The school complex currently consists of a four-storey main building with associated structures. As part of the wider scheme, the work will see the current Queen Elizabeth High School and Hexham Middle School co-located on one site.
Specifically, the Grade II listed building will be preserved, and the new buildings developed to its rear - with the middle school to the south and high school to the north.
With its new Casagrande C6XP-2 rig, Aarsleff will install 360No. soil nails of up to 12m in length over a 923m2 face area.
To provide a safe working platform during the soil nail installation and to prevent cut face collapse, Aarsleff will carry out a staged top down construction. Aarsleff's final scope of works includes the provision of facing comprising a 150mm thick gabion mattress backfilled with granular material to provide an aesthetic finish.
Speaking about the work, Aarsleff's senior geotechnical consultant, Dan Adams, said: "We are delighted that Thompsons of Prudhoe have awarded us this soil nailing contract. We have worked closely on several schemes with Thompsons and we are delighted to further develop this collaborative relationship."
