Geo-Design assisted with investigations into four abandoned salt mines under Northwich town centre to assess the need for remediation to ensure the stability of the town centre.
The salt mines were abandoned in the 1920’s, and in the ensuing years the mines beneath Northwich deteriorated to such an extent as to pose a risk of subsidence, threatening life and property in the town centre. In the 1990’s, Vale Royal Borough Council (VRBC) announced that urgent work was required to remediate the former mines.
Geo-Design worked with Atkins to assist VRBC in the early stages of the site investigations and planning of remedial works. This involved reviewing the available information from published literature and previous studies, planning of the site investigation scope for further investigation, and site characterisation based on existing information and data collected during the site investigations.
The site characterisation took into account the regional and mine-specific geological conditions – which was used to create detailed geological and hydrogeological models as a basis for assessing the Salt Mine filling and stabilisation.
Following Geo-Design’s involvement in the early stages of the Northwich Salt Mines Stabilisation Project the mines were successfully infilled, and the project won several awards.