Church car park turns up trumps for PPV Group and TPA’s portable roadways.
TPA Portable Roadways are helping to preserve a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) woodland near the cathedral city of St Albans in Hertfordshire.
A planned mains maintenance operation by specialist contractors and frequent TPA panel users PPV Group for client Cadent Gas on a section of high-pressure gas pipeline has entered its second half, with completion expected in mid-September.
Heavy-duty aluminium panels from TPA have been used since April on three excavations and a site compound to level out uneven ground through a cattle field to create a stable working platform for vehicles and (solar-powered) site cabins.
The site was located down a narrow country lane, which presented logistical challenges, particularly concerning access for articulated vehicles, coupled with a winter site survey by TPA business development representative Rochelle Davis finding ground conditions to be very wet and boggy.
Given the restricted access and unsuitable parking facilities at the site, alternative arrangements were needed for delivery, and after discussions with PPV Group, they successfully liaised with the local church to secure use of a nearby car park a few miles from the site, for vehicle staging.
The two-day installation was scheduled for April with the expectation that ground conditions would improve and in preparation, TPA presented PPV Group with two possible installation options - a single-layer or double-layer panel setup, depending on how the ground conditions developed. In the end, only a single layer was required.
PPV Group project manager Steve Soan said: “We have used TPA on numerous projects, at least 10 previously. They are always helpful and courteous, and professional throughout, from the initial site visit to installation. They are highly recommended by myself and other project managers from PPV Group.”