King George V Reservoir Works

King George V Reservoir was constructed between 1908 and 1912.
It opened in 1913 and is the largest reservoir within the London area, measuring 170 ha (420 acres) in size and holding 2,740,000,000 gallons of water. To enable the reservoir to continue to operate safely, Barhale were engaged by eight₂O (SMB JV) to carry out two essential elements of work:

• Strengthening of the existing kneeler beam
• Installation of a hardcore access road round the crest of the reservoir

Kneeler beams are built into the upstream shoulders of the reservoir
embankment. They provide support to the concrete slabbing, which
protects the embankment from wave erosion around the top of the
water level. When reservoir levels were very low, there was the risk
of erosion undermining these kneeler beams, which could cause the
concrete slabs to fall away.