Barton Park Residential Development (Phase 4A2 & 4B2)

Following a detailed assessment of the structural proposals and site requirements, SPEEDECK identified an opportunity to move away from a traditional pile-and-ground-beam arrangement in favour of a piled reinforced concrete raft foundation system supported by pre-cast driven piles.

The solution combined the benefits of deep foundations with a structural slab platform, allowing loads from external masonry walls, internal loadbearing walls and floor construction to be distributed efficiently into competent bearing strata. By integrating the piling and slab construction into a single engineered package, the proposed system reduced construction complexity and created a more streamlined route through the substructure phase.

Beyond the structural advantages, the piled raft approach minimised excavation, reduced ground disturbance and simplified sequencing across the multiple plots, helping maintain consistency throughout the development.

Reinforced concrete raft slabs ranging from 225mm to 300mm thick were specified, with 160mm voidformers incorporated beneath the slabs to manage potential ground movement. The ground consists of Made Ground / Topsoil over Oxford Clay Formation.

Using a combination of structural loading information, ground investigation data and SPEEDECK’s engineering expertise, the team developed an efficient foundation layout that balanced performance, economy and buildability. Pile lengths were optimised across the site to suit local ground conditions and verified through dynamic and static load testing, providing consistent bearing capacity throughout the development.

In total, the design covered approximately 2,535m² of raft slab construction and delivered safe working pile loads of up to 260kN.

A key driver for the project was maintaining certainty across a large-scale residential programme. By delivering the piling and raft slab works as a coordinated package, SPEEDECK reduced the number of construction interfaces on site and simplified coordination between trades.

The system also provided a stable working platform for follow-on trades while allowing below-slab drainage and services to be incorporated efficiently, helping the wider construction programme progress with minimal disruption. Completed within a 14 week construction time.