Our team travelled north of Ipswich to the Suffolk village of Crowfield to replace a deteriorated oak retaining wall. The project required careful planning because access was restricted and the surrounding garden needed to be protected throughout the works.
Before dismantling the existing wall, we removed the safety railings and stored them securely for refitting once the project was complete. Track mats were laid across the lawn to protect the client’s garden, and a 6-tonne excavator with a hydraulic post-knocker attachment was transported to site. As access was very limited, selected lower tree branches were removed to allow the excavator to manoeuvre safely.
The rotten, ivy-covered sleepers were removed using the excavator, These were loaded into our transit tipper and taken off site for disposal at a certified facility. Once the old structure had been cleared, the area was prepared for the installation of the new oak retaining wall.
Using the excavator, we formed a level ledge for the new structure. Several oak sleepers were cut in half lengthways and pointed to create the upright posts. The hydraulic post knocker was then attached to the excavator, and each post was accurately positioned and driven into the ground.
The team manually positioned the remaining oak sleepers horizontally before drilling and bolting them securely into place. Additional oak straining posts were driven into the ground behind the wall, and oak straining arms were bolted between these posts and the new wall to provide structural support.
Topsoil was delivered to level the ground and cover the straining arms, after which grass seed was raked into the prepared soil. The site was left as neat and tidy as possible. The client decided the railings were not to be re-instated.
