'Cut and fill' at Rochester young offenders prison

As part of the design of the Rochester Temporary Custodial facility, a 300 place prison for young offenders, Wates Construction carried out a 'cut and fill' exercise to optimise the existing 7m difference in gradient from one corner of the site to the other.

This allowed the firm to calculate volumes of existing types of material and re-use to suit the proposed site levels.

As a result of this 8,000m³ of material was removed from topsoil, foundation arisings and subsoil. This material was re-used for non structural fill under modular buildings, make up beneath soft landscaping, exercise yards and sub bases for roads.

Key environmental benefits

• Eliminated pollution generated from approximately 600 lorry movements which would have been required for exporting existing spoil and importing Type 1 Department of Transport backfill material and topsoil.
• Eliminated potential damage, cleaning to local roads and disruption to the local community from moving the existing spoil and imported material.
• Eiminated the need for landfill.