Oxted Gasholder - Courtyard Gardens Build - October 2019

Steel rebars that are used with the coiled steel to make the ‘cages’ to go in the drilled holes.

The coiled steel for making the ‘cages’ with the steel rebars that go in the drilled holes.

A view of the two machines that work together during the drilling process on the piling mat. The piling rig and the excavator.

The last remains of ironwork from the former gasholder which is sent away for recycling.

Netting to prevent any concrete splashing over the fence onto the back of the neighbouring premises.

The coiled steel ready for making the ‘cages’ with.

The triangular marker called a ‘witches hat’ shows where the piling has taken place ready for the next stage of the build process.

Welcome to my October blog (number 10) about the construction process at Courtyard Gardens, the former gas holder site here in Oxted.

Regular readers will be aware that I have taken on this personal project to visually document the construction process from the demolition of the gasholder back in January to completion in summer 2021.

My monthly visits to the site are accompanied by Ness Kingham, Assistant Site Manager for St William part of the Berkeley Group, who shows and tells me more about the progress every time. I am always in awe of the vastness of the development and all the processes that are involved, it looked so small when it was overgrown with trees surrounding the gasholder.

These photographs with descriptions on each were photographed on 22 October 2019.

The site from the top corner nearest the railway station, looking down towards the former Johnsdale car park.

During this visit, the completion of the piling was well underway, with over 300 holes drilled by the auger, the drill attachment on the piling rig. It was interesting to watch the final few holes being drilled and filled with the basket type ‘cage’ and concrete. When the process is complete it is marked with a triangular ‘witches hat’ during the drying process so it is easy to identify its location.

A completed hole, drilled with the steel ‘cage’ inserted and filled with concrete, takes less than 20 minutes.

The positioning of the steel work for the making of the ‘cages. On the right of the picture completed ‘cages’ for inserting into the hole.

Photographed from the narrow walkway on the perimeter of the site looking through the protective barriers. On the right the top of the sheet piling is visible at ground level.

A diagram of the site and positioning of Blocks A, B and C.

The foreground is where the gasholder base was placed, there no longer is any evidence of the remains of the base or the foundations, leaving it clear for levelling.

Leveling of the surface ready for the piling rig to take its position on a piling mat.

The two green electricity generators on the right, that the cabling will be connected to. The black tubing in the front of them is visible and will be used underground to pass the electricity cables through.

The black tubing that is visible from under the earth will house cables to be connected to the main source of power, a network of these are taking shape in the foundations.

Blocks A will sit in this area.

This area is the former Johnsdale car park and I’m standing on the spot I use to park my car on. Earth is deposited to raise the level.

Steel work left from the demolition and excavation of the gasholder is cleared.

Looking up to the upper level where Block A will be built.

The sheet piling in the foreground in preparation for the underground car park. The portacabin offices behind this will be moved to make way for Block A to be built.

Health and Safety barriers are placed above the sheet piling to prevent any accidents because of the different heights at ground level.

An excavator picks up one of the steel beams as if it were a tiny toothpick, it happened with such precision.

Leveling of earth.

A view between the sheet piling and the safety fence, looking over the building site towards the back of Station Road East.

The top corner of the site shows the surface is level.

This is where blocks A will be built.

The positioning of the steel rebars that form part of the ‘cages’.

Sheet piling above ground level with cable.

You have to keep well away from the works.

Around the perimeter of the site is a narrow walkway to enable access from the top to the bottom.

The site has two entrances which enables carefully planned site traffic to enter and exit at strategic times. These entrances are independent of each other, you can only exit from the one you entered, this will remain the same for the residents of Courtyard Gardens.

Concrete deposited in preparation for the foundations to sit.

Coiled steel to form the ‘cages’, part of the piling process.

The auger digs deep into the ground to excavate the earth for foundations to be inserted.

Protective wear must be worn at all times on site.

A view from the office portacabin looking down the site.

Well, that’s it for the October edition of my blogs, I’ll be back next month with an update from my November site visit, I think it will start to look very different with works more visible above ground level.

To read my previous 9 blogs this link takes you to the Blog Page on the website.

Bye for now.

Stella

To read other previous blogs these can be found on the ‘Featured’ blogs below by using the arrows on the right to scroll through the past 30 blogs.

