The National Grid key gas main had been identified to have a shallow soil cover, which is required to prevent damage in case unplanned excavation was to occur, and therefore didn’t meet the required specifications.

The gas main required an additional hard armour, visible protective cover and Concrete Canvas® was chosen over conventional concrete methods such as precast concrete slabs, as the remote location and soft ground conditions meant that additional logistical costs would be required to transport the heavier materials to site.

Inclement weather during the installation presented several challenges for the contractor. The channel was located in a bogland area and the soft ground was saturated due to heavy rainfall. The ground had sufficient bearing capacity to accommodate a 13 tonne excavator cutting the channel profile, but the additional weight of lifting and transporting heavy loads would cause the plant to sink.