FP McCann Precast Concrete Drainage Systems Installed on 2nd Phase of Cheshire Housing Development

Status: In Progress

Location: Reaseheath

Division: Drainage & Water Management

Main Contractor: McPhillips (Wellington) Ltd

Market Sector: Housing

Work is well underway on the 2nd phase of a large housing development near Nantwich, Cheshire. The Kingsley Fields site at Reaseheath sits on land released by owner Reaseheath College and once complete will see 1,000 new homes and apartments.

The 143 acre site, is being developed by housing consortium David Wilson Homes, Redrow Homes and Taylor Wimpey who have employed the services of Shropshire based civil engineering contractor McPhillips (Wellington) Ltd to undertake the on-site drainage and roads infrastructure which includes a £4m diversion of the existing A51. The primary enabling works including 700 metres of shared spine road plus access roads to individual parcels of land and the installation of the site’s main extensive drainage network commenced in 2017.

Phase 1 works were completed in 2018 and FP McCann’s supplies to site have included standard precast concrete pipes, the preformed manhole system Easi-Base, headwalls and box culverts. Drainage installation has been up to 5 metres deep in places utilizing cutting edge trench support and de-watering techniques. Phase 2 of the works commenced in 2019 with the A51 diversion, including construction of a number of highway structures, starting last year. Significant drainage improvement work is currently ongoing as part of the infrastructure scheme and FP McCann are supplying 1500/1200 bespoke precast concrete side entry manhole bends as part of the 1500 diameter network of drainage pipes.

Due to the shallow construction dictated by the high water table and associated ground conditions, it was determined that a plastic pipe system was not suitable for the LM1 trunk road loading requirements. As a result, the 170 metres of 1500 diameter drainage pipes and bespoke manhole bends under the road was specified precast concrete. The 6no. side entry precast concrete manhole bends all individually designed to engineering specifications, have been manufactured at FP McCann’s Ellistown and Alnwick factories by the skilled precast concrete production teams.

Commenting on the phase 2 works to date, Phil Kinsman, site engineer for McPhillips says, “We are well underway with the A51 diversion works and associated drainage. After considering alternative pipe systems and taking into account the difficult ground conditions, the use of FP McCann’s 1500 diameter precast concrete pipes was considered by far the best option. The integral bespoke side entry manhole bends are unique in their design and have been installed in one single operation thereby eliminating the requirement for individual manhole builds along the pipe network.”

For further information on FP McCann’s Drainage solutions, contact the team at Ellistown on 01530 240000 or the team at Knockloughrim on 028 7954 9026 or email sales@fpmccann.co.uk