Holdfast Training Services Trial Blog

Well, well, well…  I have often found myself taking one step forward and two back as a direct result of working alongside a heritage building.  Several issues have arisen but this blog will focus on one – a 19th Century water well.

Given that we are working on an old brewery site, some distance from the nearest river, the existence of wells is to be expected.  What is most frustrating with this recent issue however is its location, see Figure 1.

Figure 1.

Figure 2 is an image of the well, after being ‘carefully discovered’ by an excavator. The well is approx 1.4m in diameter, the A3 clip board in the image gives an indication of the scale.

Figure 2.

Unfortunately, not only did the well caused me to cease works whilst the Archeologists investigate its historical importance, but it is located exactly where a tie back beam is designed to sit and almost exactly where a pile was designed to sit.

Fortunately the well issue has now been resolved.  The Archeologists have conducted their assessment and have allowed us to continue and the clash with the beam and pile has been avoided.  The well can be excavated to a reduced level sufficient enough to allow the tie back beam to bridge across it.  The pile was required as part of a temporary piling bridge allowing us to use a 30t piling rig alongside the shoring wall.  As a result of a separate issue, we have redesigned the foundation piles in this area, allowing a 20t rig to be used.  The surcharge load resulting from the 20t rig can be resisted by the shoring wall without the assistance of a temporary piling bridge.  The bridge and its piles are therefore no longer required – catastrophe avoided.