Portfolios – Page 4

Build to dpc, Northampton

Projects

Build to dpc, Northampton Case Study

Objective

Having done many projects for Andrew Robinson & family over the last 15 years, we were pleased to be asked to carry out works for them at their company, Autohome Ltd, in Northampton.

The work was to construct a storage building to ‘dpc’ level, within their office car park.

About the project

We were given drawings by our customer which had been put together by Design & Build Projects Ltd from Towcester, whom we have worked with many times in the past. The drawings detailed a standard 1m trench foundation, standard oversight construction but with 200mm reinforced floor, & associated foul & rainwater drainage.

The drawings didn’t ascertain where the surface water was to discharge and needed further investigation, so we met with Andrew on site and lifted various manhole covers, and were pleased to identify a dedicated surface water sewer on site. We checked with Building Control and they were fine for rainwater to be dispersed into this system. We lifted a few thousand block paviors where the build was to go, and put them aside for future use by the customer. The footing was dug to a depth of 1m over two days, and the concrete poured on the second day. We reduced the oversite to the required level on a third day and made preparations for our bricklayer to come to site to lay blockwork to dpc level.

The cavity was filled with Gen1 concrete the day after the masonry was completed, and we spent a few days completing the foul, surface water and some ductwork to the new building. We poured the oversite as a 200mm concrete slab using Gen 3 concrete, and with 1 layer of reinforcing mesh. At the front of the new building we created a ramp with some of the block paviors we had put to one side, after which the job was complete.

With the groundwork complete, we handed the site back to the customer, for him to carry on with different trades to continue the superstructure. The job was quite a small one for us, but we were glad to undertake this work for a long-time customer of ours. If you have a similar project you’d like us to quote for you, please contact us using our online form, and choose ‘New Builds & Extensions’ from the drop-down list.

Customer Review:

Andrew was very complimentary of our work, leaving us the following 5-star review on Google:

“Excellent job as always, under the ever watchful eye of Mark”

Timeline

Time taken to quote for the works: Less than 1 week

JWC Leadtime until work could be started: 6 weeks

Time taken to carry out the work: Just over 2 weeks including work done by our subcontract bricklayers

Sewer connection, Leicester

Projects

Sewer connection, Leicester, Case Study

Objective

We were approached by Nisha from Neisa Investments for both foul & surface water connections for a small block of flats in Leicester City Centre. As per Severn Trent’s guidelines for sewer connections for new properties, the fact that there were more than 2 units, made it that new manhole construction was required in the Highway for connection to both the foul and the storm water.

About the project

Due to the road needing to be closed for this project there was a mandatory 3-month legal lead-time between us being granted our Section 50 Licence by Highways, and us being able to use the licence. A week before the work was to start, we did a letter-drop to the surrounding properties, which is always a condition of a Section 50 licence. We also had to put Advance Warning Signs up on lamposts a week before the closure was to start.

The two manholes we were to construct in the Highway for the foul and surface water were to be 3m deep and 2m deep respectively. The two existing sewers were in block paving, so we spent the first day lifting hundreds of block paviors and putting them to one side for future reinstatement. We tackled the foul connection first, constructing a manhole on top of the foul sewer just over 3 metres deep. This required the excavation being sheeted out with trench sheets, timbers and acrows etc. The manhole was constructed using standard 1200mm concrete rings with steps for future access. The manhole was finished with a D400 manhole cover as is standard on adoptable manholes in the Highway. We constructed the surface water manhole next, though this one was a bit shallower at 2 metres.

With the manholes constructed and inspected on a site visit by Severn Trent, we calculated the gradients required to lay the pipework from these two new manholes, to the two demarcation manholes built by the customer’s groundworkers just inside the site boundary.

The pipework in the carriageway was in block paving the same as the two manholes, with the path being paving slabs. With all pipework laid and tested, the deep trenches were backfilled with gravel and Type 1 MOT compacted in many layers.

The block paving and slabs were reinstated and the site cleared exactly two week after we started.

It was great to carry out this relatively major sewer connection in the heart of Leicester City Centre, and for a really friendly customer as well..

