Construction company I&G have been appointed to develop a new, purpose built, environmentally friendly visitor centre and café at Thrybergh Country Park, on the outskirts of Rotherham. The new facility will be built using modern methods of construction, with structurally insulated panels (SIPs) being manufactured offsite and erected in position,
RED Construction Group, the specialist main contractor, has announced its appointment to deliver the £31m redevelopment of 55 Pall Mall, to be carried out by its dedicated London team. RED Construction London will oversee the creation of a new office development located on Pall Mall in St James’s, London, spanning
Representatives from Anchor and Higgins Partnerships have come together to celebrate the completion of the new retirement community at St Andrews Park on the former RAF Uxbridge site in West London. The £21 million retirement community features 72 one and two bedroom apartments offering home ownership and independent living with
Prologis UK, the leading owner and developer of logistics property, has completed a £240m portfolio of development across London and the Midlands, bringing 627,724 sq. ft. of prime new logistics space to the market across, three strategically located sites with a further 62,537 sq. ft. comprehensively refurbished in Birmingham’s strongest
National property consultancy Carter Jonas has secured planning consent on behalf of Harwell Science and Innovation Campus for a new 53,000 sq ft (GIA) office building for the popular science campus. Consent was awarded by the Vale of White Horse District Council in June. The new office building will be
Working on behalf of Balfour Beatty VINCI, a team of 20 demolition experts from Solihull-based firm Armac Demolition have worked 24/7 to remove a 4,000 tonne two-span bridge over the M42 to make way for the HS2 railway in the West Midlands. The team used eight 50 tonne excavators and two
Polypipe Building Services has now released environmental product declarations (EPDs) for its suite of MecFlow, Terrain Q Terrain FUZE and Terrain PVC pipes and fittings sold in the UK. Customers within the construction sector are increasingly asking for EPDs as sustainability has become a key factor, with increased pressure being
Barnet Council has signed an agreement with developer Redrow to acquire 249 new-build homes for affordable rent to the borough’s residents. In June, the council’s Cabinet Members voted unanimously to make the purchase, which forms one-quarter of the council’s commitment to deliver 1,000 new affordable homes by 2026. Most of
VolkerFitzpatrick, one of the UK’s leading engineering and construction companies, has successfully reduced fuel wastage by a third (34%) on its Magna Park construction site in Corby, Northamptonshire. This remarkable achievement was made possible through the installation of fuel monitoring systems provided by Invisible Systems, a leading Manchester-based Internet of
HS2 has completed a ‘marathon’ construction operation at Streethay near Lichfield as part of an innovative project to pave the way for Britain’s new high-speed line. The operation – which utilised the latest low-carbon design – involved excavating 14,000 tonnes of earth, building a 140 metre retaining wall and moving
Construction company I&G have been appointed to develop a new, purpose built, environmentally friendly visitor centre and café at Thrybergh Country Park, on the outskirts of Rotherham. The new facility will be built using modern methods of construction, with structurally insulated panels (SIPs) being manufactured offsite and erected in position, allowing a quicker, more efficient and more environmentally friendly process than a traditional build. The building will be in keeping with the natural environment of the country park, using timber from sustainable sources and natural materials which will blend into the greenery and water of its surroundings. The development, being delivered on behalf of Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, will include a new café, visitor centre and educational facility for the local community to enjoy, alongside a new external teaching space and amphitheatre with stunning views across the reservoir. Christopher Carline, I&G Managing Director, said: “Creating the building in this way using modern methods of construction will have a positive impact on the long term performance of the building in terms of its energy efficiency and carbon impact. “Thrybergh Country Park is a beautiful spot, which attracts many visitors throughout the year, and we hope the new café and visitor centre will allow more people to enjoy the natural beauty of the area, as well as creating more opportunities for ecological education.” Detailed design work is currently being developed, with work likely to begin on site early next year, and the buildings are expected to be completed by early autumn 2024. Thrybergh Country Park is a reservoir and nature reserve in South Yorkshire, which opened in 1983. Popular with walkers and families, the country park provides an important habitat for birds and other wildlife, with over 155 species of bird having been recorded there, as well as 20 different mammals and 170 types of plants. The £2.5m visitor centre has been funded by the UK Government’s Levelling Up grant. I&G is a construction company that has been operating across the North of England since 1972. The company is known for being experts at complex construction works in difficult environments, such as hospital wards, food production facilities and educational laboratories. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