Oxted Gasholder - Courtyard Gardens Build - September 2019

On the left the auger on the piling rig that drills out the ground to make way for the concrete.

Welcome to my September blog about the St William (part of the Berekeley Group), housing development for 111 luxury apartments at the former gasholder site here in Oxted.

Regular readers of my blogs will be aware that since January this year I have been photographing the demolition of the gasholder and the start of the building process to visually document the history for posterity, due for completion summer 2021.

Each month I am given access to the site, accompanied by Assistant Site Manager, Ness Kingham who escorts me and tells me about the progress since my last visit. I am always fascinated by the processes and developments, I have learnt so much!

This is just the beginning of the building process of 3 blocks - A, B and C where the sheet piling has taken place and bearing piles on block C on the former Johnsdale car park are complete.

Over 5500m3 of soil has been removed from the site to date, that’s the equivalent volume of more than two Olympic sized swimming pools! The removal of the contaminated earth resulting from the former gasworks is also complete.

The photographs on this blog were taken on Monday 16 September 2019 and tell the story with captions on each image. I have watched an auger drill into the ground and deposit concrete for the bearing piles to take place, read on to find out more.

The top of site that sits at the back of the railway station.

The top of the site behind the railway tracks.

The remains of the base wall of one of the 3 gasholders that once sat on this site.

Hardcore and metal work from the demolition of the gasholder in January.

Excavation preparing for the groundworks.

The remains of the base of the rim of the gasholder that was demolished in January. This continues to be removed and crushed to form the remaining piling mats.

Each image has a caption on describing the processes.

The top of sheet piling showing the joining of one to the other.

Site inspection to locate the next point for the piling rig to drill approximately 15 metres into the ground.

A brush at the side of the piling rig removes excess earth from the auger to prevent build-up of debris.

The auger of the piling rig takes away the earth in preparation for the concrete to be filled in the cavity.

This agitator mixer prepares the concrete for the piling rig to deposit in the cavity via a hose system.

The shute system that delivers the concrete via a hose to the piling rig.

The hose that delivers the concrete from the mixer to the piling rig.

The concrete is deposited into the space the auger has created.

The hose at the top of the piling rig works in unison with the drill (the auger), a swift process in preparation for a metal ‘cage’ to be inserted in the hole.

The piling rig is a fascinating piece of machinery and capable of so much very efficiently.

The piling rig, a machine that drills into the ground and pumps concrete into the space.

Once the concrete is poured into the cavity, a metal ‘cage’ is inserted very swiftly whilst the concrete is fresh which forms the base of the foundations, to support the building works.

The digger machine applies pressure to insert the ‘cage’.

The process happens within a minute or two.

Almost there!

One final push!

The top of the ‘cage’ is exposed so it can be located amongst the others that have been inserted for the next stage to take place.

Excess concrete and earth are scooped away by the digger.

To read previous blogs please click this link, this is blog number 9.

Once the ‘cage’ is inserted the steel rebars (reinforcement bars) are visible so a yellow triangular shape is placed above it to identify where the foundation sits.

The digger scoops away the excess concrete from the surface.

A yellow triangle shape is placed on the metal rods to identify where the foundation sits.

A view looking up the site where Block A will be built.

The entrance to where the former Johnsdale car park once was. This will become the entrance to Block C.

A view from the top of the site office porta cabins, looking down towards Johnsdale.

The three water tanks process the excess rainwater that is collected at the base of the site to a filtration and purifying system via a hose. You can see the sheet piling in this picture too.

A view from behind the piling rig and digger where the steel ‘cages’ were inserted. This is where the former Johnsdale car park was once located. You can see the yellow triangle shapes that identify the location of the foundations.

The crusher that separates hardcore from metal and crushes the hardcore to dust via a conveyor belt.

A spray of water settles the dust in one place to prevent it spreading.

The settled dust seen at the centre of the picture and the crushed concrete on the right which is reused onsite to form the remaining piling mats.

The crusher has separated the hardcore into three piles - scrap metal, crushed hardcore and settled dust from the crushed hardcore.

Each time I visit the site so much has changed, it really is beginning to take shape for the next stage of the building process.

