Surface water drainage is often the hidden superhero of keeping our roads and highways safe from the accumulation of rainwater, which can cause accidents and longer journey times.
With a proven history of delivering quality combined kerb and drainage (CKD) water management systems, to National Highways projects, Marshalls Civils & Drainage has supplied surface water drainage to the A1(M) widening at junction 47 scheme.
Although junction 47 of the A1(M) lies within a rural setting between Harrogate to the west and York to the east, it suffered from peak hour congestion, when queuing occurs along both the northbound and southbound slip roads.
As these queues can extend onto the A1(M) itself, the situation represented a real safety concern to National Highways.
Farrans Construction were awarded the multi-million-pound project to widen three of the four slip roads onto and off the roundabout to increase capacity.
The additional carriageway lanes required a cost-effective but quality combined kerb and drainage system, with design expertise thrown in.
Marshalls Civils & Drainage delivered 1,500m of 321mm and 502mm deep Mono Beany, complemented by 500m of the two-piece Mini Beany, all of which were manufactured in Yorkshire, reducing transport movements and vehicle carbon emissions. It also proved to be the most effective to the client, in terms of cost, product quality and availability.
Mono Beany is constructed from high-strength M-Tech concrete cast around a 100% recycled polyethylene core which provides all the benefits of hydraulic flow at low capacities. Manufactured as a single piece, it offers a streamlined aesthetic suitable for a wide range of applications and features a D400 loading classification suitable for all road-going vehicles.
Mini Beany’s innovative two-piece E600 design, comprising a top unit and a base channel, reduces the risk of damage during the installation process, achieving excellent flow rates for low to medium capacity road drainage requirements and areas with heavy or abnormally heavy wheel loads.
Farrans’ senior engineer, Ryan Meehan said: “Our procurement team sent out the package to different suppliers. Marshalls Civils & Drainage offered the most value for money, the best quality product and helped with the design of the drainage system. “They also offered advice and engaged with us and the client throughout to offer the best solution for the project.”
“Various meetings were held throughout to help with the design. And they were able to meet our programme constraints and provide an efficient delivery service.”
Ryan was also impressed with Marshalls’ voluntary value-engineering as the E600 Mini Beany system, which is more expensive because of its two-piece design, could have been suggested throughout. “This was a great help as it saved money for ourselves and the client on the project but the supplied product still met the needs of ourselves and the client,” he said.
The project is now completed having been delayed due to the discovery of great crested newts that needed to be relocated and poor ground condition on the southbound slip road.