FlexMac DT

The East Bay Link in Cardiff is a major infrastructure project designed to improve transport connectivity in the Welsh capital. This new dual carriageway links Ocean Way to the Queens Gate roundabout, creating a continuous route from the M4 motorway into Cardiff Bay. With an estimated project value of £27. 3 million, the scheme required the construction of a low embankment alongside multiple viaduct structures. A key engineering challenge was the need for a temporary retaining wall solution to support the embankment during construction. Dawnus Construction required a system capable of handling heavy construction traffic loads while maintaining stability and safety on site. The solution also needed to be temporary, allowing for the later installation of a permanent retaining wall system without disrupting progress.

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Hornsea Offshore Wind Farm, located in the North Sea off the Yorkshire coast, is one of the largest offshore wind farm developments in the world. Comprising three major projects, the site is set to become the world’s biggest offshore wind farm, generating enough renewable energy to power over one million homes. Covering an area of 407 square kilometres, around five times the size of Hull, the project features 7MW wind turbines standing 190 metres tall. In April 2017, contractor Murphy was appointed by Ørsted (formerly Dong Energy) to install underground cabling connecting the offshore wind farm to a new substation at Killingholme, located 38km inland. A key engineering challenge involved drilling beneath an existing sea defence wall to route the cables. To enable safe access for heavy drilling equipment to the beach, a temporary access ramp over the sea defence was required. This created a need for a reliable temporary retaining wall solution capable of supporting the ramp on both the landward and seaward sides. The solution needed to be quick to install, structurally stable, and easily removable after project completion, while also withstanding harsh coastal conditions.

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Wates Construction was appointed to carry out the phased demolition and reconstruction of the Richard Lee School in Coventry. This complex construction project required one half of the school to remain fully operational while the other half was demolished and rebuilt, creating a highly constrained working environment with strict safety requirements. During the development of a new building block adjacent to the existing structure, a critical design conflict emerged. The proposed temporary battered slope clashed with the required scaffold base location, significantly reducing the available working space at ground level. This posed both logistical and safety challenges for construction activities. To overcome this issue, a temporary retaining wall solution was required to maximise usable space and ensure structural stability. The retaining structure also needed to support a playground area above and incorporate a secure fence line to safely separate the live school environment from the active construction site.

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