SOLID’s Civils on St Edburg’s

Following on from the successful development of St Edburg’s primary school in Bicester in 2013, SOLID are proud to be a part of phase two of the project. The next stage, in partnership with Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford Diocese Education team, sees the construction of the new early years building. This specialised second site introduces facilities specifically designed for children from nursery to year two. The resources will better suit the developmental needs for the younger children attending the school.

Site progress in Bicester

The design on the Kingsmere development, by Acanthus Clews Architects, has gone from strength to strength since work began on site in April. The foundations have been laid and the steel frame is under construction.

Civil Engineering

SOLID were appointed as both Structural and Civil engineers on the project. Today we take a closer look at our SOLID Civils approach. Sustainability has always been at the forefront of this development. Here at SOLID, we embrace Sustainable Drainage Systems extensively. SuDS help to mitigate flood risk, nurture biodiversity, enhance water quality and create harmonious ecosystems.

Our drainage strategy for St Edburg’s Early Years School is no exception. Within the design we aimed to mimic natural greenfield runoff, utilising infiltration wherever possible. However, there are parcels where infiltration is not feasible. In these instances, we have ensured storm event attenuation up to the 10-year greenfield rate. Surpassing this, flows will be directed to SuDS or adopted drainage networks to cater to 30-year plus climate change allowances.

Foul water will flow via gravity, connecting to a strategic sewerage network that fosters unrestricted drainage throughout each development parcel. Our goal is to offer this network for adoption, empowering developers to connect seamlessly in future.

By connecting adoptable drainage below public highways and private areas into the main strategic network, we forge a unified, resilient drainage system. Flood flow routing safeguards against events exceeding the 30-year plus 20% climate change event. This forward-thinking design, ensuring seamless integration, fosters an eco-friendly phase 2 site, in-line with Thames Water Guidelines.

Our Civils team are proud to help create a sustainable future through innovative drainage solutions working alongside Acanthus Clews, Willmott Dixon and CBG Consultants Ltd.

We look forward to updating you on more progress on site in the coming months.