Landscape Architecture
2001
Highwycombe, Buckinghamshire
Salmon Harvester Properties Ltd
Dove Brothers
Powell Tolner Assoicates
Green Facia’ to Piled Wall
Before construction Date: July 2001
Soon after construction Date: November 2001
2 years after construction Date: May 2004
Problem
Creating an aesthetically attractive environment can be as important as ensuring an appropriate method of soil retention when redeveloping sites on uneven ground. Cut into a steep hill running parallel to the main A40 Oxford Road, which passes through the centre of High Wycombe, the site was redeveloped by Salmon Harvester Properties Ltd. Steeply sloping, and with major roads on two sides, main contractors, Dove Brothers Ltd, part of Laing O’Rourke Group, constructed a new engineered landscape to accommodate new 44,000 sq ft offices with car parking for 190 cars.
With access severely limited, consulting engineers, Powell Tolner & Associates specified a contiguous concrete piled retaining wall and ground anchors to secure the road immediately above the site. However, while effective, this was visually unattractive, and Dove Brothers Ltd worked closely with Maccaferri and GLD Landscape Architects Ltd to develop a solution which would cover the piled wall and provide an attractive view for the office windows.
Solution
Due to very limited working space a very buildable solution was required. Maccaferri Green Terramesh® is a very quick and easy reinforced soil system to install and therefore provided such a solution. Formed from a single sheet of hexagonal, double-twist woven steel mesh, when installed, each segment is formed into three sections. The facing section is supported by a horizontal soil reinforcement tail, and a horizontal return top section. Triangular support brackets and a weldmesh panel provide added rigidity and make the system easy to install, even on very steep slopes.
Behind the front face, an in-built layer of biodegradable coir geotextile is used to retain the topsoil into which a ‘leaky pipe’ irrigation system has been installed. Through consultation with the landscape consultant, the slope has been planted up with shade-loving plants, which provides a more pleasant view for office workers in the adjacent buildings.