Silvertown Quays, London
Silvertown Quays, London
Location: Royal Victoria Docks, London
Client: Lendlease
Lendlease is transforming a 50-acre former warehousing site on Royal Victoria Dock into a mixed-use residential and commercial development. Creating the development platform requires reclaiming large areas of former dock water through engineered infill, all while protecting the Grade II listed
Silo D structure and existing historic dock walls. We have been providing geotechnical and temporary works engineering from early concept stage, designing dock walls, dewatering systems, and an 8-metre high infill using site-won materials to meet tight settlement criteria for future multi-storey buildings.
Silo D structure and existing historic dock walls. We have been providing geotechnical and temporary works engineering from early concept stage, designing dock walls, dewatering systems, and an 8-metre high infill using site-won materials to meet tight settlement criteria for future multi-storey buildings.
8m
High engineered infill from large areas of former dock water
59
acre site in London's Royal Victoria Dock
7000
new homes expected when the scheme is fully complete
Our role
Our roleWentworth has delivered comprehensive geotechnical and temporary works consultancy across all early stages of this Docklands regeneration, with ongoing involvement through construction. Our work began at concept stage, designing new dock walls with temporary cut-off systems for staged dewatering and permanent retaining structures for the reclaimed land. We have designed the engineered infill specification, conducted extensive stability assessments of the existing Victorian dock walls, and developed 3D ground movement analyses to protect utilities, services, and the listed Silo D structure. Our scope has included enabling works design covering site excavations, working platforms, stockpiles, hoardings, and temporary access roads, all requiring verification against bearing capacity and settlement for crane operations.
Capabilities
Capabilities- Infrastructure
- Buildings
- Geotechnics
- Structural Engineering
Designing an 8M engineered infill
Designing an 8M engineered infillCreating a stable development platform over the former dock water requires an 8-metre high engineered infill that will support future multi-storey buildings and infrastructure. The challenge is achieving tight long-term settlement requirements while predominantly reusing site-won materials rather than importing expensive virgin fill. Made ground, dock deposits and alluvium over competent strata mean variable ground conditions, while legacy industrial contamination adds complexity to the material specification.
We have specified comprehensive testing regimes for site arisings, interpreted laboratory results, and developed detailed compaction and placement requirements tailored to the materials' characteristics. Our design has employed parametric analyses bracketing stiffness and strength ranges across different loading and groundwater scenarios, allowing us to understand performance under long-term building loads and accidental conditions. We continue to validate our assumptions through back-analysis of monitoring data as construction progresses, refining compaction specifications to deliver the required platform stiffness.
This approach will enable Lendlease to reuse site materials economically while achieving the settlement performance needed for high-density residential construction above.
We have specified comprehensive testing regimes for site arisings, interpreted laboratory results, and developed detailed compaction and placement requirements tailored to the materials' characteristics. Our design has employed parametric analyses bracketing stiffness and strength ranges across different loading and groundwater scenarios, allowing us to understand performance under long-term building loads and accidental conditions. We continue to validate our assumptions through back-analysis of monitoring data as construction progresses, refining compaction specifications to deliver the required platform stiffness.
This approach will enable Lendlease to reuse site materials economically while achieving the settlement performance needed for high-density residential construction above.
Protecting historic dock walls during construction
Protecting historic dock walls during constructionThe existing Victorian-era dock walls and the Grade II listed Silo D structure sit directly adjacent to infill placement areas, excavation zones, and future building locations. These heritage assets cannot tolerate significant movement from nearby construction activities, dewatering, infill placement, and later piling for new buildings all pose risks of wall deflection and structural distress. The dock walls in particular have served for over a century, and their exact construction details and remaining capacity remain uncertain.
Wentworth has conducted detailed stability assessments of the historic dock walls under various construction load combinations, analysing earth pressure, water pressure, and surcharge effects during different stages. Our team has developed 3D ground movement and potential damage assessments using finite element analysis, establishing building and asset categorisation that feeds directly into trigger levels and mitigation strategies. We have designed specific mitigation measures including modified construction sequences, temporary support systems, and instrumentation monitoring strategies tracking wall deflections and ground settlements throughout dewatering and infill placement.
The monitoring data allows us to validate our parametric predictions in real time, enabling Lendlease to adjust construction sequences when needed to keep movements within agreed limits while maintaining programme.
Wentworth has conducted detailed stability assessments of the historic dock walls under various construction load combinations, analysing earth pressure, water pressure, and surcharge effects during different stages. Our team has developed 3D ground movement and potential damage assessments using finite element analysis, establishing building and asset categorisation that feeds directly into trigger levels and mitigation strategies. We have designed specific mitigation measures including modified construction sequences, temporary support systems, and instrumentation monitoring strategies tracking wall deflections and ground settlements throughout dewatering and infill placement.
The monitoring data allows us to validate our parametric predictions in real time, enabling Lendlease to adjust construction sequences when needed to keep movements within agreed limits while maintaining programme.
Designing dock walls and dewatering systems
Designing dock walls and dewatering systemsThe new dock walls require design for both temporary cut-off functions during staged dewatering and permanent earth retention after infill placement. Site constraints mean conventional internal propping systems are not viable as the dock areas need to remain accessible for plant movements, infill placement, and service installations throughout construction. This constraint, combined with demanding long-term and accidental load cases, means we cannot rely on standard textbook dock wall solutions.
We have developed integrated geotechnical-structural analysis of the embedded cantilever wall systems under complex loading combinations: earth pressure, differential water levels during dewatering, infill surcharge, and future building foundations. Our designs account for load sequences where water levels differ significantly on either side of walls during dewatering and infill operations, requiring careful consideration of wall embedment, passive resistance mobilisation, and groundwater flow around cut-off systems. We provided parametric designs accommodating uncertainty in initial ground investigation data, then have validated and refined these as more detailed site information has become available.
These non-standard solutions give Lendlease the flexibility to execute the phased construction across the 50-acre site while maintaining safe, stable dock wall performance.
We have developed integrated geotechnical-structural analysis of the embedded cantilever wall systems under complex loading combinations: earth pressure, differential water levels during dewatering, infill surcharge, and future building foundations. Our designs account for load sequences where water levels differ significantly on either side of walls during dewatering and infill operations, requiring careful consideration of wall embedment, passive resistance mobilisation, and groundwater flow around cut-off systems. We provided parametric designs accommodating uncertainty in initial ground investigation data, then have validated and refined these as more detailed site information has become available.
These non-standard solutions give Lendlease the flexibility to execute the phased construction across the 50-acre site while maintaining safe, stable dock wall performance.
Outcomes
OutcomesWentworth's early involvement in concept design and optioneering is helping Lendlease to navigate the technical, environmental, and financial requirements of this complex docklands regeneration designed to protect London's industrial heritage. Phase 1 enabling works have been completed and full planning permission for 7000 new homes was received in December 2025.