Frankham Consultancy Group were commissioned by Port of London Authority (PLA) to complete a structural inspection of the river wall adjacent to Alexandra House in Gravesend, Kent.

The purpose of the commission was to collect observations and data to assess the conditions of the existing structure of the flood defence wall. All river walls on the River Thames may require a height extension in line with the Thames Estuary 2100 (TE2100) flood risk mitigation plan.

The inspection was conducted by professionally qualified Frankham civil engineers using both tactile and visual inspections, and taking advantage of low and high tides to identify Accelerated Low Water Corrosion (ALWC).

Some of the services provided by Frankham on this project included the preparation of:

• A desktop site reconnaissance via satellite images.
• Tactile and visual inspections to collect observations and obtain photographs.
• Ultrasonic thickness measurements of steel sheet piles.
• Allocated severity of defects of the inspected structures. Preparation of a structural inspection report and defect sketches to align with the Environment Agency’s condition rating framework.

From the structural inspection, a condition report has been prepared with recommended remedial repairs presented in a low, medium, high or very high-risk schedule, accompanied by defect location sketches.

The objective of the project is to ensure the safety and reliability of the marine assets complying with regulations and standards.

Client:
Port of London Authority

Services:
Civil Engineering
Maritime Engineering