Road Construction Ground Engineering
Aarsleff's Experience in Road Construction Projects
At Aarsleff, our expertise spans a diverse range of road construction projects and infrastructure schemes. We have played a critical role in local road realignments, access roads for housing developments, and major road construction. Our involvement typically begins at the earliest design phases, allowing us to offer value-engineered solutions that minimise cost and programme risk.
We understand the challenges of constructing and widening roads in complex ground conditions, particularly where adjacent infrastructure or live traffic must be maintained. Our track record includes delivering road foundation piling services, precast piles for road embankments, and innovative ground improvement for road construction.
We work collaboratively with contractors, consultants, and local authorities to ensure the timely and safe delivery of high-quality ground engineering systems. We focus on building sustainably, reducing waste, lowering emissions and protecting the local environment around every site.
Road Widening Solutions
Road widening projects often require structural earth retention to safely expand the carriageway footprint. We specialise in the design and installation of contiguous pile walls for road projects, offering continuous soil support and minimised ground movement.
Our piling solutions for road widening are ideal where adjacent properties or services are located close to the work area. Using rotary bored or continuous flight auger (CFA) methods, we install reinforced piles with minimal vibration, allowing work to progress safely near sensitive structures. With in-house design capabilities, we tailor every wall to suit the project requirements, soil profile, wall height, and traffic loadings.
Roadside Slope Stabilisation
Unstable roadside embankments and slopes pose serious risks to road users and infrastructure integrity. Our soil nailing services for road slopes reinforce these natural or cut slopes using high-strength steel bars, grout, and facing systems. This method improves the overall stability of embankments without the need for extensive excavation or reconstruction.
We are among the UK’s trusted roadside slope stabilisation contractors, combining site-specific analysis with proven engineering techniques to secure slopes and reduce long-term maintenance risks. Soil nailing is also ideal for roads running through hilly terrains or near excavated cuttings where erosion, weathering, or movement has compromised the slope’s safety.
Our soil nailing installations are quick to deploy and flexible to a range of site conditions, offering a reliable and economical alternative to mass concrete walls or heavy blockwork.
Piling for Access Roads
Access roads into residential estates, industrial parks, or rural facilities often require ground support structures to manage elevation changes, drainage features, or adjacent infrastructure. Our work includes the use of sheet piling for access roads, a fast and efficient method for creating robust edge support in soft ground conditions.
We assess each project to determine the most suitable piling technique, whether that’s sheet piles or driven precast concrete piles. Our focus is always on delivering high-load capacity with minimal settlement, ensuring longevity and structural integrity from the outset.
Roadside Retaining Walls
Our team has a proven track record in designing and constructing roadside retaining walls to support infrastructure and safeguard road users. Whether constructed from contiguous piles, king post wall systems, or modular precast solutions, our retaining structures provide stability to embankments, cuttings, and bridge abutments.
Where deep excavations or tight boundaries are present, we design and install king post walls, using precast concrete panels slotted between embedded steel H-sections, for a modular, low-footprint solution.
As expert road retaining wall contractors, we understand that each site presents unique geotechnical challenges. Our approach combines detailed site investigation and value engineering to deliver cost-effective, high-performance retaining walls tailored to meet your project needs.
Ground Anchors for Road Retaining Structures
Where higher wall heights or extreme soil pressures are present, we utilise ground anchors for road support. These anchors add lateral restraint to walls, allowing for more slender and economical designs.
Our anchored systems are commonly paired with contiguous piled walls, soil nail walls, or king post wall systems, enhancing stability where surcharge loads, sloping terrain, or high groundwater conditions would otherwise pose challenges. For retaining structures supporting roads on embankments or elevated platforms, ground anchors provide crucial additional strength.
An Example of a Road Widening Project
Killingworth Road in Newcastle underwent a £13.5 million investment project, which included widening the road and installing a new Metro bridge at a well-known pinch point. In partnership with Nexus, the scheme was part of the broader Re-Newcastle programme, representing one of the largest investments in the city’s roads in over 30 years.
Nexus needed to replace a 150-year-old bridge that had become structurally unsound. The project also aimed to widen the road leading to Haddricks Mill roundabout in South Gosforth, reducing congestion, improving traffic flow, air quality, and safety.
From October to December 2018, Esh Construction, the main contractor, appointed Aarsleff to install a contiguous pile wall next to the Metro Bridge on Killingworth Road (A189). The wall extends existing steel sheet piles on both sides of the bridge’s eastern abutment, which features masonry and reinforced concrete.
The new pile wall acts as a cantilever, extending from 50mOD down to 11m below platform level, with a maximum height of 4.5m. Piles were installed using a small 3.5m mast drill rig with minimal disturbance, thanks to rotary bored piling that avoided percussive methods.
To enhance stability, we installed eight R38-420 self-drilling hollow bars at 45 degrees as passive ties. The design ensures a 120-year lifespan, with minimal impact on the slope and no need for temporary excavation or anchors beneath the railway embankment. This approach provides a durable, low-impact solution to support the new infrastructure.
Speak to Us About Your Project
As a specialist ground engineering contractor, Aarsleff brings technical expertise, reliability, and safety excellence to every ground engineering package. Whether it’s soil nailing for road slopes, sheet piling for access roads, or ground anchors for road support, we’re proud to help shape the UK’s next generation of resilient roads.
Let us support your next road construction project with industry-leading geotechnical solutions. Contact us to speak with one of our engineers.
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