Context

When an existing sea defence wall constructed in the 1970s began to fail North Ayrshire Council instructed principal designer and coasted marine engineers, PRS Group to find a solution to protect the town of Largs in North Ayrshire. A new access ramp was also required to keep members of the RNLI safe.

Civil Engineers and Building Contractor, RJ McLeod was instructed to undertake the £4m sea wall on the north end of Largs, which will provide protection and support against wave activity and coastal erosion.

Project detail

As part of the 300m-long sea wall, a Legato interlocking concrete block tide protection wall was constructed during low tide to allow for safe working, whilst the wave wall was built.

Marine, engineering and construction company, Alchemy Plant & Contracting was tasked with building a new dedicated RNLI ramp at the head of the beach, to allow the lifeboat safe access to and from water at low tide.

Historically, the lifeboat had launched from the North Ayrshire Council slipway, next to the lifeboat station, using a tractor and trailer which has taken valuable time and was unsuitable for use at low water,

Elite Legato concrete blocks were used to build the new slip, which is owned entirely by the RNLI and was built to coincide with the 60th anniversary of RNLI in Largs, and the 200th anniversary of the RNLI as a whole.

The current slipway was previously used as a seaplane base, under the operation of Prestwick-based Scottish Aviation Ltd. Built in 1942, it was used in the Second World War as a flying boat reception facility, as well as serving as an overflow for a larger marine airfield located in Greenock, with visiting seaplanes towed up the slipway and across the A78 to rest.

Made from high-strength (50N/mm²) concrete, the Legato blocks exhibit high levels of durability and are manufactured with a cast-in lifting pin, making installation easy onsite.

Comments

Owen Batham, Sales & Marketing Director for Elite Precast said “our concrete blocks have been successfully installed on many sea and water projects due to the speed of construction, as walls can be built within the tidal timeframe and our concrete performs well in the harsh environment conditions, experienced in marine and coastal applications.”