Case Study: The Hovercraft Column, Suffolk

An elegant stone column topped with a bronze hovercraft was constructed at Somerleyton, in north Suffolk, in memory of where the craft was invented by Sir
Christopher Cockerell in 1955 and is now a permanent memorial to the invention of the hovercraft.

In order to achieve the construction Cintec International were tasked with important structural reinforcement of the column.

In order to create vertical stability of the 6 metre high column the structural engineers SFK Consulting specified a continuous Cintec 24mm diameter anchor in a 65mm diameter hole drilled from the column top and into the concrete foundation.

A reinforced concrete base was cast and the plinth stones set in place after which a full height scaffold was erected. Pre-drilled stone column sections were then positioned including the capping. The Cintec special projects team then vertically cored drilled accurately to align the 65mm diameter hole internally. The 24mm diameter Cintec anchor set into the hole form capping into the foundation was then grouted.

Finally the 100mm diameter top was added and the nut tightened to secure the Portland roll stone.