The crusher very swiftly via a conveyor belt processes the waste for recycling.

Thank you for reading this recent blog, I hope you have found it interesting. I’ll be back in November with an update from my October visit.

To become a regular subscriber to my monthly round-up blogs simply scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the ‘subscribe to our newsletter’ button.

See you next month!

Stella

To read other previous blogs these can be found on the ‘Featured’ blogs below by using the arrows on the right to scroll through the past 30 blogs.

Oxted Gasholder - Courtyard Gardens Build - August 2019

Safety barriers above the sheet piling at the Courtyard Gardens Site, Oxted.

Welcome to my August blog about the progress of the St William, Courtyard Gardens development here in Oxted for 111 luxury apartments.

This should have been published over a week ago but due to my business premises relocation this has taken a back seat and now that the holiday period is over I thought it best to publish it now when you have more time to read it as well.

The photographs below tell you more about the story with the captions on each image.

Ground clearance for the underground car park. The green tanks on the right are part of the water purification process.

The tanks are part of the water purification process in the corner of the site behind the shops in Station Road East.

Sheet piling inserted and ready for the next stage.

Looking down the site towards the former Johnsdale car park.

Looking over the top of the sheet piling on the perimeter of the site. This gives you an idea of the height of the sheet piling as it protrudes above ground level. Sheets are supplied in different lengths.

Every time I return to the site I can see the progress that has been made and this month was no exception. It was clear to see all the sheet piling had been inserted and the ground had been excavated for the underground car park to take shape. There was also still evidence of the rim of the demolished gasholder, which was interesting to see.

Looking towards what will be the underground car park.

Sheet piling ready for the next process to take place, update to follow on the next blog.

This shows you how high some of the sheet piling is as engineers tower over and discuss the progress.

Safety walkways for site managers, engineers and others to access the site within carefully contained boundaries.

Water that collects at the lowest point of the site is pumped into three tanks that take care of the water purification process, this is then pumped up to the top of the site to a holding tank for disposing of.

Walk ways over looking the excavation of the underground car park.

This blog is the eighth one in the series, the first one was published in January when the demolition of the gasholder started to take place. To follow the story of the progress and to read the previous blogs please follow this link to the Blog pages on the website and select the ones you would like to read.

Walkways around the site give access to capture the progess.

A corner of the underground car park.

Any hardcore remaining on site from the demolition of the gasholder is crushed and reused where possible.

The underground car park area is prepared for the next stage of the building process, it looks vast from this angle.

Machinery used to bring in hardcore and remove any that isn’t suitable is taken away for recycling.

A carefully designed plan is in place to ensure the arrival and departure of site machinery and vehicles is kept to a minimum to reduce any potential high street disruption.

Monitors to measure vibration to ensure any noise does not go over a certain level.

Three separate blocks are being built with an underground car park - Blocks A, B, and C. To see a model of the finished development call into the offices of Robert Leech Estate Agents in Oxted and opposite my former studio in Station Road East, it’s well worth a visit, it’s an interactive model, not quite one you can walk into but it does tell you a lot about each of the flats available to purchase.

Water is intermittently sprayed with the smell of freshly ironed cotton sheets to dissipate any odours.

Several of these water pipes are positioned on the fence behind the houses in Johnsdale to emit sprays of scented water, it really does smell of freshly ironed cotton sheets.

A view from the former Johnsdale car park looking up the site towards the porta cabin offices.

The remains of the former gasholder base.

Behind the houses in Johnsdale.

I always have a sense of wonderment when I photograph on site, it’s the sheer scale of the development, although Ness Kingham the Site Manager who accompanies me during the visits, assures me this is one of the smaller developments compared to the vast ones they work on in London.

Fascinating to watch all the elements slowly come together. My visit this month took place on Tuesday 20 August 2019 as a point of reference.

The site viewed from the flats behind the shops in Station Road East, gives a different view point.

A view of the outline of the site from the same spot each month.

Check out the July blog to see the progress from last month and previous months too.

If you would like to keep in touch with my monthly blog about the progress of Courtyard Gardens feel free to click on the ‘subscribe to our newsletter’ button below for our monthly round- up newsletters.

