About the
project
Haydon End Rising Main Renewal
Haydon End, Swindon
Wastewater Engineering / Geotechnical / Structural
RWP provided multidisciplinary design services for a major rising main renewal at Haydon End, Swindon, involving 1.2 kilometres of tunnelling, five new shafts and crossings of a railway, river and flood plain.
The disciplines involved in this project were:
- Wastewater Engineering
- Geotechnical Engineering
- Structural Engineering
- Rail Engineering
2022 - 2024
The Haydon End Rising Main Renewal is a major wastewater infrastructure project to future-proof the network and accommodate development within the Haydon End pumping station catchment. The scope included installation of two new rising mains involving 1.2 kilometres of 1200mm diameter tunnels and five new 8-metre diameter shafts.
The existing infrastructure lacked capacity, with burst events requiring approximately 35 tankers and specialist pumps to manage flows. The project aimed to provide new dual-sized mains and a gravity sewer to transfer all flows to the new Swindon treatment works.
RWP’s involvement spanned geotechnical investigation, structural inspection of the River Ray culvert, civil inspection works and wastewater engineering design. Barhale engaged RWP to deliver this multidisciplinary scope across the full project lifecycle.
Key Challenges
- Route crossing a carriageway, private land, railway and nature reserve.
- Tunnelling within a flood plain and beneath the water table.
- Network Rail crossing requiring specialist coordination.
- Structural inspection of River Ray culvert at depth.
- Multiple stakeholders across the extended route.
Project Phases
- Geotechnical investigation and ground condition assessment.
- Route design and crossing methodology.
- Auger boring for tunnelled sections.
- Open-cut works for remaining route.
- Structural and civil inspections along the route.
Achievements
- Successful auger boring through challenging ground conditions.
- Effective stakeholder engagement across multiple land ownerships.
- Accurate route alignment through monitoring methods.
- Multidisciplinary delivery from a single design team.
- Critical infrastructure resilience restored.
Conclusion
- Multidisciplinary projects benefit from a single integrated design team.
- Early geotechnical investigation reduces tunnelling risk.
- Stakeholder engagement is critical for cross-country routes.
The Haydon End Rising Main Renewal is a flagship project demonstrating RWP’s capability to deliver complex, multidisciplinary wastewater infrastructure. The project addressed critical resilience issues while navigating significant environmental and logistical challenges across the Swindon area.
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