project. From flood defence schemes to intricate landscaping projects, we ensure every project is completed to the highest standards, earning recognition and awards for our exceptional work.
BUDLEIGH LOWER OTTER RESTORATION PROJECT
The Budleigh Lower Otter Restoration Project’s (LORP) aim is to bring the natural floodplain of the Lower Otter Valley in Devon back to life. The project aims to boost biodiversity, reduce flood risks, and tackle climate change. Plus, it’s set to offer some great recreational and educational perks. The main goals are to reconnect the river with its floodplain, create habitats like salt marshes and mudflats, support rare species, and improve water quality. The project also plans to make the area more accessible to the public, preserve its cultural heritage, and get the community involved. To do all this, they’ll be breaching embankments, realigning footpaths, and building a new footbridge.
A number of different WH Bond teams have been required to carry out the varied works on this scheme. We first started back in the Autumn of 2022 for our client, Kier Natural Resources, Nuclear & Networks, with our seeding team which needed to cultivate, stone bury & sow specialist grass seeds to the perimeter of the areas which were proposed to be tidal. Once the larger machinery had finished their work the hand works commenced adjoining the pathways & highways. The total area seeded was approximately 100,000m2
As the winter approached the landscaping team came to site to take on the task of planting 26,000 trees & shrubs throughout the scheme. It is fair to say they battled through some tough conditions throughout the winter of 2022/2023.
As the areas became available the construction side of the business came into build a car park, which was finished in a plastic grid system which allowed the parking spaces to be grass seeded, giving an aesthetically pleasing surface. The footpaths leading to the car park were also part of our works package as were sections of ducting & drainage.
The next section of works was to form approximately 500 linear metres of pathway through the old landfill. As the ground conditions were extremely poor & made worse by constant rain, tracked dumpers were used to import the make up to form the paths. The path edges were made with hardwood timber, sourced through Bond Timber, & held into position with timber pegs.
The final part of work, which was in addition to our original contract, was to carry out the Section 278 works to the cricket club where a new bellmouth had to be formed leading onto the main highway.
Now the scheme is completed the landscaping team have been returning to site on numerous occasions to carry out a 2 year maintenance programme to the trees, shrubs & grassed areas.
Bude Flood Alleviation Scheme Autumn 2023
In the Autumn of 2023 our team commenced the works to undertake a flood prevention scheme in the town of Bude for our client Kier Natural Resources, Nuclear & Networks, who are in turn working for the Environment Agency.
The project was to construct a reinforced concrete wall and a section of reinforced earth embankment to help prevent high tidal waters flooding part of the town.
Once the existing banks were reduced the specialist piling contractor placed the sheet piles along the section which was to receive the reinforced concrete wall. We then fixed the reinforcing steels and made up a specialist `Recki` formwork system ahead of the concrete pouring. This formwork gave an aesthetically pleasing stonework finish to the outer face once the concrete pour had cured. Upon completion a tailer made coping was fitted to the top of the wall, the kerb line reinstated to the highway and tarmac laid to complete.
The second phase of the scheme was to form a reinforced earth bank to the Southern section, where access would not have allowed the concrete wall to be built. The earth bank was formed with subsoils placed in layers with a specialist geogrid at regular intervals to reinforce the soils. Due to limited access this was carried out with small equipment and upon completion was topsoiled, seeded and covered with an anti-erosion matt.
Due to the horrendous weather, over many months, our landscape teams had to be very patient in carrying out the final topsoiling and soft landscaping to complete the scheme. Upon completion they planted 700 trees and shrubs, laid Sedum matting and reinstated the remaining areas with 1200m2 of turf. When all works were completed the local school children were invited by our client to help us paint the finished concrete with yoghurt, which is to done to speed up the growth on the new wall.
Kilhallon Flood Embankment
The flood wall preparation and accessibility issues were the same for the flood embankment preparation works however, once the flood works were completed the Rootlok wall flood bank build could begin.
