Lake Windermere slipway project smart structural monitoring

Our client Van Elle faced a critical structural challenge during the removal and reconstruction of a wet dock slipway on Lake Windemere. Given the heavy duty drilling and piling work the project required, a structural monitoring survey became an essential prerequisite to ensure the preservation of two boathouses situated adjacent to the slipway.

Following a comprehensive utility and topographical survey to precisely identify the location of services and structures in the vicinity, our monitoring team revisited the site to assess the structural monitoring requirements in order to design the most appropriate and robust solution.

One of the two boathouses was positioned less than a metre from the slipway was constructed of slate and with foundations built into the lakebed, faced potential disturbances from the heavy drilling and excavation required for the slipway’s deconstruction. The installation of the foundations for the replacement slipway was to involve drilling sheet piles 10 metres into the lake bed, which further heightened the risk of impact to the old boathouse’s foundations.

With such an intense workload and an old building built on precarious foundations, manually measuring any structural movement was not a viable option. We proposed a remote monitoring solution where wireless smart sensors were attached to the building, measuring movement and issuing alerts as soon as predefined thresholds are exceeded.

To avoid potential damage during sensor installation, particularly to the old boathouse’s walls, a special adhesive was used to attach the strategically placed sensors, ensuring easy removal without damage to the property at the project’s conclusion. The sensors were set to measure movement every two minutes for the duration of the project, which extended over a period of ten weeks.

As anticipated, the demolition and construction vibrations affected the fragile boathouse. Thanks to the monitoring solution, the construction team received immediate alerts when movement was detected. Our team was also alerted and immediately on hand to offer guidance, allowing the construction team to change their drilling methods in order to reduce the vibrations and impact.

Our Lake Windemere case study explores the survey types we used to complete the project.

Andy Howard, Specialist Piling Operations, Van Elle commented, “Survey Solutions provided a first rate service for our structural monitoring requirements on this project. They were incredibly responsive, visiting site numerous times to understand the work being undertaken and design a robust solution. Without a doubt, the boathouse would have suffered detrimental damage if we hadn’t been alerted to movement in the building’s structure, and having Felix on hand, even over the weekend, as well as access to the sensor data via an app, was incredibly helpful. The team couldn’t have been more accommodating.”

Scroll to Top