THE SCHEME
St Mary Magdalene School is located on the Greenwich Peninsula and when complete, will offer 1,646 places to pupils in the surrounding area. The single-site building will cater for primary school age children up to a sixth-form intake and is part of the Royal Borough’s drive to provide additional school places to meet increasing need within the borough. Bachy Soletanche was appointed by BAM Construction to deliver the geotechnical package on this flagship development at the gateway to the peninsula.
PLANNING AND PRE-CONSTRUCTION
Programme planning and being able to deliver to tight timescales was imperative to the success of the project. The school is due to open for the 2018 – 2019 academic year and therefore hitting key milestones was critical. During the pre-construction phase, Bachy Soletanche worked closely with the supply chain to ensure logistical planning and deliveries were suitably scheduled to meet productivity targets.
The original enquiry was received in June 2015 and was for ‘high level cost and programme advice’ for the sub-contract package in order for the Main Contractor to secure agreement for Stage 2 of the project. Initial tender information was limited however various cost proposals were put forward for consideration.
By maintaining an open and constant dialogue, Bachy Soletanche were proactive in collaborating with the Main Contractor, effectively reviewing new information and accurately revising tender costs over the subsequent 17-month period until contract award.
PILING OPERATIONS
The project required a total for 451 continuous flight auger (CFA) piles to be installed, providing the load bearing support for the structure. The piles were 400mm in diameter and drilled to a depth of up to 14m. Following the construction of the piles, integrity testing was carried out to ensure the quality of the piles. During the four-week contract, the team utilised two piling rigs, a SF65 and a R312.
