LAND & PROPERTY Land Development Services Former Royal Mint Works, Central London
Project Summary
Land Development Services Confidential Client, Central London
Key Project Elements • Phase II Site Investigation • Geotechnical Assessment • Turpentine Contamination • Foundation Design
CRA was commissioned by a UK developer environmental and geotechnical assessment of a works that was being used for industrial storage The site was to be refurbished to include a new live/work units.
to carry out an former Royal Mint and artist studios. office and several
The assessments were conducted for the purpose of evaluating environmental risks (human health, controlled waters and ground gas), and suitable foundation and pavement design solutions for the proposed building extensions. As part of the assessment, CRA conducted the following activities: • • • • • •
Three shell and auger boreholes were drilled and installed as monitoring wells; In-situ geotechnical testing (Standard Penetration Testing); Geotechnical laboratory testing of disturbed and undisturbed soil samples; In-situ California Bearing Ratio (CBR) testing using a truck mounted test rig; Environmental laboratory testing of soil and groundwater samples; and Ground gas monitoring.
Turpentine contamination was recorded in the soil and groundwater at one borehole location, which was attributed to either leakages from a nearby foul drainage pipe from the artists studios or direct informal disposal to a nearby surface water drain. CRA recommended the inspection and repair of the surface water drain, removal of the impacted soils, and installation of a suitable vapour-resistant membrane beneath the floor slab for the building extension in order to prevent vapour ingress into the building structures. The geotechnical assessment concluded that conventional shallow foundations, comprising strip footings and isolated pad column footings, placed at the shallowest footing bearing depth were suitable, given that the loadings of the proposed development were low and that the underlying gravels were recorded as possessing relatively high bearing capacities.
Ref: PS0030b