Swansea and Carmarthen Reinstatement Works

The Brief

Aggregate Industries was approached by HT Installations, working on behalf of BT, to support in providing ground and reinstatement works in the Swansea and Carmarthen areas. 

The brief called for a high quality asphalt solution for a number of trenches which would also address a series of challenges in the area, including voids in the surface and issues with the existing groundwork. It was crucial that the product met with Specification for the Reinstatement of Openings in Highways (SROH) standards, reducing the risk of visual and void failures in the future. 

In addition, the brief required Aggregate Industries to factor in a busy main road and highly populated area where the works would need to be carried out on.

The Solution

In order to meet the brief, Aggregate Industries used its SuperTrench® product from its Express Asphalt plant – an asphalt surface course mixture that is ideal for the reinstatement of highways, footways and cycle tracks and performs well in both wet and cold conditions. 

SuperTrench® is designed to achieve high compaction and low air voids. It gives a greater level of tolerance compared to standard AC surface asphalt, and is less permeable for both water and air – providing a more durable product, and longer lasting material. This in turn helps to meet SROH requirements, making it perfect for reinstatement works in the utilities sector.  

During the works, Aggregate Industries’ Surfacing Solutions team discovered previous groundworks had not been carried out to sufficient standards, which resulted in a series of failures upon inspection. This required careful remediation, requiring an increased volume of product than originally thought and avoidance of specific areas within the site – something the team was able to turn around at short notice, thanks to the versatility and proximity of the Express Asphalt plant.  

Dean Williams, Business Unit Manager in Aggregate Industries’ Surfacing Solutions team, said: “SuperTrench® offers great compaction and quality of finish. Its ability for higher workability in cold and wet environments means we never have to be worried about not completing a job on time due to weather conditions. This makes our work more efficient and reduces the impact road closures will have on the local areas.”