Frankham were commissioned to conduct a structural inspection of a 200m stretch of wall along the River Thames. The river comprises no less than 11 different types of construction including stone, masonry, concrete, plate steel and steel sheet piles.

An initial site reconnaissance inspection was carried out by a Frankham Engineer accompanied by a client representative and a contractor who had agreed to provide budget costs for remedial repairs specified, which allowed for a rapid turnaround on report delivery.

The structural inspection was undertaken by a Frankham Engineer assisted by Port of London Authority’s (PLA) “Driftwood” and “Dory” vessels. The PLA’s “Driftwood” vessel provided a welfare base for operatives where toilets, handwash basins, kitchenette and eating area were provided. This maximised the amount of time our operatives could spend inspecting the structure. The smaller jet propelled “Dory” vessel was used to get close to the structure and allowed our operatives to inspect from the shore (at low tide).

Inspections were carried out during both low and high tides to ensure that as much of the wall was inspected as possible within the given shift allowances. Hand tools and ultrasonic thickness measurement equipment was used to assist with the inspection providing the client with a snapshot record of material thicknesses at the time of inspection, allowing the client to monitor and compare with future inspections.

The key driver behind the project was to support potential future developments on the landside area of the river wall.

Client:
Port of London Authority

Services:
Civil Engineering