A foundation was dug so that two bags would be buried and provide a solid base although, as the works started the designers made a major change which added approximately 3000 more bags to the scheme, so now the total number of Rootlok were 10,500, meaning 375 pallets of 28 bags would need to be loaded in the compound and delivered to the end of the flood bank each time totalling 188 journeys with a small truck.
A fence line had to be installed to mark the boundary of the property, all posts had to be in place before the bags meaning the bags had to be engineered to fit around each post.
A team of eight had to hand lay each of the 10,500 bags. A lot of time was spent sourcing and testing suitable subsoils. Once finding the correct material it was brought to site, tipped in the compound, before being reloaded into dumpers and taken up the access track. From here it was spread thinly onto the new bank before being compacted.
All bags were hydro seeded by a specialist contractor.
We are proud to announce we won a BALI award for this project in 2023- Soft Landscaping Construction (non-domestic) over £500k.
Kilhallon Redi-Rock Flood Wall
This area of works was awarded to us after we have successfully carried out similar difficulty projects. The set up included the removal of all existing fencing, clearing vegetation and removing mature trees. The accessibility was a major obstacle as there was only one three metre entrance through a boat yard (OSM Boats) for all access in and out. Additionally, we also crossed many inconveniences.
The Redi-Rock construction was complicated as there were sharp curves and careful engineering was very important to prevent voids, we also had to insert a sealed joint between every block to form a waterproof seal.
The 608 Redi-Rock blocks were delivered to site using a tractor and trailer with vehicle marshals to ensure safe passage through narrow space.
At pinch points the team would have to go into neighbouring gardens and reinstate before construction continued.
Later on in this project another design change was made where a fence needed to be constructed on top of the wall, this was done using our tanalised timer. Another late change was a revetment, this meant fluming a section of watercourse.
Throughout the duration of this project we made sure the works area was always kept tidy and kept a good relationship with the neighbours and boating yard.
We were also lucky enough to win another BALI award- Hard Landscaping Construction (non-domestic) over £500k
PAR & ST. BLAZEY FLOOD DEFENCE SCHEME
As part of our works for Kier at the Par St Blazey Flood Alleviation Scheme, the W.H.Bond team are currently covering steel sheet piles with a very smart timber capping.
The sheet piles are part of the flood alleviation works being carried out and this section of the project runs through a holiday park. Therefore to give a more aesthetically pleasing finish the design covers the piles with a timber capping structure.
The carpenters drill into the piles in order to create an attachment point for the 30-year treated softwood timber frame. The piles have a certain amount of tolerance but our frame needs to be constructed so it is completely square. Therefore the team have worked hard to trim or pack out every vertical holding timber to produce a straight & true line which accommodates the covering timber sections. It is also essential that every bolt going through the pile is fitted with a rubber washer to ensure that in the event of a flood, there is nowhere for the water to escape! The finished capping is in the form of 1400mm x 240mm x 40mm Oak units which are drilled & attached to the frame. As you will see from the pictures it gives an amazing finish.
LEAN QUARRY WASTE TRANSFER
Another scheme completed by the bespoke contracting team in 2021. This time concrete wall repairs then the fabrication & installation of steep push plates & greedy boards at the Lean Quarry Waste Transfer Station for Viridor (now Biffa). Thanks to the Biffa team who were great to work with & couldn’t be more helpful.
FLOOD RELIEF - EXMOUTH TIDAL DEFENCE SCHEME
In 2021 WH Bond completed works to the Tidal Defence Scheme in Exmouth, a £12million project to improve flood defences in the town, which has a long history of tidal-flooding. The worst recorded incident of flooding was in 1960 when Exmouth flooded twice and over 1,000 homes were affected. Now the new defences will reduce the risk of tidal flooding to over 1,400 residential and 400 commercial properties.
