Poundfield wins major order for Sea Defence Walling

Posted on: September 9th 2015    •    Posted in: Bespoke concrete, Retaining Walls
Sea Defence

Poundfield Precast of Ipswich in Suffolk, a Suffolk based manufacturer of precast concrete products, has recently been awarded its largest ever contract with a £2M order for decorative, reinforced concrete panels from County Durham based Hall Construction Services.

Obtained by Poundfield’s bespoke products division, the order covers the manufacture of nearly 4000 individual pieces which are now being used to construct over 2 km of new sea defence wall at Hartlepool Headland which is scheduled to take some 5 years to construct.

The contract, being carried out on behalf of Hartlepool Borough Council, is part of a £9M coastal erosion programme designed to protect and strengthen the existing 100 year old sea wall, including placement of rock armour along some 800 m of critical areas.

The 200 mm thick decorative panels are being installed to heights of up to 6 m and are anchored into the existing wall prior to back-filling with concrete. This will result in a new wall with a total new minimum thickness of approximately 450 mm.

Of particular interest is Poundfield’s first use of GRP reinforcement in the panels in place of traditional steel. GRP re-bar offers many advantages over steel but, for this application, the key factor was its resistance to the corrosive effects of salt water.  This should ensure the new wall meets its projected 200 year life expectancy.

Once the new wall is completed, a total of 1075 concrete capping beams, also supplied by Poundfield, will be installed along the top, together with a safety handrail system.

Commenting on the order, Poundfield’s managing director Mark Jardine said: “We were delighted to win this prestigious, long-term contract which will play a major role in our on-going expansion plans to meet an increasing demand, not only for our bespoke products, but also for our extensive range of standard retaining wall systems.”

To read our update story click here

If you are interested in knowing more about our Sea Defence Walls please contact our bespoke concrete department manager; Tim Evans on 01449 723150 or to read more: CLICK HERE