Shire Structures were appointed by Evans Construction & Civil Engineering Ltd on behalf of Connexus Housing to replace a series of failing timber sleeper retaining walls within a residential rear garden.
The Challenge
Retaining walls are easy to overlook until they start to fail. For Connexus Housing, that’s exactly what happened when the existing timber sleeper walls within a residential rear garden reached the end of their serviceable life.
The original walls formed a tiered garden layout and boundary enclosure across the property. Over time, the timber had decayed significantly, compromising the structural integrity of the system and creating a state of localised instability. Left unaddressed, the situation posed a risk to the property and its occupants.
The challenge was finding a replacement solution that could be installed within the tight confines of a residential garden, without causing excessive disruption, and that would stand the test of time where timber had not.
Our Approach
Shire Structures was appointed by Evans Construction & Civil Engineering Ltd to deliver the remedial solution. Following assessment of the site conditions, access constraints, and aesthetic requirements, we proposed our plastic sheet piled wall system as the most appropriate long-term fix.
Plastic sheet piling offers everything that timber cannot: it is resistant to rot and environmental degradation, requires virtually no maintenance, and carries a substantially longer design life. Crucially, it also allows for a traditional aesthetic finish to be applied over the top, meaning the completed structure would look at home in a residential garden setting.
The scheme comprised approximately 46 metres of sheet-piled retaining wall across three key areas:
Upper tier of the rear garden - approximately 15 metres in length with a retained height of around 0.8 metres
Lower tier of the rear garden - approximately 15 metres in length with a retained height of around 0.8 metres
Left-hand boundary - approximately 10 metres in length, with retained heights ranging from 0.75 metres to 1.25 metres
Overcoming Access Constraints
Residential projects bring their own set of logistical challenges, and this one was no exception. Standard piling equipment requires significant space to manoeuvre, space that simply wasn’t available within the rear garden.
To overcome this, Shire utilised compact, hand-held piling equipment powered by a compressor. This approach eliminated the need for large plant on site entirely, allowing installation to proceed efficiently with minimal disruption to the surrounding property. The only requirement was that the compressor could be positioned adjacent to the property boundary, a condition that was straightforwardly met.
This kind of adaptability is central to how Shire operates. When access is restricted, we find the method that works, without compromising on quality, programme, or safety.
