Geofirma topsshopping list for

quality and value

GEOFIRMA SOILS ENGINEERING APPLICATION REPORT

Although the ground

had been remediated with

regard to old foundations

and ground contamination

the site itself was made uo

of pulverised fuel ash - a waste product from the power station'scoal burning days.

The conventional solution would have been disposal andimported bulkf i l l and stone.

Faced with the prohibitively high costs this would entail, theconstruction team were determined to shop around for a moreeconomical approach.

5o how did they start on the transition from yesterday's

unsavoury leftovers to providing a base for next week's groceries?

A special offer that proved unbeatableGeofirma were able to show how substantial savings could bemade through soi l stabi l isat ion, without any compromise onquality of results.

Careys, who were responsible forthe earth moving and groundworks,

were particularly impressed by thespecialisation offered by Geofirmawho, as the acknowledged leader inthe field, were able to draw on anunrivalled depth of experience andresources in soi l stabi l isat ion.

What's more, Geofirma has its ownlaboratories and carr ies out soi linvestigations and groundwork designworking to a strict code of practice.

The fast checkoutTime was of paramount importancewith al l the works having to be

completed within a t ight 12 weekpro9ramme.

Geofirma was able to meet thisdeadline by deploying three completecrews to work on the site

simultaneously.

In having the expertise, the

technicians and the plant, Geofirmacould cut queuing t ime to ensure thefastest turnround.

Sainsbury's with

Shoppers'favourite Sainsbury's has built areputation with supermarkets that arealways well stocked with high qualityproducts at the best possible prices.

To keep their shelves freshly stacked is a massive logistics

exercise, requiring vast warehouses such as the new Hams Hall

complex at Coleshi l l near Birmingham.

Today, this 55,000m'strategic distribution centre is key to thecontinuing success of Sainsbury's in the Midlands and a model

of efficiency.

But it was a very different pidure when the site was first

acouired.

Fossil fuels make way for fresh foodsHams Hall was a classic example of a brownfield site, having

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been an old coal-fired power station coverins a

Tight programming of threestabilisation crews with cementdeliveries ensured completionwas kept to schedule

GEOFIRMA SOILS ENGINEERING APPLICATION REPORT

How bulkfill supportedbulk buyingWhile Sainsbury's passes on the advantages of

bulk buying, Geofirma's great strength is in

bulkf i l l treatment.

In this case, i t meant treating the pulverised

fuel ash on site to achieve the necessary density

and strength to form suitable earthworks - using

Geofirma's Firmafi l construction technique with a

cement mix. The result ing 90,000m'of bulkf i l l ,

was used primari ly under the bui lding i tself .

In addition '140,000m' of the top layer was

further treated using Geofirma's Firmabase

construction technique to greatly reduce the need

for Type 1 stone import to the bui lding slab and

external works. This saved approximately 80,000

tonne of Type I stone and 4,000 truck

movements.

After stabilisation the building was piled :sei*because of the poor underlying ground condit ions below the

stabi l ised f i l l .

Stabi l ising the f i l l under the bui lding gave two signif icant

advantages. lt meant that adverse weather didn't delay thepi l ing, while also providing a stable platform for the large and

heavy pi l ing r igs.

Another highly satisfied customerSainsbury's is just one of the growing number of famous names

associated with Geofirma, who now have a well established

reputation and proven track record within the construction

industry.

On this particular project, RGCM were the Management

Contracto4 and earthmoving and groundworks was carried out

by Careys Civi l Engineering.

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For further information,

r to discuss a new project,

cal l Geofirma now.

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Geofirma Soils Engineering Limited

Coggeshall Road Earls Colne Essex CO6 2JX

tel:01787 224532 fax:01787 224571

soils@geofirma.co.uk www.geofirma.co.uk