Welcome to e-focus, our occasional regional newsletter that aims to update you on Pennine's activities in your area.

Pennine Breaks Records in Milton Keynes

Pennine is again expanding its Milton Keynes workforce following the most successful quarter ever for its South East operation.

The regional office in Boycott Avenue, Milton Keynes won 16 contracts worth a total £850,000 in the last quarter of 2007. This compares to £500,000 for the same period in 2006 and breaks all records since the Milton Keynes base was set up in 1999.

The team of two estimating engineers and a receptionist was strengthened at the end of 2007 by the addition of Graham Evans, Quantity Surveyor.

Geotechnical Engineer, David Roy said: “It was a very busy and profitable quarter in which the Milton Keynes team inserted over 35,000 linear metres of stone and concrete columns using our specialist plant – much of which we designed and adapted to meet the needs of specific projects.

“The team is to be congratulated on its excellent performance, which continues to underline our ability to make cost and efficiency savings for clients through the use of bespoke solutions.”

Our dedicated South East team is further improving the services we offer to our client base. We are also actively seeking to appoint a Geotechnical Estimator and a Business Development Engineer to the Milton Keynes office.

Sister Companies Provide One-stop Shop in the South East

Pennine has completed work on the final phase of the Riverwalk Business Park, Enfield, in one of our first contracts in the South East working with sister company Stent.

We inserted 660 vibro stone columns (VSCs) in preparation for a ground bearing floor slab below new warehouse units at the complex on the banks of the River Lea.

Our three-man team used a bespoke Pennine FAB rig to insert the VSCs to depths of up to 6.5m in ground comprising of loose fill and soft alluvial soils over gravels and London Clay.

The work followed close on the heels of Stent’s installation of 159 driven piles to depths up to 10m below the frame of the new structure. Here maximum pile capacities of 325KN compression combined with uplift and shear loads were provided using Stent’s 235mm square precast piles.

David Roy, Geotechnical Engineer said: “The project was one of the first in the South East in which we have worked closely with Stent using their piling techniques and our ground improvement systems to provide a cost effective solution for the client.

“Together we provide a one-stop shop in piling and ground improvement, offering a formidable combination of knowledge for the complete range of piling and foundation techniques available.”

CPD Presentations

Professionals seeking to know more about ground improvement can now benefit from a unique CPD presentation offered by Pennine. The Ground Improvement CPD presentation explores the technical, construction, design and quality control aspects of various solutions along with case histories.

For further information or bookings contact Roland Pollard roland.pollard@pennine.co.uk or David Roy david.roy@pennine.co.uk, telephone 01908 397046, or visit our website at www.pennine.co.uk.