Visitor Centre Boardwalk, Paxton Pits Nature Reserve
The supply and installation of ground screw foundations for a visitor centre boardwalk over a meadow at Paxton Pits Nature Reserve.
Client
Huntingdonshire District Council
Location
Paxton Pitts Nature Reserve, Cambridgeshire
Product Solutions
46 nr. RADIX PRO 76×1250 Ground Screws
Install Team
No More Digging South East
Challenge
Huntingdonshire District Council contacted us with a request that we install ground screws as the new foundations in the refurbishment of part of their existing visitor boardwalk at Paxton Pits Nature Reserve in St Neots.
The area was boggy and prone to water logging, so they were keen to use a solution which would be less susceptible to these conditions.
The project was being funded by the Friends of Paxton Pits and their supporters, a voluntary group which supports the conservation of the pits, so finding a cost-effective solution, which would last the test of time, was paramount for them.
Not only this, but the environmental impact of the whole project was a consideration. They already planned to use recycled plastic beams on the refurbished walkway, and they wanted all elements of the project to be just as environmentally friendly.
Solution
By choosing ground screws, they overcame all the challenges of their project.
Our ground screws are galvanised to BS EN ISO 1461: 2009 for long-lasting protection and an increased life expectancy, making them ideal for use in areas prone to water logging, such as this. They also lift any platform marginally above ground level, giving airflow underneath but also meaning the new beams of the boardwalk would not be sitting directly on a sodden surface.
Unlike traditional foundations, ground screws take a fraction of the time to install, using industry-leading equipment to drive them into the ground.
As this was a public boardwalk the customer was keen to re-open it as quickly as possible and so the team were challenged to install the screws in less than two days.
Ordinarily, a team of two can install 20 screws a day, but in this instance, extra labour and a tracked machine were used to expedite this and install all 46 screws in just a day and a half.
Given the mosaic of habitats around the boardwalk, the client was also keen not to disturb the area. Ground screws require no excavation or concrete, providing stable foundations for the boardwalk without the mess or environmental damage of conventional foundations.