Client: Shepway District Council Location: Hythe to Folkestone Seafront, Kent Value: £1.50 million Form of Contract: NEC Second Edition Option A Actual Contract Duration: 26wks (fast-track) Year of Completion: 2004 In a three-way construction partnership with Shepway District Council and Van Oord, Provian Construction raised and improved over 1.3km of sea wall between Hythe and Sandgate preventing flooding caused by ‘wave overtopping’ during high tides and strong winds. The £13million, 7km coastal defence scheme designed to protect over 2200 homes at risk from flooding and 700 homes at risk from erosion over the next 50 years along with industrial and commercial property and irreplaceable assets such as the Leas and Royal Military canal in Folkestone. Provian Construction were also contracted to create 1.4km of new maintenance gangways between Sandgate Monument and Marine Walk Folkestone as well as a 120m walkway out to sea on rock structure “C”. This combines the construction of a new ‘Wave Wall’ and handrailing - a focal point of the scheme. This project was not only successfully completed in the high-risk coastal environment but involved key challenges such as the logistical implication of placing 4,300m³ of concrete into areas with no road access. As access was only available from the revetment or beach the problem was overcome using static concrete pumps and on-site training of our personnel to use these pumps to control the flow at distance exceeding 250m. The scheme was deemed “one of the biggest ever planned” by Shepway District Council and was successfully completed on time and within budget using the New Engineering Contract and was cited as a project that built good relationships and raised the profile of Civil Engineering in the area winning the ICE South East Brassey Award 2005 for outstanding Civil Engineering.