I’ll be back later this month with the September update progress of the site.

Thanks for reading.

Stella

To read other previous blogs these can be found on the ‘Featured’ blogs below by using the arrows on the right to scroll through the past 30 blogs.

Oxted Gasholder - Courtyard Gardens Build - July 2019

The sheet piling is taking place for the construction of all 3 Blocks, A, B & C, this photograph was taken on 17 July 2019,

Welcome to this months July blog about the progress at the St William, Courtyard Gardens development here in Oxted, this blog is number 7, previous ones can be found here.

For my regular readers and locals, you will be aware that the gas holder that once stood on this site for over 50 years was deconstructed earlier this year, its removal has made way for the construction of 111 luxury apartments due for completion summer 2021, my regular monthly blogs will keep you updated about the progress over the next two years.

This month I attended the site on July 17th, one of the hottest days of the year and the ground was dry and relatively easy to walk on, which compared to my visit in June when there was so much rain fall it had to be pumped away and the ground was very wet and slippery.

My past visits had all taken place on overcast and cold days, it was interesting to visit on a day when the sun was beating down as it made me realise how exposed the site is and how the people working on site need to have regular breaks and drink lots of water to prevent dehydration, I felt drained and I had only been on site for 45 minutes before 9.30am!

Machinery and operatives working on the insertion of the sheet piling, during July 2019.

The apartments are being built in 3 separate Blocks - A, B & C - Block C which sits north of the former Johnsdale car park has had the sheet piling inserted.

At this moment in time the crane and the rig are being moved to the top section of the site nearer to the railway station to allow for the sheet piling of Blocks A & B, this process will continue until mid August when my next visit is due. A new contractor will be brought in after this to do the foundation bearing piles which will continue through to the end of September.

The photographs I have taken (the sunshine makes all the difference) below show and tell you more…

A view of the top of the site, where Blocks A & B will be built , the railway station sits behind this view

Looking down the site, a hose on the right, is visible to drain out the excess water

Drilling for the sheet piling to be inserted

Block C will be built in this position where the former Johnsdale car park once stood

The edge of the base of the former gas holder is all that remains visible of where it once stood

Monitors to control noise and air pollution and CCTV information

An ‘echo barrier’ to reduce the noise levels

Where possible the concrete broken out from the base of the gasholder has now been crushed and reused on site to form the piling mat, additional crushed concrete is brought in as well.

The Echo Barrier used on site is scientifically developed by leading acoustic engineers, acoustic barriers are the most effective temporary noise control solutions on the market. They typically reduce noise energy by up to 99%, and are lightweight, weatherproof and adaptable to any setting.

Machinery in place to drill and insert the sheet piling for Blocks A & B

Mats in place for the machinery to sit on during the sheet piling process

Machinery in place for sheet piling to Blocks A & B

Crushed concrete ready for distributing to form the piling mat

Machinery maintenance to complete the piling task

A sound or ‘echo barrier’ to reduce the noise from generators and machinery

Top right of this image, the cabins where the project, technical and site managers are based

Piling is an essential part of building works to ensure strong foundations and prevent the risk of any future subsidence or ground movement.

Delivery of crushed concrete for the piling mats

Each piling sheet is lifted by crane from the delivery lorry with the guidance of the engineers to lower in place

Each piling sheet picked up by crane and lowered in a pile on site ready for insertion

A view from the former Johnsdale car park

Crushed concrete is placed at different points on site

This picture gives you an idea of the size of each piling sheet

Sheet piling lowered onto the site

Time delay camera takes an image every 20 minutes

A view of the site from the back of the flats that are above the shops in Station Road East

If you are interested to know more about purchasing an apartment, follow this link to Robert Leech, the Estate Agents for this development by St William, part of the Berkeley Group

To keep up to date with my blogs and to sign-up to my monthly round-up newsletter please scroll down to the ‘Subscribe to Our Newsletter’ button below to enter your contact email address.

I’ll be back next month with further updates, watch this space for further developments.

Thanks for reading, bye for now.

Stella

To read other previous blogs these can be found on the ‘Featured’ blogs below by using the arrows on the right to scroll through the past 30 blogs.