RED Construction Group, the specialist main contractor, has announced its appointment to deliver the £31m redevelopment of 55 Pall Mall, to be carried out by its dedicated London team. RED Construction London will oversee the creation of a new office development located on Pall Mall in St James’s, London, spanning a Net Internal Area of 3,271 sq m. The existing buildings are set to be demolished down to basement level to make way for the new high-quality building, incorporating retail units and office accommodation. The Pall Mall façade will be retained and renovated, with sections being carefully dismantled from site to be cleaned and stored before reinstallation, while the massing and façade materials are designed to blend into the surrounding context. The development will see the construction of a new building comprising of basement, ground, and seven storeys, with terraces at fifth, sixth and seventh-floor levels. The existing foundations and basement are reused to reduce embodied carbon, while the new construction uses Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) floor slabs, evidence of a clear focus on sustainable materials throughout. As a result, the upfront embodied carbon is expected to be below 550kg CO2e/m2, comfortably meeting the LETI/GLA 2030 target of 600 CO2e/m2. A very low level of operating energy is also targeted. The focus on sustainability is further emphasised by the targeting of BREEAM Outstanding and an EPC A rating, while a rating of WiredScore Platinum is also included. Tony O’Farrell, Operations Director at RED Construction London, commented: “This key project at the heart of London’s Pall Mall is a prime example of RED Construction London’s expertise in reimagining iconic historical buildings for modern-day commercial use. The development of 55-58 Pall Mall and 1-4 Crown Passage will call on our team’s experience in the retention and restoration of heritage features, as we reinstate the building’s impressive façade. We are delighted to have been appointed and look forward to working with the brilliant team across this project.” Edward Sneddon, Partner at Simten Developments, Development Managers for the project, added: “This is a hugely exciting project that seeks to deliver a cutting-edge building of the highest quality but in an extremely sustainable way. RED Construction London’s track record speaks volumes, and we are proud to be working alongside the team on this scheme.” The appointment follows the news that RED Construction Group has announced a trio of project wins totalling £20m across London and the South East, to be delivered by its dedicated Special Projects team, whilst RED Construction London is currently delivering Barwood Capital’s £15.1m redevelopment of Explore, the office building in Richmond, south west London, formerly known as Eton House. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Representatives from Anchor and Higgins Partnerships have come together to celebrate the completion of the new retirement community at St Andrews Park on the former RAF Uxbridge site in West London. The £21 million retirement community features 72 one and two bedroom apartments offering home ownership and independent living with a range of communal facilities including a lounge, bistro, health and wellness suites, guest accommodation and staff rooms. There is also above and below ground car parking. Jason Ludlow, Director of Production for Higgins Partnerships comments, “Later Living developments are a fundamental part of the housing mix to relieve the pressure on communities as the number of people over the age of 65 in the UK continues to grow. As a Group we have a wealth of experience creating high quality developments in this sector and we are delighted to have worked in partnership with Anchor to deliver St Andrews Park. “Throughout our time at St Andrews Park we have also worked closely with the local community, providing a range of training and apprenticeship opportunities as well as donating books to St Andrews Primary School through Little Box of Books, which helps improve school literacy and provide books that prioritise diversity and inclusion for children.” Julia Cracknell Development Delivery Manager at Anchor said: “The completion of Atlas Lodge brings us closer to delivering our target to provide 5,700 new homes in the next 10 years. Our aim is to provide modern homes for older people, where they can access social activities and wellbeing services in beautiful surroundings. We are looking forward to welcoming residents to their new homes where they can love living in later life.” The apartments at St Andrews Park are surrounded by landscaping, with dense evergreen shrubs planted to filter views of the building along with a residents’ communal garden with seating areas and raised planters. To the south of the development there is also ornamental planting which will provide seasonable interest and enhance the building facades. Every apartment has a large balcony and some also benefit from roof terraces. The architect for the project is Tooley & Foster Partnership. For further information about Higgins please visit www.higginspartnerships.co.uk For further information about Anchor please visit https://www.anchor.org.uk/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Prologis UK, the leading owner and developer of logistics property, has completed a £240m portfolio of