Past Projects
Irrigation
Systems for Landscape & Amenity Plantings
Our work in this
sector, although a small part of our total business, is
nonetheless substantial.
We have built our reputation in this sector, as in others,
by solving problems. This involves looking at the whole of a
customer’s circumstances, and evolving solutions which are
effective, manageable and good value for money.
Examples of our past work
We have recently
installed capillary matting beds up to 26 metres wide x 100
metres long.
These also harvest
rainwater cleanly, thereby eliminating water bills and water
treatment costs. See below.
Foster
Associates - landscaping for new head offices. Supplied and
installed equipment to establish very large trees rapidly in
difficult circumstances.
Vision Park,
Cambridge (formerly the site of two factories, with heavily
polluted soil) - drip irrigation to establish landscape
planting, and leach toxic residues so that they would be
locked up below the root zone..
Milton Keynes
Shopping Centre - rebuild the irrigation system in 47 beds
along two half mile arcades with full public access. We dose
the very hard water, to make fertilizer “available”, so that
plants can flourish. Three men were employed hand watering
virtually full time. Now hand watering is occasionally
required.
British Airports
Authority, Head Office building, Victoria, London - a
six-storey atrium had been equipped with a capillary system
which had deteriorated, creating some 640 leaks. Our work
was limited to rebuilding the entire system with appropriate
joints and seals, and proving that the basic physics of the
original concept could be made to operate. Problems of water
quality remain to be addressed.
British Nuclear
Fuels Ltd. High Security Offices - 23 roof gardens,
including fully automatic monitor/controllers for the
irrigation systems.
The Sainsbury
Centre for the Visual Arts, University of Norwich - 1.5
acres of “grass roof’ over a new display and facilities
area. We are told that this is one of the largest grass
roofs in Europe. Total design depth was 9’ of which only 4”
are available for the turf We have many years experience of
the development and application of lightweight growing media
in the commercial horticultural sector.
Ministry of
Defence, Gruinard Island - elimination of anthrax. Design,
prove, install and commission equipment for “pickling”
unimproved hill moor to a depth of up to 1m without
splashing, runoff or siphoning through. The equipment had to
be capable of handling a variety of sterilants, and working
with sea water. Re-seeding was possible after three weeks.
A private garden
near Chertsey - a client’s well had been sunk into running
sand. The pH of the water was 3.3. It contained 199 ppm of
aluminium, over 16 ppm of iron, and a lot of sulphate. A
treatment plant had been installed, but had produced a
reaction which lined the entire irrigation system with
sulphate cement. We have removed the running sand,
stabilised the pipework, cleaned the valves and sprinklers,
and made the filtration system work.
Mobil Oil,
Chelmsford - design, supply and commission equipment to
“compost” a diesel oil leak which has contaminated an area,
surrounded by houses, measuring 55 x 35 x 13 metres deep.
The system was laid under the concrete apron of the filling
station. Natural bacteria were encouraged to complete the
work in about 6 weeks.
After all that,
it may come as some relief to learn that our main business
is about helping plants to flourish, within a budget. If
that appeals to you,
please enquire. |