VolkerGround Engineering has the in-house capability to provide full lifecycle ground engineering solutions for highways including smart motorways.
The team is guided by three strategic imperatives put forward by Highways England to deliver a modern road network: safety, excellent customer service and sustainability.
VolkerGround Engineering’s specialist engineering design and operations teams work collaboratively with clients to provide best value, right first time, buildable structures. The team have a forward thinking approach to design, mitigating risk wherever possible to provide greater cost and programme certainty.
VolkerGround Engineering has supported many highway development projects, including: installing 271no. Continuous Flight Auger (CFA) piles to enable the construction of crash barriers between junctions 12 and 13 on the M4. The team used the Soilmec R210 CFA piling rig with rubber tracks to reduce the amount of piling platform required and to protect the road service.
Working closely with contractor VolkerLaser to develop the bank stability required for working within a restricted area, VolkerGround Engineering utilised one CFA rig rather than the proposed two mini-rigs which created five weeks programme saving for the main contractor.
Working on the M6, junctions 16-19, for Kier Infrastructure, VolkerGround Engineering utilised a crane and vibro hammer to install a 20-metre length cage in varying ground conditions. This was part of a scope that included the installation of 19no. CFA piles for the installation of smart motorway gantries.
VolkerGround Engineering’s proactive approach to change on this scheme was evident when ground conditions changed to the extend that CFA was not possible. A rotary rig was quickly mobilised to minimise the delay for the client, allowing the follow on contracts to commence their activities.
The team have also worked for Interserve on the M1 at junction 45 for Interserve. VolkerGround Engineering installed 8no. 900mm diameter piles for gantry foundations to 15m into a mudstone rock socket to facilitate the widening of the M1. The team also carried out load testing on the piles to verify the client’s design.
As the site was very restricted, to complete this project, the team worked closely with the client to develop platform layout drawings to establish a safe working area.