Southern Promenade

Project Overview

The Southern Promenade in Whitley Bay is a 620m concrete blockwork seawall with shore access via integrated steps. During a storm surge event, the seawall was damaged across its full length, including the loss of coping and wave return blocks. Rainton Construction was appointed to undertake repairs, including infills to the seawall steps.

Scope of Works

• Establishment of crane sizes and plant to ascertain the most suitable demolition and construction methods.
• California Bearing Ratio (CBR) testing of the pavement area at the clifftop.
• Design and construction of the wave return wall, cast in situ.

Challenges

The coastal location posed significant challenges, but the team successfully navigated obstacles through meticulous planning and preparation. Rigorous measures were implemented to ensure the project was safely delivered.

Sustainability

We used a round-flex shuttering system along the new wall to integrate with the existing structure. The tidal constraints necessitated using a concrete pump for the lowest section. However, further analysis of discharge rates from skips revealed that this method offered greater control over the pour discharge and waste, leading to a more sustainable and efficient construction process.

Summary

This project was successfully completed on time and within budget. The preservation of a number of existing stairs contributed to value engineering on this project through cost savings, to the satisfaction of the client.