Wimbledon foundation pilings right on schedule

Foundation works for a new basement and a pedestrian tunnel at Wimbledon tennis courts in southwest London, are expected to be completed in December. The project that started in September 2013 is a collaboration between the geotechnical company Simplex Westpile and the contractor Galliford Try.

The works for the construction of the basement that will be located below tennis courts 14 and 15 include the installation of bearing piles with a diameter of 1.2m and 1.5m, at a depth of up to 35metres with steel plunge columns in seven of them, as well as a 13m-long, L-shaped contiguous bored pile wall, 0.75m in diameter. Contiguous rotary bored pile walls are also being installed as part of the construction of the Somerset Road Tunnel pedestrian link at a depth of up to 30m, with two 12m-long plunge columns, which vary in diameter from 0.6m to 1.5m. "The work must be completed ahead of the 2014 championships to ensure the spectators enjoy next year’s event without any distraction" commented Rob Howarth, General Manager at Simplex Westpile.

Sources: NCE, Simplex Westpile