In order to provide development space for three new blocks of flats and gardens, Main Contractor Gleeson Building had first to overcome a problem due to the 9 metre difference in site levels.

A low cost, low maintenance retaining wall solution was sought and this was provided by a Textomur Stone Faced Reinforced Soil wall.

Measuring 145 metres long and standing at an angle of 85º the system uses preformed 5 metre long, 600mm high ‘galvanised' steel mesh to form the required face angle.

In order to reduce muck away and imported stone costs, site won crushed concrete material created by demolishing the existing 1960's buildings was utilised. 200 to 100mm sized gabion stone was then placed behind the steel mesh, retained by a secondary ‘fine' hexagonal wire mesh. This gave a more attractive face finish.

At St Ann's the granular fill behind the facing mesh and gabion stone was reinforced with polypropylene geogrids, up to 7.5 metres long at the maximum bank height of 10.2 metres. Planting bags were incorporated into the face to enable vegetation to be established.

In total 1370m2 of Textomur was used that took just 11 weeks in one continuous visit to complete.