Roger Bullivant Limited (RBL) has completed its first combined piling and precast ground beam package for Taylor Wimpey at the Drakelow Park residential development in Staffordshire.

While RBL has previously delivered several pile-only schemes for Taylor Wimpey’s North Midlands division, the Drakelow Park project marks the first time the contractor has been appointed to install both piles and its proprietary precast ground beam system, RBeam, as part of a single package.

As part of the works, the residential team installed more than 300 driven precast concrete piles to depths of up to 12 metres. The foundation solution was selected as the most economical and technically suitable option for the site’s ground conditions, which are typical of the wider Drakelow area.

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Across the entire Drakelow Park development, RBL estimates that around 6,000 piles will ultimately be installed. To complete the foundation package on this phase, the contractor also supplied and installed approximately 1,300 metres of its RBeam precast ground beam system, providing a factory-produced structural solution for the housing developer.

According to RBL, the value-engineered approach delivered measurable efficiencies for the scheme. By using precast beams, the total number of piles required was reduced compared with a pile-only design, helping to streamline the installation process and deliver programme savings while enabling the works to be delivered under a single specialist contractor.

The Drakelow site also holds historical significance for RBL. The development sits close to the large-scale Dracan Village redevelopment, which was formerly home to the company’s 250-acre headquarters and manufacturing facility. RBL continues to deliver piling and ground beam works at that site for Vistry Group.