Timeline

Time taken to quote for the works: 1 week

Time taken to obtain Section 106 Licence: 5 weeks

Time taken to obtain Section 50 Licence: 3 weeks

Leadtime to use Licence: 3 months legal lead-time due to road closure

Time taken to do the work: 2 weeks

Total time: 6 months

Do you need a sewer connection needs doing? Don’t leave it too late, most people do! Read our article here: How long does it take to do a sewer connection?

Sewer Connection Macclesfield

Projects

Sewer Connection Macclesfield

We were approached by long-time customer of ours Fox Construction of Chapenhall in Scotland. Fox undertake full refurbishments and new construction of Shell Petrol stations throughout the UK. Their job in Macclesfield required us to make a surface water connection to the public sewer.

Objective

Our objective was to lay pipework from the site boundary of a new Shell Petrol Station, and to connect into an existing surface water manhole 80 metres away in the carriageway. The gradients in the Highway didn’t work with the site, and so a pump was installed within the site by Fox, and we took care of all the work in the Highway.

About the project

Fox Construction took care of the Section 106, on this occasion, the wastewater provider being United Utilities. JW Clark applied to Cheshire Highways for the Section 50 Licence, including submission of utilities drawings, our accreditations and insurances, drainage plans supplied by Fox and a traffic management plan which we instructed a third party to put together.

We met with Highways and agreed a 3-day road closure of a narrow country lane at the back of the site, from where we would lay the MDPE pumped main. The work in the lane was completed in 3 days including full tarmac reinstatement. For the purposes of closing the road, we had to complete a TTRO road-closure application, which included us submitting a diversion plan to Highways and then instructing a third party to set up the road closure and also the diversion including full signage around the site and also along the diversion route.

Following on from this, we laid 40 metres of MDPE pipework in a grass verge and tarmac footpath. At this point we built a 2m deep ‘break chamber’ where the pipework would change from an MDPE pumped main, to 100mm clay pipework (on gravity)

The clay pipework was laid to an existing manhole in the carriageway, nearly 4m deep. Due to the location of the existing manhole, it was proving challenging to retain access to people’s driveways as the excavation would be in the region of 3m square, for us to work safely at 4m dig depth. We also found the ground to be very unstable, with running sand at 3m deep. With this in mind we approached United Utilities who had granted the Section 106, and proposed an internal backdrop, with the aforementioned engineering challenges in mind. United Utilities were in agreement and we submitted our proposals including full design and materials to be used etc. The internal backdrop was installed using 150mm ductile iron, built into the benching of the inside of the manhole at the bottom.

With the connection complete, the pump chamber was commissioned by Fox Construction and rising main in the Highway tested under pressure. With tests complete and with all reinstatement complete, the site was cleared less than 10 working days after starting on site.

JW Clark continue to work with Fox Construction on sites across the UK.

Timeline

Time taken to quote for the works: Less than 1 week

Time taken to obtain Section 106 Licence: Fox Construction already had this

Time taken to obtain Section 50 Licence: 6 weeks

Leadtime to use S50 Licence: Highways required only one week

Time taken to do the work: 2 weeks

Total time: 10 weeks from enquiry by Fox, to the work being completed

Do you need a sewer connection needs doing? Don’t leave it too late, most people do! Read our article here: How long does it take to do a sewer connection?

Sewer Connection, Ketton

Projects

Ketton case study

Kevin Miller was a first-time customer of ours, who contacted us following a Google Search, for a sewer connection he needed doing.

Objective

Kevin owns an outbuilding in the picturesque village of Ketton, in Rutland. He wanted a connection doing to the public sewer for facilities within his outbuilding. The nearest public sewer was over 60 metres from the public sewer in a combination of unmade ground, tarmac road and grass verge.

Our Solution

We acted as agent for Kevin in applying for the Section 106 to Anglian Water (AW), as we do for the majority of our clients. Although we normally tend to ask out customers to supply us with a drainage drawing for the application, the nature of the project meant that an architect would not ordinarily have been instructed for any reason. So we put together a basic drawing ourselves, which AW accepted. The application was approved within 10 working days, and was for foul only, with the surface water being discharged separately into the existing land, as is AW’s strongest preference.

