BSF News

What’s been going on

Foundations continue to the central wing of the new College building. All the old foundations to the LRC/English block have now been removed to allow the new foundations to be constructed within the footprint of the LRC building.

To provide improved separation between our site and your College, we are progressing the erection of solid hoardings between the site and the open circulation spaces within the College grounds. These will be painted to provide an ideal surface to display art work and information.

Demolition of the Hall structure is now complete, the existing foundations are being removed to make way for the new building foundations and drainage.

The beam foundations to allow the new steel work to be erected adjacent to the existing sports hall have now been completed.

The pitch drainage works have been progressing well. All the main drainage has been completed to the section of the upper pitch within our site and the drain laying machinery has moved to the lower pitch.

Firstly the carrier drain to take the ground water to the new outfall to the Butterworth Beck is laid.

Chambers are formed to connect these drains to the “lateral” drains cut diagonally across the pitch which will pick up the sand slits which will later be cut through the pitch at close centres.

The drains are cut into the pitch using a tractor mounted toothed wheel. This has had to be changed due to the stony nature of the soil at Hollingworth. The teeth on the first machine to be used were getting bent by the rock in the ground.

This machine also lays the perforated drainage pipe in the in the channel that is cut as it moves through the soil. The soil that is excavated is removed by a conveyor to a tractor mounted trailer for disposal.

Following behind the machine laying the drain, another conveyor belt delivers a free draining medium that allows ground water to percolate into the new drain.

Once the drain has been covered, the topsoil is reinstated above the drainage medium and this is seeded and new grass cultivated. Once the drain has been covered, the topsoil is reinstated above the drainage medium and this is seeded and new grass cultivated. Once the ground and grass has been given time to recover from having this machinery tracked over it – possibly two weeks depending on the weather – our contractor will return to construct sand filled drainage slits within the pitch to channel water into the new drains.

Our specialist sports pitch consultant, STRI have visited site to inspect the ongoing works. They were impressed with the works and commended our contractor on the care they have taken to preserve the condition of the pitches whilst carrying out the works.

Coming soon

• New School Earthworks & Foundations

  Works will continue to the building foundations and drainage to the central wing, new LRC and the auditoria.

• Demolition of the Existing Hall

  The remaining slabs and foundations will be removed and works completed to waterproof the internal walls that have become external as a result of the demolition to provide a complete separation of the existing College and our site prior to the start of the GCSE examinations in May.

• Erection of Structural Steelwork

  Structural Steel erection will commence.

• Sports Pitch Upgrade.

  Works will continue to upgrade the drainage to the sports pitches. The main drainage will be completed to the two pitches now within our site. Once all works have been completed we will cultivate the pitches to return them for you to play football on in the new school year. The two new outfalls to the Butterworth Brook will be constructed in May.

Regards,
John England – Carillion Project Manager