Progress on the S&N Coping with the combination of coronavirus related lockdowns and adverse weather conditions for some concreting on the Shrewsbury & Newport Shrewsbury & Newport Canals
Pictures by SNCT
The only work site we at SNCT were able to operate from 5 November to 2 December was our Wappenshall Wharf site. This is because it is classified as a Construction Site and governed by CDM Regulations as well as Covid-19 constraints. We made considerable progress with the concreting work in the East Basin. We poured the first 28 cubic metres of concrete on the 26 September to form the first 25m of retaining wall base and 7 of the 5m x 2.5m “slabs” for the bottom of the basin. The second 32.5 cubic metre pour was achieved on 14 November, which completed the remainder of the 42m retaining wall base and another 18 basin bottom “slabs.” Working in some atrocious wet and muddy conditions, our team of volunteers have also managed to cast the Preparing for the next 13 base “slabs” to be poured first three sections of Vibrating poker used to get air out of the second concrete wall section the retaining wall. This entailed having to wheelbarrow a lot of concrete about 50m over extremely sticky mud and shovelling it into the formwork. The weather was just too wet to mix it outside! A total length of over 15m of wall has now been cast, so just another 7 wall sections to go now, before we start the brickwork that will go on the top. The concrete section will be below the water line. It’s planned to have the basin ready to rewater by spring 2021.
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