A Pretty Bard Job!
Midsummer Night’s Dream
In the heart of Shakespeare Country at M40 Junction 15 the Stratford Road takes longer than one of William’s plays to cross.
Weaving in and around each other, the A46 and the A429 form a perfect asphalt circle over the Motorway to guarantee clear passage to all and any vehicles making their way between Warwick, Stratford and all points East and West.
Twelfth Nightmare
Well, that’s the Multi Map perspective anyway, but on the ground it was very different when the junction needed upgrading.
Measure For Measure
With a gas main just 2 metres from the edge of the road, severe limitations on space and a difficult pit position, this gas diversion was one of the more difficult jobs of its type.
The true position of the gas pipe was not where anticipated; the shaft should have been perpendicular but that couldn’t be achieved and the weather was atrocious – so plenty of flooding!
Much Ado About Nothing
The BPU 800 TB machine sub-frame was set up to Galliford’s specifications and jacked into position - with adjustments needed to overcome initial line of drive problems.
The next stage was to fire a pilot through to achieve the correct line, level and gradient.
This process incorporates the use of a theodolite camera system which tracks an LED target secured within the drill head. The image is projected onto a monitor screen providing the operator with steering/level information.
Chiltern Thrust Bore made the necessary adjustments to the machinery before jacking the 610 mm steel sleeve through, simultaneously rotating and pushing the augers. At the same time the pilot rods were removed from the reception side.
All augers were then retracted to the drive shaft, leaving the steel sleeve/duct in place.
All’s Well That Ends Well
There is now a fully protected, steel ducted gas main running safely under the A46 with tens of thousands of vehicles running over it every day.
“We vetted several companies for this job but none came close to the quality and detail of the information provided by Chiltern Thrust Bore at the point of procurement. And from what I’ve heard from my site colleagues they performed every bit as well out there” Rob Walsh, Galliford/Try.