Fleet Services

At Towens, we’re proud to say that we recently had the pleasure of working with Bridge Civil Engineering Ltd on a very exciting project to create a piling mat for a future National Grid Sub Station to be built on.

The piling mat is a crucial part of construction projects, often laying the foundations for a successful job.

Piling mats are temporary platforms built on construction sites, like this one near Westonzoyland in Somerset, specifically to support piling rigs. These rigs are huge pieces of machinery used to drill the holes for foundations to be laid.

The mat ensures these machines have a stable base for the rig – hence its importance in aiding Bridge Civil Engineering LTD at the beginning of their task to build a National Grid substation, eventually providing local Somerset homes and businesses with power.

What We Did

Dug to the formation level

After assessing the site and measuring accordingly, the first step was to dig down to the formation level. This level marked the point where the digging stopped and the construction work began. Excess soil and material had to be dug up to reach this point, amounting to over 4,000 tonnes!

Removed the excavated material (4,000 tonnes!) from the site

Once the material had been dug up from the site, it was our duty to remove the 4,000 tonnes to ensure the rest of the operation could flow appropriately. To do this, we called upon our fleet of lorries and tippers, making the process as seamless as possible.

Utilised 3,500m2 of Geogrid

Geogrids have an incredibly strong interlocking structure, which we use to help reinforce the piling mat, distributing the weight of the piling rig more evenly across the mat. The 3,500m2 of Geogrid used was placed between layers of our material.

Imported 2,000 tonnes of Quarry Aggregate

We used quarry aggregate as the main piling mat material, over 2,000 tonnes of it. Made of crushed rock and gravel, quarry aggregate particles interlock effectively, which creates a solid base to ensure the heavy piling rig is secure. It’s also good for draining, allowing water to pass through easily.

Used 2,000 tonnes of Towens Wash Plant Recycled Aggregate

At Towens, we’re incredibly conscious about reducing our carbon footprint and environmental impact on every project we complete. That’s why we used our wash plant recycled aggregate here, created in-house from the waste we have processed in our facility. It’s also incredibly strong, acting as a great base for the National Grid Sub Station.

What They Say

Bridge Civil Engineering fed back on their satisfaction at the earthworks achieved by Towens ahead of the construction of the National Grid’s new substation in Westonzoyland.

“I wanted to thank Towens for their efforts and professionalism with the earthworks package over at Dunwear Road, Westonzoyland.

“Prior to these works, we have used Towens primarily as a haulier, not as a subcontractor of ours.  I can honestly say myself and the guys on site delivering the works had nothing but positive things to say.  Finally, when it came to the finances, there were ‘extras’ and variations for discussion/agreement, which we managed to resolve in an amicable and timely fashion.

“Hopefully this is the start of a continuing good relationship between us (Bridge Civil’s) and Towens.”

We recognised that as the business expanded and the number of vehicles grew that it was becoming increasingly important to be able to properly control the maintenance of our vehicles and the time that they need to be off the road. We established Towens Fleet Services as a separate company, built a bespoke two-pit maintenance garage big enough to fit artics inside and over the years have invested in the equipment and testing that they can provide.