Nant Morlais (Merthyr Tydfil) Sinkhole Remediation
Date & Time

2 June 2026
18:00 - 19:30 GMT

Location

Mercure Chester Abbotts Well Hotel Whitchurch Road Christleton Chester CH3 5QL
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Price
Free
The Institution of Structural Engineers The Institution of Structural Engineers
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Nant Morlais (Merthyr Tydfil) Sinkhole Remediation

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Author
Date published
Price
Regional
Date & Time

2 June 2026
18:00 - 19:30 GMT

Location

Mercure Chester Abbotts Well Hotel Whitchurch Road Christleton Chester CH3 5QL
View on Google Maps

Price
Free
Availability

Places available

A technical talk on remedial measures for sinkholes.

On 1 December 2024, a collapse sinkhole roughly 10m across and 11.5m deep opened on a residential cul-de-sac in Merthyr Tydfil — at its closest point just 3.8m from a front door. Twenty-nine families were evacuated facing Christmas away from home, and the failure of a brick arch culvert built around 1900–1910 drew national and international media coverage.
 
This talk follows the project from the first emergency call-out to the completed permanent repair, from both the contractor's and designer's perspectives. It covers the survey and stabilisation that got residents home for Christmas, the temporary works (a reinforced shotcrete lining to a century-old masonry arch and a sheet-piled cofferdam) and the permanent in-situ reinforced concrete box culvert.

Running throughout are the engineering judgement calls, contractor-designer collaboration, and the safety and sustainability measures designed in, before closing on what Nant Morlais says about the resilience of ageing UK infrastructure under increasingly extreme weather.

Speaker

Arwel Davies

Arwel Davies is a Civil and Structural Engineer at Pebble Engineering Ltd in Aberavon, South Wales. He graduated from Swansea University Following graduation from Swansea University, he is currently working towards Chartered status. Arwel has built broad experience across critical infrastructure, marine construction, temporary works, and industrial facilities, designing in steel, reinforced concrete, masonry, timber and structural glass. His project work ranges from working on Water Treatment schemes, seismic analysis of a Swiss oil refinery and containment design at a UK LPG import terminal to RNLI lifeboat stations and the refurbishment of the Megafobia rollercoaster at Oakwood. On the Nant Morlais culvert collapse he was Lead Structural Engineer, responsible for the temporary and permanent works design and for coordinating the wider design team. Fluent in Welsh and English, he is an active member of the Swansea & West Wales ICE Early Careers Network and supports final-year MEng students at Swansea University.

Contact

Email - [email protected]

Name - Mike Mowen

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