Drilling into the Thames

Thames Water have recently filmed the Soil Engineering team in Phase 5 of the Thames Tidal Ground Investigation. The team has been working on Thames Water’s Thames Tunnel and Lee Tunnel projects since 2005. 

The current Phase 5 project is to be completed within a 14 week programme and to add further complexities, the whole project is carried out over water on the River Thames stretching from Greenwich to Hammersmith.

There are 19 borehole positions along the route and Soil Engineering are using two jack-up platforms to access the positions.  Each borehole is drilled from a jack-up platform using cable percussive boring techniques followed by a sophisticated rotary Geobore 'S' wireline system to retrieve high quality samples of the London Tertiary deposits.  Boreholes are completed at depths of up to 80m below river bed level.  Permeability testing is then carried out in selected boreholes. 

In reality, this means that the Soil Engineering team are working 12 hour shifts on a jack up platform. Each platform has full welfare facilities on board to enable working around the clock either 10/5 or 24/7, depending on local environmental restrictions and constraints. 

Soil Engineering are also doing their bit to reduce costs and carbon emissions with all field staff and operatives commuting to work using public transport, predominantly the tube, to various landing stages where the safety boat and crew change vessels take them to board the jack up platform.

Natalie Fennell, Business Development Manager for VINCI Construction UK Soil Engineering said,

“This demonstrates the team’s commitment to reducing costs and carbon emissions by developing flexible systems and working practices. Once you are on a jack up platform and the rig is turning there is no nipping off to get a sandwich for lunch! The site team should be commended for their efforts and should be an example to the company”.

Published:02/08/11