development across London and the Midlands, bringing 627,724 sq. ft. of prime new logistics space to the market across, three strategically located sites with a further 62,537 sq. ft. comprehensively refurbished in Birmingham’s strongest market. The construction projects at Prologis Park Midpoint and Prologis Park Bromford Gate, both located in Birmingham, and at Prologis Park West London and Prologis Park Brooklands in Weybridge exemplify the business’ continued commitment to providing market-leading logistics property. The new 163,754 sq. ft. unit, DC6 at Prologis Park Midpoint, has brought the total floor space of one of the UK’s most successful logistics parks to over 1.6 million sq. ft. and is located within the logistics “Golden Triangle” in the Midlands. Net zero carbon in construction, and with a BREAAM ‘Excellent’ rating and EPC A+, the new unit is located just eight miles from central Birmingham and has access to 11 motorway junctions within five miles, making it perfectly situated to support growing supply chain needs. Similarly, the recently refurbished unit DC1 (62,537 sq. ft.) at Prologis Park Bromford Gate is situated just over three miles from Birmingham City Centre and as one of Birmingham’s most prominent and recognisable parks is easily accessible from the M6 from both junctions 5 and 6. The unit’s comprehensive refurbishment included enhancing the employee amenity and shower facilities, installing LED lighting throughout and providing EV charging provision to achieve an EPC A rating. Turning attention to the London market, there has been an increased focus on the need for more high-density urban hubs to provide greater last-mile capabilities. In response to the growing needs of the industry, Prologis UK has broken ground on two key development areas within Greater London. Strategically positioned to ensure access to the major consumer markets within West and Central London as well as the Thames Valley, two new units have reached completion at Prologis Park West London. With a combined footprint of 339,569 sq. ft., units DC5 (195,720 sq. ft.) and DC6 (143,849 sq. ft.) stand as testament to Prologis UK’s commitment to setting standards in the industry. Beyond net zero in construction and EPC ‘A’-rated, both units also boast solar photovoltaics (PV) and will serve to help alleviate the increased need for high-density urban hubs that can provide greater last-mile capabilities. Both DC5 and DC6 are available immediately on flexible short term leases, a unique proposition in a competitive market. Likewise, Prologis Park Brooklands DC1, achieved – BREEAM ‘Excellent ‘and EPC A+, is situated in a proven last-mile delivery location, serving Central and South London, with easy access to the M25, M3 and A3. The new 124,401 sq. ft. logistics facility draws upon a large and skilled labour pool from Weybridge and surrounding areas. Both Prologis Park West London and Prologis Park Brooklands are designed and built to meet the demands of high-performance operations. Paul Weston, Regional Head at Prologis UK, said: “Our investment into such an extensive development programme goes to show the lengths to which we are prepared to go to service the market, and our customers. After listening to the market, we’re excited to be completing our new units that push the boundaries of what is achievable in the industrial and logistics sector. “Having led the charge for sustainable and innovation in logistics property developments, we’re proud to continue our legacy of providing spaces that truly add value to our customers and communities.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
National property consultancy Carter Jonas has secured planning consent on behalf of Harwell Science and Innovation Campus for a new 53,000 sq ft (GIA) office building for the popular science campus. Consent was awarded by the Vale of White Horse District Council in June. The new office building will be occupied by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), but has been designed to provide flexibility. In addition to workspaces, the planning consent also includes breakout areas inside and outside of the building for staff and visitors, enhanced landscaping and tree planting, and car and cycle parking provision adjacent to the building. Harwell Campus is located within The Science Vale UK area, an internationally significant location for innovation and science-based research and business. The 700-acre campus is home to numerous organisations, predominantly in the innovation technologies sector, and provides employment to around 6,500 people working in over 225 organisations. Katherine Jones, Associate Partner, Planning and Development, Carter Jonas, commented: “Carter Jonas is involved in planning widely across Harwell Campus – from strategic planning through to individual applications such as this. A specialist nuclear cluster has emerged at Harwell, and consequently, there is ongoing demand for space. We are pleased to have played a part in fulfilling this requirement.” Monika Zemla, Director of Leasing and Business Development at Harwell Campus, said: “We’re delighted to have secured planning for the Dexter development. Dexter will be occupied by NDA, whose crucial work will pave the way for the realisation of our masterplan vision and will enable further expansion of our globally renowned science community.” Having managed and submitted the planning application, Carter Jonas will continue to be involved through the discharging of the planning conditions.
