Kelston Sparkes has completed its role in a project designed to safeguard the coastline along the Blue Anchor beach in Somerset. The coastal defence work will provide permanent support and protection for the mudstone cliffs, walls and the B3191 road, which had closed to traffic due to earlier erosion of the coastline.
Somerset Council appointed Kier Integrated Services as main contractor on the £3.8m scheme and Aggregate Industries was chosen to supply 13500 tonnes of granite Armourstone from its Scottish superquarry, Glensanda. The natural quarry stone, also known as Rock Armour, was specified for its durability and resistance to wear and erosion, but it was the transportation from Scotland to the South West that brought a logistical challenge. Tasked with reducing emissions and costs over road transportation of multiple loads, Aggregate Industries turned to the sea and organised a cargo ship to bring 3 loads of 4500 tons of granite; each load taking 21 days to arrive.
The granite was transferred to a barge at an anchorage point off-shore and the loads, which consisted of large, heavy 3-6 tonne granite boulders, were deposited on the beach during high tide and moved during low tide. Kelston Sparkes was delighted to win the contract to move and stockpile each of the loads and to build the sea defence walls. Using powerful excavators, wheeled loaders and dumpers, the team accessed the beach at low tide and moved the rock ready for creating the coastal defence. Once all the rock was in position, the upper slope of the cliff was reprofiled by the Kelston Sparkes team.
David Swann, Commercial Director at Kelston Sparkes;
“We were able to deliver the project early thanks to the great coordination of the project and partnership working between all the stakeholders. This meant the beach could be handed back to the locals, the re-opening of the B3191 and the reassurance of a protected coast for many years to come. The project demonstrated our experience in sea defence work. By using the sea to transport the rocks, some 700 road journeys were also saved.”
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