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Elite Precast Concrete

Landslip failure, near Lydney in Gloucestershire, leads to emergency works

In early May 2018, Network Rail IP Wales contacted Griffiths Ltd regarding emergency works for a transitional slip failure at Little Haglow, near Lydney in Gloucestershire, on the Up line between Newport and Cheltenham Spa. Slipped material along the Upside cutting required removal to allow the passenger line to be re-opened.

By: Elite Precast Concrete

Published: October 29, 2025

Landslip failure, near Lydney in Gloucestershire, leads to emergency works

A site inspection with Network Rail the following day revealed an immediate need for emergency intervention works. A 30m wide section of the 42m high embankment had slipped, displacing between 1000-1500 tons of material on to the track.

Critically, three concrete 1 tonne head blocks at the crest of the embankment had been left suspended, leaving the line below at the very real risk of train derailment should they fall.

Griffiths immediately arranged for nine Safety Critical Staff to be onsite. The following day an Industrial Rope Access Trade Association (IRATA) qualified rope access team was depolyed, as well as the tools and materials to secure the concrete head blocks.

Following the successful securing of the blocks, Griffiths and Network Rail agreed further remedial works. A full suite of plant machinery was provided and an 18 wagon train was used to remove spoil from site.

The final stages of the work included the positioning of 35 precast concrete Legato® blocks, supplied by Elite Precast Concrete. These were used to create a wall along the toe as a protective barrier against further material falling. This modular block system proved to be the ideal choice as it was not only strong but also quick and easy to install, especially in the challenging conditions that were presented.

Case study courtesy of Griffiths Contractors, please view www.griffiths.co.uk for further details.

Concrete proves its strength against floodwater in South Hinksey, Oxfordshire

Precast concrete products offer durable, long-lasting floodwater solutions, which is why when a specialist hire company, needed to create a long barrier wall, to protect and defend a small village in Oxfordshire from flood water, it was Elite Precast Concrete they turned to.

Landslip failure, near Lydney in Gloucestershire, leads to emergency works

In early May 2018, Network Rail IP Wales contacted Griffiths Ltd regarding emergency works for a transitional slip failure at Little Haglow, near Lydney in Gloucestershire, on the Up line between Newport and Cheltenham Spa. Slipped material along the Upside cutting required removal to allow the passenger line to be re-opened.

Holderness Flood Alleviation Scheme (2024)

Design and construction of new ‘online’ pumping station and flood storage aquagreen to improve resilience in the Humber region

Kinnerley WTW (2023)

Kinnerley WTW is located in rural Shropshire, approximately 10 miles north-east of Shrewsbury. The site treats around 4 Ml/d from a single groundwater source, after which it is pumped to Pant DSR to supply. The existing water treatment process on site includes two aeration towers, chlorine gas, three iron and manganese pressure filters, a balance […]

Ufton Nervet WTW (2023)

Ufton Nervet WTW is a groundwater treatment site located in the Kennet Valley Water Resource Zone, to the south of Reading and supplies an ‘island zone’ of approximately 12,000 properties. Groundwater is pumped through pressure filters for iron removal after which chlorine is dosed before flows enter the contact tank, which is a single cell […]

Foss Barrier (2020)

The Foss Barrier and associated pumping station is a vital asset in the City of York’s flood defences and was constructed in the 1980s in response to severe flooding five years earlier. In flood conditions, a mechanical gate can be lowered to stop rising waters in the River Ouse from flowing back up into the […]

Lobwood Fish Pass (2020)

All freshwater fish species in England undergo migration in one form or another, ranging from movements pertaining to feeding and refuge habitats over the course of a day, to longer journeys (for example, between freshwater and marine habitats) on a less frequent basis. Between 2015-2020, Yorkshire Water, in partnership with the Environmental Agency as part […]

Foss Barrier (2019)

In December 2015, the most severe floods in a generation hit the City of York. As water levels rose to the highest recorded on the River Foss, they entered the main control building at the Foss Barrier, which forms an important part of the city’s flood defences, rendering the facility inoperable. The Foss Barrier and […]