Working on behalf of Balfour Beatty VINCI, a team of 20 demolition experts from Solihull-based firm Armac Demolition have worked 24/7 to remove a 4,000 tonne two-span bridge over the M42 to make way for the HS2 railway in the West Midlands. The team used eight 50 tonne excavators and two 40 tonne excavators to remove the 40 metre long, 10 metre wide bridge during a planned 56 hour closure of the motorway. Six articulated dumper trucks transported the excavated material to a local stockpile where it will be crushed and reused on HS2’s haul roads and working areas. The whole job was completed sooner than anticipated, which meant the M42 could be reopened 14 hours ahead of schedule, shortening the closure to 42 hours and reducing disruption to road users. Armac was working for HS2’s civils contractor Balfour Beatty VINCI to deliver the operation during the closure of the M42 near HS2’s Interchange Station construction site in Solihull. HS2 Ltd and Balfour Beatty VINCI worked closely with National Highways and their supply chain to enable the demolition works, with all existing motorway technology diverted or removed prior to the demolition. In the last year, Balfour Beatty VINCI have also diverted power and telecommunications cables away from the structure ahead of the demolition. The bridge, which carried the A452 over the M42, was removed to allow for a new twin box structure to be constructed, which will carry the high speed line over the motorway in the future. HS2 has built a new, improved road structure and roundabout which now carries the A452, and in future will also enable access to the new HS2 Interchange Station. Oliver Shore, Construction Director at Balfour Beatty VINCI said: “It is through relentless collaboration with HS2 and National Highways that we have achieved this latest milestone in less than two days, overcoming technical and logistical challenges along the way. “The demolition of the existing M42 bridge will kickstart the next phase of works, with our attention now turning to the construction of the new twin box structure which is designed to carry Britain’s new zero carbon railway – HS2 – over the motorway.” Ian Clarke, Senior Project Manager at HS2 Ltd said: “This is another fantastic milestone for our civils team in the West Midlands, as construction of HS2 moves on at pace. The team did a brilliant job to get the demolition finished way ahead of schedule, meaning the motorway could be reopened much earlier than anticipated.” “In this region, over 9,750 people are working on the many complex and exciting feats of engineering to build HS2 over the existing network of roads, railways, rivers and canals – creating our new zero carbon railway to connect London, the Midlands and the North.” National Highways Senior Network Planner, Frank Bird said: “We’d like to thank motorists for their patience while the work took place and for following our diversion routes during the closure. “This bridge demolition was a really big project and we have worked closely with HS2 over the past few months to plan the closure of the M42 and to try and limit disruption during the work. “Given the complexity of the work involved, we’re really pleased to see the work completed ahead of time and it’s testament to the hard work of those involved that we could open the road earlier than planned.” Noel McLean, Technical Director from Solihull-based Armac Demolition said: ‘’Armac were delighted to be working again in collaboration with our HS2 partners Balfour Beatty VINCI on the first of three major bridge demolition projects in this section. The detailed planning that had been put into the project over the last 12 months by Balfour Beatty VINCI and Armac resulted in an excellent performance over the weekend. “A safely executed project, completed well ahead of the closure schedule, and not a single mark on the carriageway. Great performance by all involved – looking forward to the next one.” From the full closure of the M42 at 00.25 on Saturday 12 August, a team of 30 people removed the motorway vehicle restraint system and installed protective matting. The 20-strong demolition team then moved in to remove the bridge deck, wing walls, central pier and abutments between 07.30 and 17.00 on Saturday 12 August. The matting was removed, carriageway cleaned, and central reservation and verge restraint systems reinstated, ready for the motorway to be re-opened at 15.00 on Sunday 13 August. Coming up next, the Balfour Beatty VINCI team will now start to construct the huge twin box structure, which will carry HS2 trains over the M42. The structure, measuring 300 metres length by 25 metres width will cover around 130 metres of the M42 and will be built in position whilst maintaining three lanes of traffic flowing on the M42. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Polypipe Building Services has now released environmental product declarations (EPDs) for its suite of MecFlow, Terrain Q Terrain FUZE and Terrain PVC pipes and fittings sold in the UK. Customers within the construction sector are increasingly asking for EPDs as sustainability has become a key factor, with increased pressure being placed on specifiers to help minimise the environmental impact of a building and the materials required for its construction. Based on third party-verified life cycle assessments (LCAs), EPDs provide details of the environmental impact of a product across its entire life, and enable building designers, planners, contractors, and developers to select the best products for their projects that also have the lowest carbon footprints. Although currently manufacturers are not obliged to provide EPDs, Polypipe Building Services has taken the step to supply them as standard for all their products as part of their commitment to construction best practice. Alex Ashton, environmental and sustainability manager at Polypipe Building Services said: “Providing detailed environmental information for our products marks an important milestone in supporting the UK construction industry to make more sustainable choices. “The release of these EPDs follows our being awarded the BSI Kitemark for our BIM Level 2 Revit files. They also form part of our push towards providing complete product transparency, and the carbon data our customers need to achieve the government pledge to net zero. “EPDs also play an essential part in producing accurate plans as part of a project’s ‘golden thread’ of information. Monitoring, measuring, and reporting in this way supports our drive to continuously improve our products and lower greenhouse gas emissions.” The cornerstone of creating a circular economy at Polypipe Building Services has been the launch of their Terrain PVC pipes manufactured with up to 65% recycled materials and combining exceptional performance with enhanced sustainability standards. This significant investment in product development supports the commitment by their parent company, the Genuit Group, towards emission reduction targets through the Science Based Targets initiative, which was validated in April this year, and is the first to be made by a building products manufacturer within the UK as part of their ambition to be the low carbon supplier of choice into the industry. For more information about the EPDs available from Polypipe Building Services follow the product links and click on EPD at www.polypipe.com/commercial-building-services/technical-hub Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Barnet Council has signed an agreement with developer Redrow to acquire 249 new-build homes for affordable rent to the borough’s residents. In June, the council’s Cabinet Members voted unanimously to make the purchase, which forms one-quarter of the council’s commitment to deliver 1,000 new affordable homes by 2026. Most of the new homes will be made available for rent starting in October 2023 with the remainder following in January 2024. The properties are part of the latest phase of the Colindale Gardens development and will offer 42 three-bed family homes and 40 that are wheelchair adaptable. The stock will also include studios, one and two-bedroom properties. Barnet Council will acquire the 249 homes through its Housing Revenue Account. The properties and communal areas will be managed by Barnet Homes, adding to its social housing portfolio of 13,000 properties across the borough. Cllr Ross Houston, Deputy Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Homes & Regeneration, welcomed the announcement: “As a council, we care for our people and that means providing high quality, affordable housing. We have seized this unique opportunity to take a big step forward in our commitment to deliver 1,000 council homes by 2026. “It represents really good value for money and will make considerable savings on temporary accommodation costs the moment new tenants are able to move in this year. “Delivering the right homes to meet diverse needs now and for future generations, that people can afford and are in the right places, is a key priority and challenge for the council. We are London’s second largest borough by population but have the sixth lowest stock of social housing. Many of our residents are deeply affected by the acute housing shortage and sky-high rents, so providing more genuinely affordable housing will help those at the sharp end of the cost-of-living crisis.” Paul Muldowney, Managing Director of Redrow London Division, commented: “At Redrow, our commitment to the local community and creating great places to live serves as the driving force behind our collaboration with Barnet Council. We believe that everyone should have access to secure, comfortable, and affordable housing, with this partnership marking a step towards making this vision into a tangible reality. “We’re proud that Colindale Gardens offers high specification apartments surrounded by open green space yet close to excellent amenities and travel links to enjoy the best of the city. In providing 249 new homes for affordable rent, we look forward to seeing our homes become vibrant spaces which seek to provide not just housing, but the foundation for a thriving community.” In March, the council announced sweeping new plans to improve housing in Barnet including enhancing social housing tenants’ security by moving from fixed-term to lifetime tenancies, and committed to investing £2.2m per annum for the next 10 years to tackle damp and mould in the council’s housing stock. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
