// ARTICLE
Groundforce Shorco props rise to technical challenge
Groundforce Shorco props provide support for a new six-storey care home in London.
S
ocial care provider the Care Concern Group has appointed main contractor Farrans to replace the old 72-room Clore Manor care home in Hendon with a new six-storey facility with 108 bedrooms and underground parking.
The project occupies a confined site on the south side of the Great North Way with residential properties in close proximity and the busy highway running nearby.
The excavation for the basement car park extends to 4m in depth and measures approximately 50m by 40m, covering almost the entire footprint of the site. The sides of this excavation are lined with a secant-piled retaining wall which is braced with the Groundforce Shorco raking props to transfer lateral loads from the capping beam to concrete thrust blocks located within the excavation down to formation level.
Specialist subcontractor Marney Construction, based in Southend, is carrying out the bulk earthmoving and civils work.
Six Groundforce Shorco MP150 props ranging in length from 7.3m to 10.3m are located along the exposed northern perimeter of the excavation.
On the eastern side of the excavation, adjacent to the main road, the three MP375 props are supporting the retaining wall above a deeper secondary excavation that will eventually house an attenuation tank to store rainwater runoff from the site as part of the project’s sustainable urban drainage system (SUDs).
The MP375 is Groundforce’s second highest capacity hydraulic ram compatible with tube diameters ranging from 610mm up to 1,220mm diameter. It is capable of supporting loads up to 375 tonnes (3,677kN).
Only the MP750, with a rated capacity of 750 tonnes (11,000kN), exceeds the MP375.
Although the MP375 props are capable of supporting high axial loads, absolute capacity was not the primary concern here, explains Groundforce Shorco area manager Ken Sandell.
“The loads involved here aren’t especially high but the deflection criteria was quite tight due to surrounding structures and the main road. Franki Piling, who installed the retaining wall and carried out the geotechnical calculations, set a tolerance of plus or minus 10mm of deflection. So we used the MP375s mainly for their stiffness which minimises movement to comply with the deflection limits.
Groundforce have been very professional, approachable and flexible, working closely with our design team
“The design was developed through close collaboration with our engineers and the client’s design team.”
Groundforce enjoys a strong working relationship with Farrans, having worked with the contractor on several projects across the UK.
Gerard Fennell, Farrans’ project manager on this scheme, says: “This is a challenging project, with tight constraints due to the close proximity of nearby structures and residents while forming a deep basement.
“Groundforce has been superb on Clore Manor. They have been very professional, approachable and flexible, working closely with our design team and subcontractor to develop a design that is robust and practical.”
Spring 2026 M39 Spring
Spring 202 M3026 M39
29
29
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44
