FP McCann’s large box culvert sections channel watercourse beneath Northamptonshire development

FP McCann’s large box culvert sections channel watercourse beneath Northamptonshire development

The largest precast concrete box culvert sections manufactured to date by FP McCann have been installed on a new housing development at Weldon Park, Corby in Northamptonshire. The development for Persimmon Homes will consist of up to 1000 new homes, a new school and associated community facilities.

The completed culvert measuring approximately 28 metres long made up of 20 individual units 6000mm wide x 3000mm high, will channel an existing watercourse through the site.

Specialist civil engineering groundworks company Paul John Construction is undertaking the roads and drainage package on the scheme, which also includes a further 6 separate smaller culvert runs consisting of 102 of FP McCann’s 2100mm wide x 1000mm high precast concrete box culvert sections. One of the six small culvert channels has an in-built mammal ledge.

With each unit weighing approximately 22 tonnes, the large box sections were transported individually to site from FP McCann’s Byley manufacturing facility in Cheshire. Prior to delivery, a bitumen waterproof coating was applied to the external base and side walls.

Before the installation of the precast units, groundworks included damming the existing watercourse and digging the temporary earth bank channelled diversion, allowing for a concrete bed to be formed for the base of the box culvert run.

With the culvert carrying an access road onto the site, precast concrete box sections with the requisite design loading capability were the only considered choice for Paul John Construction engineers to channel the water.

A specialist crane with a lifting capacity of 45 tonnes was utilised by the Paul John Construction team to carefully position each box section. Once in place and prior to the jointing of each unit, a bitumen rubber sealing strip was applied to each socket joint face.

Commenting on the culvert installation, Director for Paul John Construction, Selwyn Bryers says, “The box culvert team at FP McCann has successfully helped to design an offsite precast concrete solution to manage the natural drainage courses at this location, with the additional loading capability of reinforced precast, giving us the confidence to construct the road above. The units were quickly installed, demonstrating the flexibility that concrete box culvert sections can offer in such civil engineering projects.”

Add to Project Board

Create a new project board: