The Eden Project: 25 Years On

The autumn of 1998 marked the beginning of our involvement in what would become one of the UK’s most iconic attractions: Eden Project.

In this article, our Managing Director, Scott Kemp, reflects on Kemp Engineering’s role from the very beginning.

Scott had previously worked with Alfred McAlpine on major road schemes including the M40 motorway, A30 road and A39 road, and already knew Deputy Project Manager Keith Titman.

Early Days on Site

The first few weeks involved establishing survey control around the rim of the former china clay pit that would eventually become Eden. Access was extremely challenging. The haul roads were dominated by 40-tonne dump trucks, leaving ruts so deep that even Land Rover access was difficult.

The initial site office was located in disused china clay buildings, since replaced by Eden’s current administration offices. Despite the scale of the project, early mobilisation by the McAlpine joint venture felt surprisingly minimal.

Scott recalls: “At the time, it all felt quite sketchy considering the size of the project. On site were Senior Civil Engineer Keith Pizzey, Works Manager Jerry O’Leary, some plant operators, and Colin Trebilcock and Dave Goldsmith assisting with survey control.”

Weather, Funding and a Slow Start

At the time, it wasn’t widely known that Eden’s founders were still securing funding. Combined with a particularly wet winter, progress stalled towards the end of 1998.

By spring 1999, conditions improved and funding stabilised, allowing the enormous one million cubic metre earthworks operation to begin.

This was before the widespread use of GPS and machine control. Everything had to be set out using bespoke methods to define cut and fill. Translating the ambitious landscape designs by Land Use Consultants (LUC) into something workable on the ground required constant communication—and, as Scott puts it, plenty of “pointing, waving and FFS-ing.”

Engineering the Pit

Access remained one of the biggest challenges throughout the early stages. The base of the pit had to be significantly raised while managing groundwater.

Deep drainage systems and pumping stations were installed to keep the site workable.

By autumn 1999, major progress had been made:

• The visitor centre plateau was formed
• Deep drainage infrastructure was in place
• Earthworks were complete enough to begin biome ring beam construction

Slope stabilisation followed, using rock anchors and sprayed concrete under the supervision of John Grimes Partnership, installed by Saxton Drilling and Cornwall Mining and Tunnelling, affectionately known on site as “the Smurfs”.

Building the Biomes

Dean & Dyball constructed the reinforced ground beams for the biomes. The Kemp team surveyed every holding-down pocket to ensure precise alignment with designs by Anthony Hunt Associates.

The biome superstructures, designed by Nicholas Grimshaw & Partners, were erected by Mero using a world-record free-standing scaffold.

A team of up to five Kemp surveyors set out the 3D coordinates of each structural node from vantage points around the pit, working closely with the erection team.

Stress Testing and Precision

Once the biomes were largely complete, stress testing was carried out on the humid biome arches.

Scott explains: “We placed prisms on key points of the arches and monitored movement for a week before loading, to account for temperature variation.”

On test days, the pressure was intense. Joint Venture Project Manager Barry Johnson remained on site, while crews filming The Big Build captured every moment.

The results were a success, deflection varied by no more than 2mm from the engineers’ calculations.

Access and Infrastructure

Meanwhile, through 1999 and into 2000, Cormac constructed the 3km access road from Penwithick using former china clay haul routes.

The Kemp team carried out the full setting out for this significant standalone project.

Opening to the Public

In 2000, ahead of completion, Eden’s marketing team launched a campaign allowing visitors to watch construction and ride a land train into the pit, an early sign of the attraction’s future popularity.

By early 2001, the final touches were underway:

• As-built surveys and records completed
• Manufactured topsoil placed
• Planting, sculptures and artwork installed

Kemp’s time on site ended the day before the official opening, when the press were given early access.

Scott recalls: “There was a real sense of achievement on site, mixed with hope and excitement for what was about to open.”

A Project That Continued

Although our core involvement ended before the Eden Project opening, we’ve returned many times over the years.

Projects since have included:

• Setting out the Core Building
• Surveying the scaffold bridge and Eden Sessions stage
• Laser scanning the biomes for a 3D virtual tour
• Surveying following the 2020/21 landslides
• Setting out visitor centre upgrades
• Utility tracing and drainage surveys

Each one a story in its own right, and perhaps one for another day.