VBA, the joint venture between VolkerStevin, Boskalis Westminster and Atkins appointed ss part of the Environment Agency’s Water and Environment Management (WEM) framework has reached a major milestone on the £21 million Ipswich Flood Barrier scheme.
The work on the scheme, which runs along the River Orwell in Ipswich, includes the design, construction and installation of a 30m wide tidal barrier gate.
Over the last few months, the contractors working for have installed a cofferdam, a structure that can be pumped dry to enable construction of the barrier to take place below the river bed level, pumped it dry and they have now excavated the river silts and gravel.
The next stage is to pour the base slab, which is more than 700 cubic metres of reinforced concrete. At the moment the steel reinforcement is being placed by a team of 20 people and the first pour of the base slab will be completed in the next couple of weeks.
The actual tidal gate is being fabricated in Holland and will be delivered later in the year when the concrete structure and control building have been completed.
Progress has been made elsewhere on the site, with the foundations for the flood walls and the control building now installed.
The project, which will reduce the risk of flooding to 1,608 homes and 422 businesses and support key infrastructure, has been partnership funded by: the Environment Agency, Ipswich Borough Council, Department for Communities and Local Government, the Haven Gateway Partnership, and the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership.
EA project manager Andrew Usborne said:
“The integrated team at the barrier are making good progress and are on programme to complete the works in spring 2018.”
The next key milestone will be the delivery of the tidal gate from Holland later in the summer.
Nick Culshaw, VBA operations director, said:
“It has been a real honour to be working with and supporting the EA on this vital project in Ipswich. In order to protect around 2,000 properties, both commercial and residential, within the town from flooding in the future, a 20m wide tidal barrier gate, along with the relevant controls, will be installed.”
The barrier, along with additional flood defences undertaken by VBA, will prevent any surge tides and allow the control of fluvial flow as required in the future.
Once successfully completed VBA will maintain the new tidal barrier for a further two years.
Waterbriefing is media partner with the Environment Agency’s major three-day conference and exhibition Flood and Coast 2017 which takes place from 28th to 30th March 2017 in Telford. Click here for more information
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