A view of the sheet piling delivery lorry from Station Road East

A view of the crane unloading the sheet piling from the delivery lorry on site

Oxted Gasholder - Courtyard Gardens Build - June 2019

On site at the Courtyard Gardens housing development for 111 luxury apartments.

Welcome to this months June blog about the St William Courtyard Gardens development here in Oxted, this blog is number 6, previous ones can be found here.

For my regular readers and locals, you will be aware that the gas holder that once stood on this site for over 50 years is no more, its removal has made way for the construction of 111 luxury apartments due for completion summer 2021, my regular monthly blogs will keep you updated about the progress.

The buildings works are beginning to take shape, the previous two bases where the gas holders once sat are less visible now. This photograph taken on 11 June 2019.

Moving on…

I look forward to my monthly site visits because each time I photograph I can see a vast difference that never ceases to amaze me, and this time was no exception. I know very little (maybe nothing) about the building process and find it fascinating to see the different processes involved, from the excavation, to the soil examination, to the air purifiers, that intermittently blast a mist of a fragrance that is reminiscent of freshly ironed cotton sheets, into the atmosphere to dissipate any potential soil odours. A series of vibration and noise mechanisms are in place to monitor in real time the vibration and noise emitted from activities on site, and dust suppression is in place to settle any excess from spreading.

The remaining rim of the base of the gas holder is over one metre wide and over 5 metres deep/high. During the removal process we have heard a tapping sound during working hours (my studio backs onto the site), which has been the result of the gradual destruction of the concrete to make way for the building works to take place. All of the hardcore on site is recycled for use during the building process.

The photographs below show the preparation of the ground works before the sheet piling takes place next week during a six week period. There is no longer gas on the site as all essential gas equipment has been relocated, but occasionally people may notice some smells as the next phase of groundworks begins, but hopefully the air fragrance will be sufficient to destroy this. There will also be increased noise and vibration during this period. I will be on site in July to photograph this next stage.

The photographs below give you a sense of what it is like.

Machinery attachments for the different excavation processes.

The rim of the gas holder is clearly visible during the excavation process to remove this.

This angle shows the width of the remaining base of the gas holder.

Monitors record sound and vibration in real time to keep this to a minimum.

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A series of vibration and noise mechanisms are in place to monitor in real time the vibration and noise emitted from activities on site, and dust suppression is in place to settle any excess from spreading.

A view through the many safety barriers.

Excavation in preparation for the sheet piling.

When this is fully operational it sprays a fine mist of fragranced water to dissipate any unpleasant gas odours that may remain in the soil.

Ground preparation for the next stage.

The temporary electricity generator for the porta cabins.

The remaining base of the gas holder is over one metre thick over 5 metres high/deep, is gradually broken down in preparation for the sheet piling.

A view from the former Johnsdale car park, the water is the result of a heavy few days/weeks of rainfall.

An excess of water due to the rainfall, a pump is brought in to drain it away.

Each time I am on site I meet a different team of contractors as the development grows, but the two people from St William, who have remained constant are Joe Pallister the Project Manager and Ness Kingham, the lovely Site Manager, who accompanies me on my visits and tells me more about the build process each time, very educational. On this particular occasion the heavy rain over the past few weeks was one of the topics of conversation as it had made the site very muddy and slippery, a pump was needed to drain the excess water that had collected at the lowest point, it looks like we have experienced the wettest June on record!

The photographs show different machinery that is required on site to excavate the soil, move rubble and prepare the surface for the next stage. What once looked like a familiar space to me no longer feels or looks how l once remembered it.

Deliveries guided to the site by the traffic marshals for minimum traffic disruption.

The entrance to the site.

The site from behind the flats in Station Road East.

Contractors on site.

The entrance to the site from the porta cabins.

Rubble recycled and used as hardcore.

Machinery at work, on the left the porta cabins that houses a team of professionals.

The water from the recent rain downfall shows the tubing to drain this from the site.

It was very slippery and muddy on site this month due to the rainfall.

The driveway behind the gates to the site.

Rain water at the lowest point had to be drained away.

If you would like to keep up to date and sign-up to my monthly round-up newsletter please scroll down to the ‘Subscribe to Our Newsletter’ button below to enter your contact email address.

I’ll be back next month with further updates, watch this space for further developments.

