The Rye Harbour Western Training Wall plays a vital role, not only in keeping the River Rother open and supporting the multi-million pound economy that relies on Rye Harbour, but also by protecting the adjacent nature reserve.
An inspection of the wall revealed it was in a very poor state, so the decision was taken to fast-track the scheme. Due to the urgent nature of the works, the team devised a reduced project programme, which involved running the design and construction phases concurrently to save time.
Significant cost savings were also made on two main aspects of the project: the sheet piles, which accounted for almost a third of the entire project cost, and the haul road.
An impressive 4,625 tonnes of sheet piles were required for this project and the team was able to negotiate a reduction with the Environment Agency’s sheet pile supplier, resulting in a saving of £500k. The piles were also sailed directly to Rye Harbour, greatly reducing vehicle movements in Rye and cutting carbon.
A temporary access track also had to be constructed along the length of the wall to provide a working platform for the construction plant.
By negotiating with the materials supplier, the team was able to hire 15,000 tonnes of type 1 fill material to use on the access track, which could be returned at the end of the job – an innovative approach that saved £100k and drastically reduced waste.
