Context

The Lowestoft Flood Risk Management Project was designed to protect 1500 homes and over 800 businesses from the risk of flooding.

A central part of the project is the construction of tidal flood walls. On a section of the flood walls at the front of the harbour, a wall separates the port from a main part of the town / harbour.

To maintain the port's security, a fencing system was required on part of the flood defence wall. The site is a popular tourist area, so the visual impact of the fencing system was an important consideration.

Project detail

Barkers' 656 TwinGuard mesh, powder-coated blue, was chosen to replace a self-colour palisade fence on part of the flood defence wall.

Barkers supplied Arbus, who installed the TwinGuard fence, various heights of fencing, manufactured with bolt-down posts which could be fixed to the flood defence wall.

Whilst in one way the wall was the ideal foundation for a mesh fence because it was flat, the wall had a curved radius in parts of the boundary which the fence needed to follow. With assistance from the Arbus Project Manager, Barkers' Drawing Department drew the project and was able to fabricate backstays which would go behind the mesh to ensure the fence held its shape.

The first phase of the project was completed by Balfour Beatty and Arbus during winter months so as to not disrupt holidaymakers during the peak seasons.