Split into three phases, WH Bond were responsible for Area 3 – The Esplanade, where the proposed works stretched along the sea front, from Mamhead slipway in the west, to between the clock tower and Premier Inn to the east, including the Alexander Terrace junction. Working in collaboration with main contractor Kier, the Environment Agency and East Devon District Council, WH Bond completed the scheme in July 2021.
The overall project included works to the existing seawall, the lower sea wall walkway, strengthening and improving its’ ability to hold the waves back which were carried out by Kier. A new dedicated drainage system for the scheme was installed on the landward side of the Esplanade, which in the past was struggling to cope with the increased volume of water. Now cascading water from waves crashing over the seawall, drain back out to sea, stopping flooding to the existing main sewer system on the highways.
To further reduce excessive sea water flooding the town, as waves crash over the sea wall, a floodgate system was installed by WH Bond. New reinforced concrete foundations were installed, that now carry a system of new flood gates which can be deployed either electrically or manually and stop the increased volume of water ‘rushing’ up the road network, into the town, and affecting residential and commercial properties.
WH Bond commenced the works in Area 3 on 4th January 2021 and the phase was completed in July 2021, and the people of Exmouth can now keep their feet dry as the winter approaches.
HELSTON FLOOD ALLEVIATION SCHEME - SUSTAINABLE OUTCOME
In February 2020 our bespoke contracting team commenced a complex flood alleviation scheme for Kier Integrated Services / Environment Agency on the river Cober in Helston, which would draw upon the specialist skills of our bespoke contracting division
Constructing a retaining wall across 20 private gardens and forming a large earth bund through a further 10 gardens, the location made the project sensitive. The project required a specialist contractor that could complete all elements of the project, including, demolishing existing structures, erecting scaffolding in the river Cober to access the river edge, excavating and casting the RC foundations and building the Stepoc walls, as well as casting the bespoke coping stones as the size was irregular.
The northern section of the scheme called for the construction of 330 linear metres of flood banks, requiring the importing of five thousand tonnes of primary (virgin) aggregates to use as a fill material. Using a CEEQUAL calculation, an evidence-based sustainability assessment tool, the distance to suitable material sources meant significant HGV movements would impact air quality and carbon levels. Following extensive research, an alternative solution was found at a local development site, where 5,000t of excavated material was waiting for disposal. Following rigorous testing, the soils from this single site were deemed suitable for the works required.
Fences and gates were erected to cordon off the bank and then the scheme was totally re-reinstated to return the landscaping of the area to its former condition. Working closely with the Environment Agency enormous care was taken to ensure no spoil material entered the watercourse throughout the entire 9-month project for fear of polluting the river.
The project was completed successfully and is a lasting testimony to the ability of WH Bond to take on complex and sensitive schemes, whilst working sustainably.
FORDER VALLEY, PLYMOUTH
Our works started in January 2019 to carry out enabling works in preparation for the main site clearance for Balfour Beatty at Forder Valley Plymouth. A laydown area was constructed adjoining the main road, under Traffic Management, which would enable us to set up our site & deliver all plant equipment for Phase 1. A river was flumed & the silt prevention fencing was erected alongside all watercourses ahead of plant movements, 750 metres of Heras was erected & all overhead lines had the relevant control measures constructed.
In February the tree & vegetation commenced. All works have been carried out under a watching brief from a number of Ecologists & due to the presence of Birds, Badgers, Bats & Reptiles methods such as soft felling, hand cutting of vegetation & grass & erection of Bat Boxes have been carried out.
The team, of up to 16, worked successfully for seven days to ensure trees were removed before the Birds began nesting.
We have erected 2500 metres of site fencing & another 1000 metres of fencing to act as temporary Bat corridors; the fence panels are covered with green netting, dead hedging & Willow to give the Bats flight lines within previously cleared sections.
All cleared material has been recycled with the wood being processed for firewood & all wood chip used for bedding for livestock on local farms.
