Technical project support Huge UK Stockholding Nationwide supply01753 652 555WhatsAppCORE TRADE
Get a project quote
CORE case study · Sophia Gardens, Cardiff

CORE TRP through Sophia Gardens parkland

CORE TRP formed a no-dig, free-draining route for a new cyclepath and footpath through mature parkland between Bute Park and Western Avenue.

Client
Cardiff City Council
Sector
Active travel & parkland
Location
Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
Completion
Route opened in 2021
CORE components
CORE TRP system
CORE TRP visible beneath Sophia Gardens route construction.
CORE project · Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
01Cycleway 4.1

Cardiff active-travel phase

022021

Route opened

03No dig

Tree-sensitive formation

04TRP

Branded CORE system

Project context

A landscape shaped by its purpose.

Cardiff City Council commissioned Cycleway 4.1 from the Bute Park entrance on Castle Street towards Western Avenue through Sophia Gardens and Llandaff Fields.

Horan Construction acted as principal contractor. The alignment needed to move through mature parkland while providing a durable route for cyclists and pedestrians.

The brief

What the project had to achieve.

Create an accessible cyclepath and footpath through established parkland and between mature trees while limiting excavation, compaction and disruption to the root zones.

  1. 01

    Tree-sensitive alignment

    The route needed to weave between established trees and respond to level changes.

  2. 02

    No-dig construction

    Conventional excavation and root-zone compaction had to be limited.

  3. 03

    Accessible movement

    The completed route needed to be smooth and continuous for cyclists and pedestrians.

  4. 04

    Natural drainage

    The cellular and aggregate layers needed to remain free draining.

CORE TRP cellular panels and aggregate during Sophia Gardens route construction.
Progress photograph · cellular load-distribution layer
The CORE solution

Selected around the site—not just the surface.

CORE TRP panels were shaped around the route, filled with free-draining aggregate and covered with the specified wearing surfaces to form a stable no-dig alignment.

100 mm and 150 mm CORE TRP panels were installed above the existing ground and shaped to follow the route geometry.

TRP 10 and TRP 30 membranes, together with CORE Biaxial Geogrid, formed part of the no-dig construction.

The cells were filled with 4–20 mm clean aggregate before the cyclepath and footpath surfaces were completed.

Products & quantities

Products used.

CORE TRP Panels

100 mm and 150 mm

CORE TRP 10 and TRP 30 membranes

CORE Biaxial Geogrid

Installation

How the system was installed.

  1. 01

    Existing tree-sensitive ground retained

  2. 02

    CORE TRP 10, TRP 30 and CORE Biaxial Geogrid

  3. 03

    100 mm and 150 mm CORE TRP panels

  4. 04

    4–20 mm clean aggregate infill

  5. 05

    Cyclepath and footpath surfaces

The result

Cycleway 4.1 now moves continuously through Sophia Gardens on a no-dig cellular formation above the tree-sensitive ground.

Project outcomes

  • Continuous route through mature parkland
  • No-dig cellular formation above existing soil
  • Free-draining aggregate within the CORE TRP panels
  • Accessible connection for cyclists and pedestrians
Project team

The people behind the project.

Client
Cardiff City Council
Principal contractor
Horan Construction
Project gallery

Progress and completed work.

CORE TRP visible beneath the cyclepath construction at Sophia Gardens.
CORE TRP beneath the route during constructionCORE project archiveprogress
Expanded CORE TRP panels filled with aggregate along the park route.
Cellular formation filled with free-draining aggregateCORE project archiveprogress
Completed route winding through Sophia Gardens.
Completed cyclepath and footpathCORE project archivecompleted
Technical downloads

Project and product documents.

Sources

Project sources.

  1. Sophia Gardens CORE TRP case studyCORE
  2. Cardiff route opening reportCardiff Council
  3. Horan Construction projectsHoran Construction
More CORE projects

See another system in use.

View all case studies
Completed North Road cycleway beside the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff.
North Road corridor, Cardiff

No-dig cycleway beside mature trees in Cardiff

More than 8,500 m² of 100 mm CORE TRP formed a no-dig, load-spreading base beneath porous macadam on a tree-sensitive cycle route.

Read case study →
Aerial view of Bodymoor Heath Academy redevelopment.
Bodymoor Heath, North Warwickshire

No-dig access within Aston Villa’s Academy redevelopment

1,200 m² of 150 mm CORE TRP formed no-dig access, parking and circulation areas within Aston Villa’s Bodymoor Heath Academy redevelopment.

Read case study →
Completed public realm, paths and planting at Oxford North.
Oxford

1,793 metres of precise edging across Oxford North

1,793 linear metres of 100 mm CORE PRO EDGE define paths, planting, lawns and meadow across Oxford North’s Phase 1 public realm.

Read case study →
Technical project support

Planning something similar?

Send the project location, intended use, drawings and photographs you have. The CORE team will help identify the relevant product route and the information still needed.

Start a similar projectCall 01753 652 555
CORE Landscape Products: 5.0 / 5 · Excellent on Trustpilot from 533 reviews