Welcome to the April 2025 newsletter from Lydon Contracting Ltd. We're proud of the work we do and want to share our latest news, useful information and staff updates.
The road ahead
The construction of the access road to the new Primary Substation at Graven Hill in Bicester has progressed to the laying of the asphalt base and binder along the main stretch of the access road.
Drainage has been completed along the whole route to the substation and we are now working on trimming the stone and installing kerbs in the turning area at the substation end of the access road.
Our Primary Substation build is complete, and we are now working on the final external finishes, including kerbs, paving, gravel surfaces and palisade fencing.
Paving the way
At the Centre:mk in Milton Keynes, we have been carrying out remedial works to some of the paving in Queens Court, particularly areas that have been affected by tree roots. Queens Court has been closed since a fire started in one of the food stalls in August 2024 and has been undergoing repairs to some of the façade and seating.
As preparations to reopen the courtyard near completion, Lydon Contracting were engaged to carry out remedial works to eliminate trip hazards caused by slabs and setts that have become uneven due to disturbance from tree roots.
Connecting power
Works are progressing well at Bicester where we are building a new permeable access road to service a newly built substation. The scope includes:
- Formation of a new bell mouth vehicular access to the substation.
- New permeable road construction with associated sub-base design
- Full drainage installation including attenuation tank and petrol interceptor.
- Ducting for 33kV and 11kV cabling
During CBR testing, the subgrade soils were found to have very low bearing capacity, with CBR values as low as 1%. This posed a significant risk to the long-term performance of the pavement. Also, the water table was only 700mm below existing ground. To address this, Tensar NX750 geogrid was incorporated as a mechanical stabilisation layer at the formation level. This solution improves load distribution and prevents deformation under vehicular loads.
During April, the bulk earthworks were completed to required levels across the road corridor. The stormwater attenuation infrastructure and drainage pipework have been installed to support the permeable drainage strategy.
Next month will see the placement of sub-base materials and continued road layer build-up in line with permeable pavement design and the installation of kerbs.
Railway crossing
During April we have been installing the ducting for the dual 33kV circuits across Pesterford Bridge, Stansted which included removing the existing tarmac footpath down to the bridge deck with the aid of our Vacuum Excavator.
There were some small patches of the membrane that needed repairing before we could install the ducts over the bridge. Due to the shallow bridge deck we needed to lay the cables in a flat duct formation before protecting them with a specially designed mild steel box made up of three ‘C’ sections and infilled with Cement Bound Sand (CBS) before bolting down the steel lids.
Once the cable jointing is completed we will permenantly reinstate the footpath crossing over the bridge.
Investing in our people
Formwork / Steel Fixing NVQ’s
Training within the construction industry is crucial to ensuring the quality of our service and minimising the risk of accidents and incidents on site. It equips our employees with the necessary knowledge and skills to identify hazards, use equipment appropriately, and follow safety guidelines.
Alongside our regular training this month our NVQ 2 Standard training continued, in the discipline of ‘Formwork and Steel Fixing’.
Formwork and steel fixing are two distinct but interconnected processes in concrete construction. Formwork provides the temporary mold that shapes and supports the freshly poured concrete, while steel fixing involves the placement and securing of reinforcing steel (rebar) within that formwork to add strength.
With their experience the Formwork and Steel Work qualification will enable our trained personnel to demonstrate and recognise their skills, knowledge and understanding and to demonstrate their competence on site as ‘Skilled Workers’ within the construction industry allowing us to provide a first-class service across our various schemes.
Home from home
Our new office build is progressing well, and we are making the most of the good weather. The single storey section has been built up to wall plate level and is due to receive the roof trusses shortly. The two-storey section at the front of the building has had the first-floor joists installed and is progressing to wall plate level for the steel roof supports and rafters to be installed.
Once the timber roof structure has been installed and felted and battened to both sections, our Solar & EV specialist will carry out the installation of the photovoltaic (PV) panels so that the roof tiles can be laid around them.
Going green
During April we took delivery of 2 Polestar EV Vehicles to add to our fleet. To reduce our carbon footprint and reduce emissions, the Polestar vehicles are both stylish and an enjoyable drive. Boasting a range of c.400 miles on a full charge, these EV’s are ideal for some of the management team replacing some older diesel vehicles.
Thanks for reading!
Cuttle Mill Nursery, Cuttle Mill Lane, Paulerspury, Towcester NN12 7LZ
info@lydoncontracting.com | 01327 811533 | www.lydoncontracting.com
Company Registration No. 3742284