The brief
A 350mm GRP water main in Walton required repair after developing a leak. The main sat beneath established overgrowth that had to be cleared before any excavation could begin, and the pipe itself was encased in concrete, adding a layer of complexity to what would already be a substantial dig on a large-diameter main.
With live services running alongside the main and residential properties nearby, the job needed careful planning around both the excavation and the traffic management to keep disruption to a minimum.
Our approach
The site was set up with full Chapter 8 barriers and steel plate pedestrian access to protect the surrounding residential area while the team worked. McFadden’s own plant was on site, supported by Sean Meehan providing additional machinery for the clearance and excavation.
Once the overgrowth was stripped back, the crew excavated down to the main and dealt with the concrete encasement to expose the damaged section. The repair was carried out by cutting out the failed section and installing a new blue PE pipe section, connected to the existing GRP main at each end with flanged mechanical couplings. The connections were bolted and torqued to spec, with the main supported on timber bearers throughout.
Lukos and Kris carried out the pipework, working around congested existing services including cables running directly alongside the main.
Outcome
The 350mm main was repaired and returned to service. The repair section, visible across the photo sequence, shows the new PE pipe seated cleanly between the two coupling assemblies with the existing GRP main intact either side.
For more on how McFadden handles water main repairs for water companies, see our repair and maintenance service page and our work across the water companies.
