Earthworks to reclaim UK quarry for housing development

This case study describes the partial reclamation of the derelict Midland Quarry, Nuneaton, UK, to provide a ‘platform' for residential development. The reclamation involved constructing a dramatic reinforced soil slope with a maximum height of 38 m and face angle of 45°, and filling behind it to create the additional development space. The unusually large retained height and depth of filling presented significant design challenges. These included the requirement for low maintenance, and the need to limit self-weight settlement to allow early construction of the development. Materials available for the reclamation essentially comprised waste from a sister site, and site arisings. Optimisation of soil preparation and compaction resulted in a robust design and specification. The relatively shallow face angle required careful attention to the compaction of the stone facing layer, and careful placement resulted in installation to a high standard. Encouragingly, monitoring of movement of the slope face during construction showed no significant movement. Following construction, long-term settlement, pore pressure and other monitoring of the slope is required for a minimum period of two years, and details of the initial results are included in this paper. The work has enabled the reclamation of two development sites by the housing developer client. Sustainability was a significant driver for the concept, design and construction decisions.