Context

Phi Group was involved with this project at the former Dumfries College site for a long time prior to actual commencement on site. After a lengthy design and planning process, permission to start construction of the much-needed housing was given in 2019. In total, 75 units will be constructed on this part of the site for Loreburn Housing Group.

Project detail

Once planning was granted, works started quickly, and the enabling works package was let to Ashleigh (Scotland) Ltd. As part of the planning conditions, an acoustic bund was required on the perimeter of the site to screen the new houses from existing properties. The bund needed to be 5m high and 315m long with an additional acoustic fence on top, and this fell within the enabling works.

Challenge

If space is not a concern, then installing a bund with gently sloping sides is possible, and is also the most cost-effective solution as it is simply an earthworks exercise. However, as is often the case, space is at a premium and the land take for the bund had to be kept to a manageable level, to maximise the available development space. To do this the slopes of the bund needed to be made steeper. This can be done by using back-to-back structures to steepen both sides, or simply steepening up one side of the slope. Reinforced soil can be a good option for this, as can a gravity retaining wall to one side of the bund.

Solution

In this instance the BBA-certified Permacrib timber crib solution was chosen as the preferred method. Phi Group designed, supplied and installed a Permacrib wall to one side of the new bund, measuring 315m long and up to 5.26m retained height. In all over 1,500m2 of Permacrib has been installed, with Phi Group working closely with Ashleigh (Scotland) Ltd to ensure the bund was constructed safely and on programme.