Contracting - Case Study
MS3 GANTRY FOUNDATIONS, M1 MOTORWAY
An idea for a sustainable and cost effective foundation to a motorway signal gantry was formulated during discussions within the “Steel Piling Group” in the late 1990’s. The idea was to use a steel sheet pile foundation box, which could be installed quickly during limited traffic management. The top 1.5m of the sheet pile box would be left above ground and would form a ready made shutter for the reinforced concrete holding down detail to the gantry. This foundation would be quick and easy to construct with minimal traffic management and the sheet piles could be extracted relatively easily if the motorway had to be widened.
Main contractor Nuttall Hynes, consultants Mouchel Parkman and Atkins Odlin along with Dawson Construction Plant Ltd took the concept to the highways and finally obtained AIP.
The first four MS3 sheet pile bases were constructed in late 2005 / early 2006 between junctions 6A and 4 on the southbound M1. The sheet pile box foundation and reinforced concrete holding down detail were installed within 48 hours. This can be compared to at least two weeks work with a conventional base. With the possibility of the M1 being widened, the base can be easily removed and partially re-used if necessary.
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