FP McCann Brick Slip Faced ‘L’ Walls Provide Earth Retention Solution on Cheshire Housing Development

Project: New Housing Development, Kings Park, Macclesfield, Cheshire

Client/Developer: David Wilson Homes (North West)

Installation Contractor: FP McCann

Products Supplied: 3.5m/3.0m High Precast Concrete ‘L’ Walls with ‘Garnet Red’ Brick Slip finish to outer face.

FP McCann has supplied and installed its first brick slip faced ‘L’ Wall earth retention system on a new housing scheme in Macclesfield, Cheshire. The 3.0 metres and 3.5 metres high precast concrete units are providing an important earth retaining barrier, whilst the attractive brick finish to the outer faces has been designed to complement a Grade II English Heritage listed building being converted into apartments as part of the housing project. Housing developer David Wilson Homes North West (DWH), is building 300 new homes on the former King’s School campus in Fence Avenue.

With changes in elevation across the site, the project involves substantial earthworks. Following a review of their in-situ wall options
and mindful of the impact on the historic “Fence House” building, the DWH in-house design and construction team in consultation with the FP McCann design and engineering team, opted for an off-site manufactured precast concrete ‘L’ Wall system with the brick slip face. This method of walling is a simple, fast process and eliminates the need for shuttering, steel foundation formwork and the pouring of wet concrete. An additional benefit of the ‘L’ Wall system is that no propping is required during construction.

FP McCann were approached by David Wilson Homes at a very early stage of the development to consider the aesthetic requirement of the wall itself. With the earth retaining wall facing the heritage listed “Fence House”, it was important that a finish complemented the historic building. A Wienerberger ‘Garnet Red’ brick slip was the design choice for the outer faces of the ‘L’ Walls. On securing the order, the 10 no. 3.5 metres high and 2 no. 3.0 metres high wall units each 2.0 metres wide, were manufactured and delivered from the Company’s Byley factory in Cheshire.

The 82 metres square run of precast concrete walling has been installed in a single day by the specialist FP McCann contracting team. The wall acts as a soil retention barrier and once fixed into position on a concrete foundation slab, earth is backed up against the ‘L Walls’ as part of the raised ground levelling work.

Jointly commenting on the FP McCann earth retaining ‘L’ Walls in place, Richard Harris Senior Engineer and Martha Newall, Quantity Surveyor for David Wilson Homes North West say, “The precast concrete ‘L’ Wall units are a simple, durable and cost efficient means of creating an earth retaining wall, allowing us to then work confidently with the elevation change on site. Additionally in the case of this project, the facing of the ‘L’ Wall units with the aesthetically pleasing brick slips is of major importance to the scheme. The construction of a brick wall would have been both very costly and time consuming. We will certainly consider the use of the precast concrete ‘L’ Walls with such a finish on future housing projects.”

FP McCann’s brick slip ‘L’ Walls are available in heights 1.0m to 3.5 m and in lengths 1.0m to 4.0m (height dependant). Standard precast concrete ‘L’ Wall units are available in heights from 4.0m to 6.0m from Byley and units measuring 1.0m to 3.75m from FP McCann’s Lydney and Grantham depots.

For further information on FP McCann’s walling solutions, contact JAMES HODGSON 07753415817 | sales@fpmccann.co.uk