- EXTENSIVE REPAIRS TO CAR PARK CONSTRUCTED ON FORMER LANDFILL TO MANAGE EFFECTS OF LONG TERM SETTLEMENT
- MAINTAINED 24 HOUR OPERATION OF BUSINESS PARK THROUGHOUT DETAILED PHASING
- WORKED COLLABORATIVELY WITH CLIENT TO DEVELOP SCOPE AND DESIGN SOLUTION
- COMPLETED ON TIME AND UNDER BUDGET
PROJECT OUTLINE
Walters were contacted by ACIES design consultants to discuss a long term car park issue that their client – Nuveen – had experienced at their Dunleavy Drive Retail Park in Cardiff. The formation of the car park had repeatedly deteriorated since it was constructed in 2008, with extensive rutting and cracks appearing in the block paving. ACIES had come up with a concept design of replacing the block paving with full construction flexible tarmac pavement with underlying granular pavement and permeable wearing course. Walters spent the next few months discussing the project with them, developing cost and programme estimates, refining the design and developing a traffic management system that enabled the retail park to remain fully functional. The park included a 24 hour Starbucks, a gym, a nursery, food outlet and wine merchant.
PROJECT DELIVERY
After a further period of ECI input and stakeholder engagement, we were appointed to deliver the works under a fixed price arrangement. We developed an 8-phase approach for the works (3 for trafficked areas and 5 for pedestrian areas) to ensure that both traffic and pedestrian access was maintained at all times. Using self-delivery resource, we delivered the works through winter over a 2-month programme. Our site team established a good rapport with the retail tenants, altering our phasing to suit ad-hoc or unforeseen requirements. The works were completed to a high standard which has since enabled the retail park to be put on the market for disposal by Nuveen as part of their long-term strategy.
WORKING AROUND LIVE TRAFFIC
The varied use of the retail park (24 hour, gym and nursery etc) meant that there were no off-peak times that we could work around. We therefore proactively engaged with tenants and store users to ensure impact on operations and use of the facilities was minimised.
PHASED TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT
We developed and agreed a 9 phase approach to delivery which was subsequently delivered with only minor amendments to suit specific tenant provisions
PREVENTING SETTLEMENT
The facility had originally been constructed on a landfill but without due consideration of long term settlement of the underlying soils. the subsequent loading had caused different amounts of settlement, resulting in cracking and rutting of the block pavement.
