CRAVEN COTTAGE (FULHAM FC) - PITCH SIDE DRAINAGE

For a new pitch side drainage development at Fulham FC’s home ground Craven Cottage in London. Over 55m3 of LECA LWA was specified by the Buckingham Group and Harrington Builders PLC as a backfill for the side of the football pitch itself. A fill material was required which fitted a specific criteria; it needed to be lightweight, offer drainage capacity and easily delivered with restricted access.

LECA LWA could offer the requirements for this project with being lightweight, providing a robust capacity for effective drainage and with the engineering ability to be pneumatically blown into place through agile pipes up to 50m in distance.

The speed of delivery was key for this application as there was a limited time window in which the contractor had to install the material ready for the beginning of the new football season. In addition, a new pitch had recently been laid for the new season, and there were concerns regarding the amount of debris the material would produce during installation.

FACTS

Amount of material: 55m3 of LECA® LWA (10-20mm)

Interesting Fact: A fill material was required which fitted a specific criteria; it needed to be lightweight, offer drainage capacity and easily delivered with restricted access.

Delivery Method: Pneumatic Delivery

Feedback from Main Contractors

Water suppression during the installation was discussed to aid any installation concerns but this was found not to be needed once the installation had begun. The contractor was impressed with the quick turnaround from initial discussions, quote and subsequent order all of which too less than 10 days. The ease of installation saved time, reduced the effects of debris during installation and furthermore, installing LECA LWA reduced the amount of labour required.

The work was completed in July 2021, in time for the start of the new 2021-2022 Championship season.