In September 2011, IBS Engineered Products Ltd was awarded a contract by main contractor VolkerStevin to design, supply and install a glass wall flood defence system for Keswick, Cumbria.

The glass wall panelling forms part of the Environment Agency’s £6.1 million flood risk management scheme in Keswick.

The glass wall system itself is a superb demonstration of design and engineering working together. Totalling 94 sq. metres, it is the largest wall IBS Engineered Products have supplied in the UK so far and is believed to be the largest wall of its type(in terms of square metres) installed in the UK.

In this picturesque location, aesthetic considerations are paramount and thus the system had to be carefully reconciled with the need for an affordable, high-performance solution that would protect nearby residential buildings and the areas beyond them. As well as being a permanent flood defence needing very little human interaction, the glass element of the structure will help to preserve views of the river and minimise the wall’s overall impact on its environment.  This last factor was a key requirement of the project brief and meant that the new wall needed to cause as little disruption as possible to the local atmosphere and the lifestyles of the people who live in and visit Keswick.

Ray Moulds, IBS Engineered Products Business Development Manager, said: “The wall is built to withstand impact loading as well as hydrostatic head and is a great example of IBS Engineered Products’ ability to devise innovative yet workable solutions that meet every specific criteria of a client’s brief, whatever the challenge.

Mike Harper, Environment Agency Project Manager, said: “This work is essential to reduce the risk of flooding to people and homes in Keswick, and we are pleased that these glass flood defences will complement the town whilst providing protection to homes and businesses.”

Stuart Eckersley, VolkerStevin contracts manager, said: “For this design and build project VolkerStevin worked closely with the Environment Agency and the local residents of Keswick to ensure that the design of the flood defence fitted in with its natural surrounding as much as possible. The innovative glass solution installed meant that views of the picturesque landscape have not been compromised and has received positive feedback from those affected by the works.”