The Riverlinx Joint Venture was required to construct a new river wall along the north bank of the River Thames comprising a tied sheet pile intertidal wall; a precast concrete flood wall; and an intertidal terrace. The works provide 340m (out of approximately 1km of new flood defences) being constructed as part of the wider Silvertown Development Plan.

The brief included requirements to prepare a design capable of construction from land-based plant within a range of site-specific constraints. A section of the wall passes over the new tunnel bores limiting penetration of piles; the wall needs to retain stability during the tunnel boring; flood defence levels need to be maintained at all stages of the construction; a design life of 120 years is required, and compliance is needed with the consent obtained from the various Regulatory bodies.

Seacon needed to increase the capacity and strength of the approach structure to their berth at Tower Wharf on the Thames to handle new cargoes. RWC was appointed to develop and prepare a detail design; to act as Principal Designer; to secure consents; to prepare tender enquiries; and to undertake contract administration of the construction contract.

In August 2021 Portland Port invited tenders for the design and build of a berth to accept cruise liners up to the size of the Queen Mary 2 (150,000 GT). The berth is required to be available by May 2023 and delivered to comply with the various consents secured by the Port and within a challenging budget.

Robert West was appointed by Charles Brand to work collaboratively to develop a design and construction approach able to deliver the project within the demanding programme and budget. A tender period of 14 weeks was allowed, and access was provided to a data room containing substantial amounts of existing Site Information.

Robert West Consulting were commissioned by Mclaughlin and Harvey to prepare tender stage designs forming an alternative tender proposal for parts of the Highland Council’s Uig Harbour Redevelopment project. The Works comprised a 100m long new pier formed by circular sheet pile cofferdams with a capping slab; a new turning dolphin; new linkspan supports; and refurbishment of a variety of other structures. The Employer had completed detail designs for the whole of the Works but sought alternatives designs offering enhanced value.

Robert West was appointed by the joint venture of Ferrovial Construction and Laing O’Rourke joint venture (FLO) responsible for delivering the central section of the Tideway project to design temporary structures to enable the construction of the permanent works.  These permanent works would connect the Clapham combined sewer outfall (CSO) at the upstream side of the Vauxhall Bridge with Cofferdam 2, located downstream of Vauxhall Bridge. 

Love solving problems?  This was a fascinating challenge for the team at Robert West.

A culvert was required as part of the Thames Tideway Tunnel programme at Blackfriars to divert the flow originally discharged into the river to the new sewer.  The constraints at the site - an existing Combined Sewer Outfall (CSO) underneath Blackfriars Bridge and the presence of the Waterloo and City Line Tube tunnel - prevented the construction of the temporary cofferdam in situ.

Robert West was appointed by the joint venture of Ferrovial Agroman Laing O’Rourke joint venture (FLO) responsible for delivering the central section of the Tideway project to design Temporary Cofferdam 2 at Albert Embankment on the River Thames.  There are three linked cofferdams at Albert Embankment being built in stages.  

The Temporary Cofferdam 2, located downstream of Vauxhall Bridge, creates a dry area to enable the construction of the Interception Chamber (part of the permanent works) which will intercept the flows from the Brixton and Clapham Culvert.

The Clapham Culvert is upstream of Vauxhall Bridge, a third Cofferdam is currently under design to intercept the flow and divert it to the Interception Chamber at Cofferdam 2.

There will be a tunnel connecting Cofferdams 2 and 1, where the main shaft is located.

Robert West also undertook CAT III checks on Cofferdam 1 and are designers for Cofferdam 3.

The Aberdeen Harbour Expansion Project involves the development of a new harbour in Nigg Bay, Scotland. The project consists of accropode breakwaters and a harbour basin with more than 1km of berthing line.  Berthing quays are formed by a piled suspended deck structure and reinforced concrete caisson structures. Robert West elaborated the Basis of Design document and undertook an extensive sensitivity study for selection of the concrete caissons granular bed layer and backfill to caissons. To achieve stability, several caisson geometries were analysed that included variation of caisson cell geometry and toe lengths together with floatation stability for caisson transport from Northern Spain to Aberdeen. Total reinforcement quantities were also derived based on the different earth fills and geometries considered. Robert West performed these services in collaboration with Proes, a Madrid based engineering company. 

The joint venture of Ferrovial Agroman and Laing O’Rourke that is building the central section of the Thames Tideway Tunnel appointed Robert West to design the Temporary Works at Chelsea Embankment foreshore (CHEEF).

The main structure consists of a temporary cofferdam, creating a new piece of land in the River Thames to enable the construction of a shaft for the Thames Tideway Tunnel.  The cofferdam took the form of twin, sand infilled, steel walls tied together to form the main body, which will allow the Thames Tideway Tunnel project to progress work beneath ground. When completed, the temporary cofferdam will be removed.  Robert West provided construction support throughout.

Robert West have been appointed to design several temporary works structures to allow the central section of the Thames Tideway tunnel to be constructed.

Part of this study required a specialist ship impact study to be carried out to substantiate the use of a reduced energy impact in the design of the structures which would give significant savings in time and cost.

As part of the Thames Tideway Tunnel scheme, a trial will be undertaken at the Chelsea Embankment Foreshore site to monitor and evaluate the plant species that have been proposed to be installed in the intertidal terraces zone of the permanent works. The trial will be undertaking over a period of two years.

Robert West were appointed to provide the detail design of a temporary cofferdam at Blackfriars to enable dewatering of a section of the foreshore for construction of a shaft to the new Thames Tideway tunnel.

As part of the Woolwich Ferry replacement project, a detailed survey of the river bed was undertaken by our client – Briggs Marine.

Flo JV appointed BAM Nuttall Ltd (BAMN) to design and construct a Temporary Cofferdam at the Thames Tideway Blackfriars bridge Foreshore Site. BAMN appointed Robert West Consulting with Byland Engineering Ltd. operating as geotechnical advisor, to complete the outline and detailed design of the Temporary Cofferdam Structure.

The Temporary Cofferdam is required to enable the construction of the permanent works proposed at the Thames Tideway Blackfriars Foreshore Site. The permanent works consist of the construction of a tunnel shaft, outfall chamber, culverts and new river wall, in order to intercept flow from the existing Fleet Main Sewer CSO located in the Victoria Embankment river wall. The brief for the required functionality of the Temporary Cofferdam, included: 

• retain reclaimed land south of the existing river wall to enable construction of the permanent works;
• retain river water to enable construction of the permanent works;
• provide a berth for construction barges during construction of the permanent works;
• act as a working platform for construction plant traffic over the cofferdam;
• provide temporary flood defence at a minimum level of 105.5mATD;

The Temporary Works solution developed by Robert West comprised a twin walled back to back tied temporary steel piled cofferdam infilled with dredged sand, to be located within the River Thames. Robert West engineers also proposed bespoke structures to seal the cofferdam against the existing Victoria Embankment river wall.

Our services included civil, structural and geotechnical design for the Temporary Works, as well as the definition of all nautical equipment required for the operation of the cofferdam (bollards, fenders, access ladders etc.).