Flexible approach to engineering ensures safe and sustainable groundworks solution

Port of Tilbury, Essex

Project Overview

Location	Port of Tilbury, Essex
Sector	Water
Products	Supershaft Plus 250Te End Unit Structural Monitoring LIVEpin

Regarded as one of the UK’s fastest growing ports, the Port of Tilbury is currently undergoing a £1bn investment programme. The construction of a new £200million port terminal, delivered by GRAHAM, is designed to increase capacity in line with the growing number of exports and imports passing through the port each year.

The challenge

Unexpected ground conditions

The actual ground conditions on site differed significantly from the initial geotechnical investigations, with firmer clay encountered instead of the expected soft material. This created challenges in ensuring the original excavation and support designs remained appropriate and safe.

Design reassessment

The change in soil conditions meant the initial two-level bracing scheme had to be re-evaluated and redesigned mid-project. Adjusting the engineering solution while excavation was already underway required rapid coordination and careful management to avoid delays.

Environmental constraints

Sustainability targets added further complexity, with strict requirements to minimise steel use, vehicle movements, and carbon footprint. Balancing these environmental goals alongside safety and performance expectations posed a significant challenge for the project team.

Our solution

Working closely with GRAHAM, our engineering team designed a bespoke and modular temporary works solution to safely support the three large excavations required for the installation of the attenuation tanks. The original design featured two levels of Supershaft Plus hydraulic bracing and Super Bracing Struts to stabilise the sheet piled walls during excavation.

However, once excavation began, site investigations revealed that the ground was far firmer than expected. In response, our engineers quickly re-evaluated the scheme, adapting it from a two-frame to a single-frame solution. This redesign not only maintained structural safety but also significantly reduced the amount of steel required, demonstrating the flexibility and efficiency of our modular equipment.

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To further enhance safety and provide assurance in the revised design, our innovative wireless prop-load monitoring system, LIVEpin, was installed on the steel struts. This enabled real-time monitoring of load performance via our Insite portal, ensuring the equipment was operating as intended throughout the excavation process.

The reduced use of steel, combined with the reusability of over 200 tonnes of modular equipment, also helped to minimise carbon emissions and vehicle movements, aligning the project with its sustainability goals. Through our adaptive engineering approach and use of smart monitoring technology, we were able to support GRAHAM in delivering the Port of Tilbury works efficiently, safely, and sustainably.

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