Hope to supply coastal defences in Lancashire

Hope Construction Materials is supplying 18 000 t of limestone to improve coastal defences in Lancashire. The limestone rocks, known as armour stone, will construct an 1850 m long sea wall near Fylde. The project, which started in late 2014, will go on for two years.

The rocks, weighing between 3 and 9 t each, will form a wall 18 m wide that will break up large incoming waves, reducing the risk of coastal erosion and flooding.

The rocks are being supplied from Hope’s Dowlow Quarry near Buxton in Derbyshire. They are transported to the site by specialist transport operator Jennings Building and Civil Engineering, with an average of five rocks per journey.

Dowlow Quarry produces around 2 million t of stone per year, including armour stone, coarse and fine aggregates to ‘single-size’ aggregates and industrial limestone used in a variety of manufacturing processes.

As Jennings is able to weigh the rocks as they are loaded at Hope’s quarry, they can select every rock to ensure each truck receives the correct load, and the efficiency of the transport is maximised.

Upon reaching the Fylde site the stones are then slotted into place by an excavator to construct a robust sea wall.

Mark Rawson, Foreman at Jennings, said: “We are very grateful that Hope Construction Materials at Dowlow have been exceptionally helpful in maintaining blast patterns and keeping us well supplied with rock armour, which is key to the success of the project.”

Daran Murray, Dowlow Quarry Manager at Hope Construction Materials, said: “This is a significant aggregates project for Hope and we are pleased to provide the necessary materials for such an important build, one which will see a large proportion of coastline safeguarded against flooding for many years to come.

“Being able to weigh the rocks on site has helped us ensure that the correct loads are delivered to the site at the right time and this has helped us stay on track to meet the project’s stringent deadlines.”

Adapted from press release by Katherine Guenioui

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/europe-cis/13022015/hope-to-supply-coastal-defences-in-lancashire-334/