Thanks for reading, bye for now.

Stella

To read other previous blogs these can be found on the ‘Featured’ blogs below by using the arrows on the right to scroll through the past 30 blogs.

Oxted Gasholder - Courtyard Gardens Build - May 2019

Welcome to my fifth blog about the construction process of Courtyard Gardens on the former gasholder site here in Oxted.

For those of you who live nearby and are regular readers of my blogs you will know that the gasholder no longer exists and during the past few weeks the building works have started to take shape.

The demolition of the gasholder and clearing of the site is complete ready for the building process to commence, this photograph is how the site looked on 15 April 2019.

St William, who specialise in redeveloping redundant gas holder sites across London and the South East has now taken over as principal contractor. The project team have now moved to the site and into the new cabins during the building process.

Friday 17th May was my first time back on site since the demolition came to an end last month and it felt like I was somewhere familiar but unfamiliar at the same time. I could see and feel the layout changing, the ground felt different, there were new faces on site, new machinery and the access areas were different and the two-storey cabins were a hive of activity.

I could really get a strong feel for the size of the land and the vastness of the build and the works that have to be done to accommodate the three blocks that will combine to make the final housing development, delivering 111 one, two and three bedroom apartments nestled in private communal landscaped gardens.

Read on to see and find out more…

St William arrive on site to start the building process.

New gates have been installed at the entrance to Nursery Way.

The entrance layout is changing.

Security measures are put in place.

The addition of access gateways during the construction.

The gas holder concrete walls will be removed and re-used on site for the formation of the piling platforms.

The levels of the ground are beginning to change.

Groundworks have begun, starting with the removal of the tarmac from what was Johnsdale car park.

This area was once the Johnsdale car park, the gates at the end will be a new entance.

Different size attachments are used on the machinery depending on the job in hand.

The first thing you notice is the construction site entrance gates at Nursery Way have been installed and timber hoarding has progressed around the perimeter.

Groundworks have begun, starting with the removal of the tarmac from what was Johnsdale car park and the contractor is continuing to break out the concrete gasholder walls and base. Once all the concrete has been removed from the gasholder it will be processed ready for re-use on site for formation of the piling platforms.

Temporary electrical power during building works.

A sign from the former Johnsdale car park is the only reminder of what this area once was.

Monitors for air quality and noise vibration give real time updates.

Monitors for air quality and noise vibration give real time updates.

Monitors for air quality and noise vibration give real time updates.

Different access areas around the pit of the gas holder.

The two-storey cabins in place for the project team to work from.

A view of the perimeter of where the gasholder once sat.

The concrete from the base of the gasholder will be removed and re-used.

Concrete from the gasholder base that will be re-used on site for formation of the piling platforms.

Air quality, noise and vibration monitoring have been set up around the site by external environmental consultants which provides real-time information on the activities being undertaken.

This machine is used when it is needed to control the dust by applying a veil or thin mist of water to settle it before it can spread.

The site is prepared for the next stages to take place to remove any traces of contamination.

Different objects in place for the building works.

The two-storey cabins, the team have their offices on the upper levels, the lower level houses a drying room for rainy day uniforms to dry out, as well as kitchen facility and an eating area.

The tarmac has been removed from the former Johnsdale car park.

A view of the site from the top of the steps by the flats.

The gateway to Courtyard Gardens during the building works showing an image of what to expect.

I am finding it fascinating to photograph the building process and enjoy learning so much about it. So pleased I have captured the process from the beginning because I am already finding it hard to remember what it looked like this time last year, if it’s the same for you, you can refer back to my previous 4 blogs that started in January to refresh your memory.

During the course of the next 24 months I intend delivering one blog a month with progress photographs from my site visits - with thanks to Ness from St William for escorting and accommodating me, my cameras and my curiosity on site.

If you would like to keep up to date and sign-up to my monthly round-up newsletter please scroll down to the ‘Subscribe to Our Newsletter’ button below to enter your contact email address.

I’ll be back next month with further updates, watch this space.

Enjoy the bank holiday weekend!

Bye for now.

Stella

To read other previous blogs these can be found on the ‘Featured’ blogs below by using the arrows on the right to scroll through the past 30 blogs.