Penny Royal Park

GEO-TECHNICAL AND GEO-ENVIRONMENTAL SITE INVESTIGATION

Terra Firma (South) has extensive experience of the geotechnical and geo-environmental investigation of brown field sites to allow developers to comply with the requirements of Local Authority Planning Departments and the Environment Agency.

CASE STUDY: PENNY ROYAL PARK, BOVEY TRACEY

Terra Firma (South) acted as consulting geo-technical and geo-environmental engineers for the proposed construction of a new residential village, comprising 92 units utilising renewable technology.

Situated within an environmentally sensitive County Wildlife Site, the presence of the protected ‘Penny Royal’ plant species created particular challenges during this site investigation.

Timely liaison with the consulting ecologist combined with considerate project management facilitated a robust site investigation, without compromising the ecological sensitivity of the site or the requirements of the investigation.

Historically, the site had been used for quarry works associated with the pottery works (now tile manufacturing works) adjacent to the subject site. In recent time the old clay quarry was in filled using spoil from the adjacent tile works.

The Phase II site investigation was undertaken using trial pits to assess the extent of the in filled quarry and deep cable percussive boreholes to determine the geotechnical properties and bearing capacity of the landfill and underlying Upper Bovey Formation.

Drilling through the tile waste of the in filled landfill was particularly challenging although overcome by utilising years of drilling experience.

Terra Firma (South) provided an economical foundation solution using piled foundations, which overcame variable ground conditions.

Gas monitoring quantified risks from the landfill and groundwater monitoring and vapour analysis assessed the human & environmental impact.

Terra Firma (South) was able to manage the ecological constraints and difficult drilling conditions of this project to deliver.