Background

The busy and essential Gatwick Spur link road to the airport required a stabilisation scheme and as the primary access route to the airport it was essential that repairs were carried out with minimal disruption.

Scope of Works

Ground stabilisation works were awarded to BAM Ritchies, who have been employed on multiple projects around Gatwick, to install soil nails along a 500m section of the highway with a slope length of around 18 metres.

Solution

To minimise any disruption it was decided to use two machines working from the bottom of the embankment.  WM Plant Hire provided CAT 330 long reach excavators with 22m maximum reach and fitted them with hydraulic drill masts to carry out the soil nailing.  The heavy duty machines were also able to carry the larger masts which enabled the works to be carried out ahead of schedule.