VolkerFitzpatrick, one of the UK’s leading engineering and construction companies, has successfully reduced fuel wastage by a third (34%) on its Magna Park construction site in Corby, Northamptonshire. This remarkable achievement was made possible through the installation of fuel monitoring systems provided by Invisible Systems, a leading Manchester-based Internet of Things (IoT) solution provider. Following the highly successful trial, that also resulted in considerable savings in costs and reductions in carbon emissions, the monitoring systems have been permanently implemented and usage recommendations have been shared across other divisions within the VolkerFitzpatrick business portfolio. Magna Park in Corby, Northamptonshire is one of the UK’s largest dedicated logistics and distribution parks, with VolkerFitzpatrick responsible for construction. Invisible Systems’ intelligent I-System monitoring solution was installed, to deliver data and insights on energy usage on site, together with the company’s energy management system Eco Lync. Eco Lync intelligently switches off your non-essential assets when the demand for energy spikes, subsequently reducing carbon emissions and saving on business costs. VolkerFitzpatrick was then able to analyse the performance data from the systems to identify unnecessary fuel usage, with a focus on reducing fuel wastage. This in turn, led to the implementation of a range of improvements both on site and to their supply chain to ensure the plant is performing at its most optimal. One example of this is the monitoring discovered that there were more than 300 litres of fuel being used over the weekend when nobody was on site. Therefore, the on-site team, with the support of Invisible Systems’ partner Sunbelt Rentals optimised EcoLync to ensure all power to the heating and hot water would be switched off during evenings and weekends. During the trial phase, VolkerFitzpatrick saved an average of 550 litres of fuel per week and reduced on-site weekly fuel consumption by 34%, driven by a massive 89% reduction in overnight fuel usage and a 40% reduction in weekend fuel consumption. This led to a financial saving of hundreds of pounds weekly and a substantial weekly carbon reduction of 1.26 Tonnes of CO2e. Following the trial, VolkerFitzpatrick has continued to use the systems and in addition, VolkerFitzpatrick has recommended monitoring should be used on all projects with a battery storage unit and Eco Lync going forward. Jamie Robertson, CEO of Invisible Systems, highlighted the significance of monitoring energy consumption from the construction stage, stating, “Working with our client’s means giving them data and insights that can then lead to proven results –ultimately saving them money and contributing to cutting carbon emissions. This partnership with VolkerFitzpatrick is a great example of how our monitoring systems have made a clear impact on their bottom line and supported their push for more sustainable ways of working. Both things of increasing importance to the industry, especially given the need to provide Scope 3 emission reporting to clients.” Toby Harvell, Sustainability Engineer for VolkerFitzpatrick said: “Invisible Systems has provided VolkerFitzpatrick with a best practice method that ensures our innovative Magna Park plant operates according to our standards. The insights shared by Invisible Systems were invaluable in identifying areas where we were wasting fuel. Through the date provided our on-site team has then been empowered to take smart, and essentially simple actions, leading to positive impacts on carbon emissions and cost savings. This further demonstrates our commitment to achieving Net Zero of our operational emissions by 2035.” For more information on reducing energy usage in the construction industry and working towards achieving net zero goals, visit https://www.invisible-systems.com/. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
