News
Newcastle’s Downing Plaza
Simplex Foundations are currently installing more than 300 bearing piles and a contiguous bored piled wall consisting of 190, 600mm and 750mm rotary auger piles founding into mudstone and siltstones for Phase 1 of the new £200m mixed use development by Downing, adjacent to the St James Park Stadium in Newcastle’s Gallowgate area.
Pile lengths range from 9m to 17m depth, with the maximum excavation depth up to 9m.
The piling installation is dealing with variable ground conditions including ground water ingress; rock strata and hard drilling; working at split levels with a higher and lower piling platform level. The piling works are being sequenced over a five month contract period to meet the main contractor’s building programme.
The new complex, to be known as Downing Plaza, will provide a new hotel, offices and 462 bedroom student accommodation, planned for completion by September 2011.
Simplex’s contract value is in the region of £750k, and they expect to have concluded installation by Christmas 2009. The main contractor for the scheme is George Downing Construction Limited.