Duke Shore Wharf is located on the riverside in Limehouse, London. This historic area, referenced by Samuel Pepys, has seen many changes over the centuries and is now home to a development of apartments built close to the river edge.
A bathymetric survey had shown that the foreshore level had dropped significantly due to tidal erosion. This had exposed the foundation of the river wall. The inherent risk was that if the wall failed, then the piled foundation of the new apartment blocks might be exposed, affecting the structural integrity of the buildings.
We were contacted in December 2018 by civil engineers at Mackley & Balfour Beatty, and asked if we could help devise a solution to create ecological uplift as an enhancement for the engineering works to repair the failing river wall. We propose the deployment of 12 sandown model Vertipools to be installed between ‘Mean High Water’ and ‘Mean Low Water’ on a repaired section of river wall.
In 2020 12 Sandown model Vertipools where succesfully installed by engineering specialists Diveco Marine making our Vertipool system the first eco-engineered artificial intertidal habitat to be deployed in the City of London’s Thames River.
Since installation we’ve not been able to survey our Vertipool array in London because of Covid restrictions. As rules ease we hope to be able to make our first survey visit this summer.