Bedworth Leisure Centre

Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council required the existing outdated 1970’s leisure centre to be replaced with a new Physical Activity Hub, and procured BAM as the main contractor to construct this. Menard was selected by BAM to design and install Controlled Modulus Columns (CMCs) to support the foundations and floor slabs of the proposed hub. The structure was quite complex, with pad and retaining wall downstand foundations to be formed at various depths, and with two swimming pools with sloping slabs. The site was also challenging; due to a significant slope in the existing ground levels, the building was to be formed on two levels, with a difference in elevation of c.2.5m between the levels. Sheet piles were to be installed prior to the CMC works to retain and
support the upper platform level.

The ground conditions were quite poor, with variable depth and variable consistency made ground overlying firm to stiff clays. A number of historic site investigations had been carried out on the wider site, but coverage of the specific site area was limited. Menard initially requested and inspected some additional trial pits, but these revealed some very weak made ground soils at shallow depth. A CMC solution was then considered, and to assist with final design parameters a series of Cone Penetration Tests (CPTs) were drilled at locations proposed by Menard. Some regrading of the levels was proposed after this to form the two working platforms.

CMCs were installed beneath pads, strips and retaining wall foundations/downstands to achieve an SLS bearing capacity of 150 kPa, and beneath the pool slabs/general slabs to support UDLs of 25 kPa and 10 kPa respectively. The installation of the sheet piling wall separating the two working plaforms resulted in a need to install CMCs at distance of just over 1.0 m from this, and this was achieved with careful control during the installation process. The formation levels of the pad foundations varied across the building due to the split platform level arrangement, and also due to the sloping pool slabs. Close guidance was provided from Menard on site regarding trimming of the CMCs to ensure all parties were fully informed of requirements. Approximately 680 CMCs were installed to lengths ranging from 3.5 m to 7.5 m, and the works were verified with cube and plate load testing, all within a 2 week site period.