This project involved replacing 396m of high-containment Vehicle Restraint System (VRS) barrier on the M25/M20 interchange. Following extensive ECI and pre-site trials, the team delivered the project using a pioneering new modular foundation, Smartraft®, installed over a single 56-hour weekend closure achieving a 49% reduction in the project’s carbon footprint, a 70% reduction in person hours, and a 41% reduction in project cost.
This is the first time Smartraft®, has been used in conjunction with high containment barrier, which is designed to protect overbridge foundations against vehicle and HGV strikes.
Conventional VRS uses posts and concrete foundations between 600-800mm deep, spaced 2.4m apart. Installation can be time consuming, particularly if working around underground services. In contrast, Smartraft® is a modular system designed, manufactured & pre-cured off-site. Each unit is approx. 6m long, connecting to the next using a dado-style joint. VRS posts are inserted into sockets and secured with a pin, or surface mounted. Smartraft® requires up to 200mm excavation, and once installed, the interlocking sections create a ground-beam effect.
By condensing the programme from 3 weeks of night-shifts to a single 56-hour
closure, the team dramatically reduced disruption to motorists and reduced workforce exposure.
Three Winning Facts:
- This is the first time Smartraft® has been installed in conjunction with High Containment Barrier, thus simplifying all future barrier replacement schemes by offering a single solution to all containment scenarios.
- The single 56-hour weekend closure reduced people-hours by 70% and enabled most of the work during daylight, reducing workforce fatigue.
- Smartraft® uses 49% less concrete than conventional concrete foundations, significantly reducing the project’s carbon footprint.