With the Section 106 ‘Approval Letter’ to hand, we approached Rutland Highways with a view to making a Section 50 application. We supplied all utilities drawings, a traffic management plan and our accreditations and insurances etc. We have been dealing with Rutland Highways for many years, and the application was turned around in less than 3 weeks.

We started on site a month later, so the whole process from first contact with our customer, quoting for the works, doing the S106 and S50 applications, and starting on site, was completed within an 8-week, which is very quick for a sewer connection.

We started in private property and laid plastic pipes and manhole chambers from the building to the boundary with the Highway. At the boundary we built a demarcation manhole 1.6m deep with a D400 manhole cover to finish, as it would be continually driven over thereafter. From there laid 100mm clay pipes through a grass verge, across a quiet road, and back into another grass verge. The connection was made onto a 150mm existing clay sewer, at approximately 2m deep. AW inspected the connection and signed off with an approval, which we downloaded and gave to our customer for his future reference. All surfaces in the Highway were reinstated as found and the site closed down.

Whilst we were on site we also scraped off the vehicular access track to the property, we laid geotextile membrane and then we laid and compacted Type 1 MOT granite.

Customer review

Kevin was extremely complimentary of our work and of the people working for us on site, and was kind enough to leave the following 5-star review for us on Google:

JW Clark Ltd: 5 Star Groundworks Experience (Lifesavers Included!)

I can’t recommend JW Clark Ltd highly enough! I recently needed some groundworks done to connect a new toilet to my stables. They dug a 60m trench, 30m of which ran through my driveway.

The owner was fantastic. He provided a clear quote that he stuck to, and even offered two helpful suggestions: replacing an ageing water line and finishing the driveway with crushed rock. Both suggestions made perfect sense and added significant value to the project.

The crew themselves were top-notch. They received a perfect 5 out of 5 from me for their quality work. They were friendly, hard-working, and kept me informed throughout the project. They even consulted me on details like the driveway’s turning circle and topsoil placement. Additionally, they came up with a clever way to simplify the drain connection, showcasing excellent communication skills.

JW Clark Ltd left the worksite spotless, exactly as promised. The owner was always responsive to my questions, addressing billing, licences, and access agreements clearly. They’re an honest, reliable, and meticulous company – everything you’d want in a groundworks team. They even kept me in the loop with the project’s progress by sending a series of pictures, as promised.

Here’s where things went above and beyond! Halfway through the project, I had a sofa scheduled for delivery. The long, muddy driveway, blocked by trucks and trenches, made the delivery crew hesitant. Seeing my predicament, the JW Clark Ltd crew offered a helping hand. They used their skid steer loader to carefully transport the sofa from the delivery van all the way to my house!

If you’re looking for top-quality work at a fair price, with a team that goes the extra mile (literally!), look no further than JW Clark Ltd!

It was a pleasure to have carried out this work for Kevin, at JW Clark we speclialise in sewer connections for both commercial and domestic customers, and for existing and new dwellings. For a quote for a new sewer connection click here

Do you need a sewer connection needs doing? Don’t leave it too late, most people do! Read our article here: How long does it take to do a sewer connection?

Vehicle Crossover, Daventry

Projects

Vehicle Crossover, Daventry case study

We’ve known Tom for a few years now, so we were please to be asked to install a vehicle crossover for him in Daventry.

About the project

When Tom approached us, he had already sought permission from Northants County Council for a vehicle crossover – commonly known as a ‘dropped kerb’. He already had a crossover but it was too small and was not central to his new block-paved driveway that he’d recently had done. It was great that he already had permission from Highways, but we still needed to do a Section 184 to Northants Highways, this is in effect a licence to ‘dig up the pavement’ and install a new crossover. Highways processed our licence within a few weeks and then agreed to allow us to use the licence 10 days later.

Our Solution

The work included to bring all manner of signs, barriers and cones to site and to fence off the work area. Highways agreed that footpath on ‘this’ side of the road could be closed, and that the pedestrians could be diverted to the footpath on the other side of the road, as is usual on a quiet road such as this. The existing footpath was excavated to the required depth to allow the correct amount of Type 1 MOT to be installed and compacted, in preparation for the tarmac. The kerbs at the front of the footpath had to be removed and replaced with new ‘6×5’ dropped kerbs laid in concrete. These kerbs were finished at either end with ‘dropper’ kerbs, this is where the dropped kerbs transition to full-height road kerbs either side of the new crossover. Luckily there were no manhole covers within the new crossover, only a small water meter, which had to be incorporated within the new tarmac.

Summary

All of the preparation work was done on Day 1, with the tarmac laid on day in two stages – the tarmac ‘base course’ being laid first thing, and the 6mm top coat thereafter. The crossover was allowed to cool for a few hours in the afternoon, signs and barriers were removed, and Tom had full use of his driveway that evening! He was only without vehicular access to his driveway for 2 days. As is usual with all such crossovers in the Highway, JW Clark are responsible for the crossover for 2 years during a ‘maintenance period’ agreed with Highways, after which Highways take back responsibility for it.

Customer review

“Thanks for the great job on the dropped kerb, it looks fantastic. The team were professional and excellent on communicating, also completely accurate with timings. A smooth and easy process from enquiry right through to the completion. JW Clark handled the paperwork/licenses, which was really helpful. 🙂”

Tom Stevens

Homeowner

Sewer Connection, Sywell

Sywell Northants Sewer Connection JW Clark

Projects

Sywell case study

Having done many such projects for Tom at Fountain Construction, we were pleased to be asked to quote for another connection to the public sewer for one property in Sywell, Northants.

Objective

Having done many such projects for Tom at Fountain Construction, we were pleased to be asked to quote for another connection to the public sewer for one property in Sywell, Northants. Tom and his team had laid all the pipework in private property up to the boundary and we were asked to lay all the pipework in the Highway and to make connection onto the public sewer. As part of our package we also priced for facilitating the Section 106 application to Anglian Water and also the Section 50 application to Northants Highways. Tom already had the AW asset drawing which had been downloaded from Digdat, and this showed the public sewer to be a bit less than 2m deep.

Our Solution

The Section 106 was to include for some surface water to discharge into the sewer. Tom supplied us with drainage drawings which detailed attenuation within the site, after which a significantly reduced-flow of surface water would be allowed to discharged into the public sewer – soakaways were not a suitable means of discharging of rainwater, due to the heavy-clay nature of the ground.

The Section 106 was passed within 10 days on this basis, and we then proceeded to apply for the Section 50 to Northants Highways. The road would have been suitable for ‘give and take’ traffic management, however the work was just past the brow of a hill, and traffic in each direction did not have very clear line of sight, of oncoming traffic. So it was decided to apply for 2-way lights for this reason. Our application to Highways was approved just under three weeks after submission to them.

About the Project

We located the existing 150mm sewer at 1.9m deep in the road. The excavation was made safe throughout with trench sheets and the connection made by junction insertion. We then excavated for and laid the pipework all the way to the kerbline, and reinstated the carriageway. With the carriageway resurfaced, we diverted pedestrians onto the carriageway into a purposely set-up pedestrian walkway, after which we continued to excavate in the grass verge and footpath. We laid the pipework to the site boundary, and reinstated the verge and footpath.

Timeline

Time taken to quote for the works: 1 week

Time taken to obtain Section 106 Licence: 2 weeks

Time taken to obtain Section 50 Licence: 3 weeks

Leadtime to use S50 Licence: 3 weeks

Time taken to do the work: 4 days

Total time: 10 weeks

Do you need a sewer connection needs doing? Don’t leave it too late, most people do! Read our article here: How long does it take to do a sewer connection?

It was a pleasure to work with Tom again and we look forward to our next project with him.

Sewer Connection, Hendon

Projects

Hendon case study

We were approached by Ivaro Ltd to facilitate a connection to the public sewer for a block of flats in Hendon, London.

Objective

We were approached by Ivaro Ltd to facilitate a connection to the public sewer for a block of flats in Hendon, London. In this instance, the sewer did not run past the new development in the Highway, and we found the closest public sewer to be 60 metres away in the carriageway, in the middle of a busy 4-way junction.

Our Solution

We had meetings with architects working on behalf of Ivaro Ltd, to help put plans together to detail the most cost-effective connection to the existing sewer. This included to connect onto the pipework laid by the developer at the boundary, after which point we extended the pipework into the road by 8 metres where we built a virgin inspection chamber in the Highway, and where the run would turn at 90 degrees before heading along the carriageway square with the kerb line. The new run of sewer would continue down the Highway for 60 metres to meet with the existing public sewer on a busy junction, whereby we would build an inspection chamber on top of the existing public sewer.

We had a Zoom call with an office-based engineer from Thames Water, and with our customer and their architect participating also, whereby we detailed our plans. These plans were approved in theory on the Zoom call, and the architect proceeded to compile drawings to this effect. These were then submitted as part of a Section 106 to Thames Water on behalf of our customer Ivaro Ltd, and the approval was given within a couple of weeks.

About the Project

With the Section 106 approval in place, we were then able to apply for the Section 50 licence with Barnet Highways. The application process included a site meeting with Barnet Highways whereby we detailed the technical aspect of carrying out the works in the Highway, and the traffic management that we proposed to use. For the bulk of the works we agreed on ‘give and take’ traffic management, with an official parking suspension for the duration of the works, to ensure that cars could not be parked in the vicinity of the works. For the connection point on the busy 4-way junction, we agreed on a 4-day road closure on one of the 4 roads, with this closed road being used to carry out the bulk of the work from, and where plant and materials would be stored. The 4-day road closure had to be done to coincide with a local school being closed on a Friday and Monday, and therefore our works on the junction would run from the Friday to the Monday, with us working over the weekend, to make the connection to the public sewer and to construct the new inspection chamber, with final tarmac reinstatement being done on the Monday, and all roads being opened again early on the Tuesday ready for the reopening of the school.

With the road closure in mind, we took care of the TTRO applications to Barnet Highways on behalf of our customer, and instructed a Traffic Management company to facilitate the road closure, including the vehicular diversion. This included us submitting traffic management and diversion plans to Barnet Highways.

Prior to us ‘breaking ground’ in the Highway, the application process to Thames Water and Barnet Highways for the Section 106 notice, the Section 50 notice and the TTRO application, took around 12 weeks in total. Once on site, the works were completed in just under three weeks, including the weekend work. All of these properties were occupied within weeks of the completion of our works.

Whilst working on Bell Lane, Hendon, we received many cups of tea from the locals, many of whom were extremely complimentary about the manner of our employees and the way in which the works were carried out from start to finish. A Koscher bakery existed within the works area, and the owner dutifully came out every morning with free cakes for all of our employees, which was an extremely heart-warming experience.

Timeline

Time taken to quote for the works: Less than 1 week

Time taken to obtain Section 106 Licence: 3 weeks

Time taken to obtain Section 50 Licence: 4 weeks

Leadtime to use S50 Licence: 3 months required due to part-road closure for the works

Time taken to do the work: 2.5 weeks

Total time: 19 weeks

Do you need a sewer connection needs doing? Don’t leave it too late, most people do! Read our article here: How long does it take to do a sewer connection?

Customer review

Our customer was equally complimentary, and a pleasure to work with, and was kind enough to give us a Google review at the end of the works:

“Absolute pleasure working with John and his team. So considerate to the neighbours and polite. All works carried out on time and on budget. John was extremely thorough on explaining to me the process and works on site during the course. I will be using their services on future developments. Would strongly recommend them.”

Archives: Portfolios

Projects

Build to dpc, Northampton Case Study

Objective

About the project

Timeline

Projects

Sewer connection, Leicester, Case Study

Objective

About the project

Timeline

Projects

Sewer Connection Macclesfield

Objective

About the project

Timeline

Projects

Ketton case study

Objective

Our Solution

Projects

Vehicle Crossover, Daventry case study

About the project

Our Solution

Summary

Customer review

Projects

Sywell case study

Objective

Our Solution

About the Project

Projects

Hendon case study

Objective

Our Solution

About the Project