HS2 has completed a ‘marathon’ construction operation at Streethay near Lichfield as part of an innovative project to pave the way for Britain’s new high-speed line. The operation – which utilised the latest low-carbon design – involved excavating 14,000 tonnes of earth, building a 140 metre retaining wall and moving a 2,600 tonne bridge deck 130 metres into place under the South Staffordshire freight railway. The work was carried out during a 10 week blockade. It was completed by HS2’s civils contractor in the West Midlands, Balfour Beatty VINCI, and designers Mott MacDonald as part of a Design Joint Venture with SYSTRA (MMSDJV), together with teams from 18 specialist supply chain companies. At the end of July, the 2,600 tonne bridge deck, which had been cast on land adjacent to the railway was moved 130 metres into position using self-propelled modular transporters. Since then, each side of the bridge was backfilled, the rail tracks were reinstated, with the railway line was successfully handed back to Network Rail on Wednesday 16 August and now reopened. The 25 metres long and 18 metres wide Streethay overbridge sits within HS2’s Streethay cutting and will enable HS2 trains to travel under the existing railway between Birmingham and Crewe. Through design development, Mott MacDonald engineers were able to reduce the total length of wall structures for the railway at Streethay from 1.6 kilometres to 420 metres, meaning 80% less concrete is needed – saving around 420,000 tonnes of carbon, supporting HS2’s ambition to cut carbon on the project. The Streethay bridge sits on top of the larger 420 metre long retaining wall structure which will have two additional bridges crossing it – the south bound A38 slip road bridge, and the Rykneld Bridge which carries the A38 north bound slip road and the A38 north and south bound carriageway. At its peak, over 150 people worked on the complex construction operation, with teams from 18 specialist companies, delivering design, surveys, piling works, bridge build, concrete pouring, crane operations, reinforcements, modular transportation, track and systems removal and reinstatement. The work was delivered in parallel to the construction of the nearby Fulfen Wood bridge, which involved moving a giant 6,200 tonne single span structure under the West Coast Main Line – the UK’s heaviest drive to install an intersection bridge. Caroline Warrington, Senior Project Manager at HS2 Ltd said: “This is a fantastic example of a project within a project at HS2, pulling together teams from 18 specialist supply chain companies from the West Midlands as well as other regions, to deliver a complex construction operation. These are some of the many companies that are helping to build Britain’s new zero carbon railway, supporting thousands of jobs right across the country. “Unlike the Fulfen Wood bridge structure, which was constructed entirely off site, the Streethay bridge walls under the railway embankment had to be constructed during the blockade. This required a 72 day blockade, making it more of a marathon than a sprint!” David Millar, Rail Interface Manager at Balfour Beatty VINCI said: “The successful delivery of this complex and challenging piece of engineering near Lichfield is another proud moment for Balfour Beatty VINCI on the HS2 project. “It’s only been possible thanks to the skill, dedication and support shown by the project team over the past few years, including our supply chain. Together, we’ve had to work around existing transport infrastructure, including the South Staffordshire freight railway and the A38, making this achievement even more rewarding.” Mark Jordan, Mainline Design Director at Mott MacDonald Systra Design Joint Venture: “We’re immensely proud of the collaborative effort to get the design for this critical structure and operation ready for HS2. It’s no small task to coordinate milestones like the Streethay bridge, with expertise from our geotechnical and structural engineering teams delivering design to meet the interfacing requirements of both HS2 and Network Rail, and innovation to enable off-site construction and transportation of the 2,600 tonne structure by Self Propelled Modular Transport.” Prior to the railway blockade, retaining walls were installed on either side of the railway, enabling the areas to be excavated. The bridge deck was constructed on land adjacent to the existing railway, 130 metres from its final position. Once the railway was closed to freight trains, the track and embankment were removed. Bachy Soletanche Balfour Beatty Ground Engineering joint venture then installed an additional 76 secant piles measuring 1.3 metres diameter and 30 metres deep, linking to the piles they installed prior to the blockade, to create two retaining walls which act as the walls for the bridge. A concrete capping beam was installed over the retaining walls, then the bridge was moved into place using self-propelled modular transporters with 344 wheels. Concrete was poured to attach the deck to the capping beam, the embankment was backfilled using 2,500 tonnes of structural backfill, on either side of the bridge, before the railway line was reinstated. The 18 companies which delivered the project were: The next works in this area include the construction of two HS2 over bridges which will run under the A38. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals