What Lies Beneath!
Thomas Consulting have recently been appointed to undertake an emergency inspection to a culvert beneath a large warehouse in East Lancashire.
During an inspection of a watercourse by the Environment Agency (EA) a suspected structural defect within a culverted section of the watercourse was found. The watercourse was culverted beneath a large warehouse and the owners of building were riparian landowners responsible for the maintenance of the culvert structure and maintaining the watercourse. We were appointed to undertake a detailed structural inspection of the culvert and soon discovered that a large part of the structure was in danger of collapsing. The damaged area was located directly beneath the main loading bays of the warehouse, any collapse would not only cause severe damage to the warehouse and its operation but there was a significant risk of injury to anybody working close by. We prepared remedial works specifications including a method statement for a safe system of work that also had to comply with environmental legislation protecting the watercourse. The repairs required dismantling the damaged 12 metre span section and replacing with a corrugated metal arch. All works had to be approved by the EA and comply with strict environmental controls to protect the water course and its fauna. Thomas consulting have many years experience of inspecting and repairing such structures including working with statutory regulatory bodies. Culverts are rarely covered by standard commercial premises insurance and early detection of structural defects will greatly reduce the risk, cost and disruption to business of subsequent repairs. Even relatively small culverts have been known to cause significant structural damage if they collapse or fail. Owners of culverts and river retaining walls are recommended to have regular programmed structural inspections in place and so avoid unforeseen costs and risks that may be associated with a structural collapse. Entry of culverts and watercourses should only be undertaken by experienced and properly equipped personnel because of the inherent health and safety risks.
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