An opening ceremony has been held for Belfast Grand Central Station’s new Busway bridge, which was constructed by civil engineering specialist GRAHAM. Designed by ARUP and fabricated by Thompson’s Project Management, the 51-metre weathered steel bridge will enable buses from Broadway Roundabout to access new facilities at Belfast Grand Central
Network Rail is pleased to confirm the appointments of two regional managing directors to lead the Southern and North West & Central regions. Ellie Burrows has been appointed as the permanent regional managing director for Network Rail’s Southern region. Ellie has been in the regional managing director role for the
Bam Nuttall has launched a £37.4 million cliff resilience project on behalf of Network Rail, designed to protect an iconic coastal railway line for future generations. Following BAM’s successful delivery of Dawlish sea wall, the team’s focus will move to cliffs between Dawlish and Holcombe, further increasing the resilience of
VolkerFitzpatrick has been awarded a £19 million contract by Guildford Borough Council to design and build a much-needed highway crossing over a rail line in Surrey. The Ash Road Bridge project will allow the closure of a level crossing on the A323 Guildford Road that has been assessed by Network
HS2 Ltd is the only organisation in the UK to achieve and retain a prestigious accreditation standard established to recognise exceptional commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in the workforce. The Clear Assured Platinum Standard, which was first achieved by the government-owned company in 2021, marks its commitment to
Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) is reminding passengers travelling along the rail line between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York to plan their journeys ahead of time, as track upgrades in Huddersfield are due to take place each weekend throughout September and October. Over the two months, hundreds of engineers working on
Yesterday the production of over 83,000 concrete tunnel segments for HS2 has begun at a new facility at Hartlepool docks. STRABAG were awarded the contract to manufacture the segments in October 2021 and chose Hartlepool as the location for their new production site. Located in a unit at Hartlepool Dock
HS2 has successfully carried out the UK’s heaviest drive to install an intersection bridge structure beneath the West Coast Main Line at Fulfen Wood near Lichfield. The 56 metre long and 19 metre wide structure will allow Britain’s new high-speed railway to pass beneath the busy existing railway line, on its
In a first for the construction industry, technology originally developed to design and optimise automotive and aerospace structures, is being deployed to engineer some of the largest and most impressive structures on Britain’s new high speed rail network, High Speed 2. As part of its Innovation programme, HS2 Ltd has
Video of West Wycombe Estate in Buckinghamshire – one of the projects which has received funding: A £5 million HS2 Woodland Fund, administered by the Forestry Commission, is supporting new woodland creation and Plantations on Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWS) restoration projects around the Phase One route between London and the
An opening ceremony has been held for Belfast Grand Central Station’s new Busway bridge, which was constructed by civil engineering specialist GRAHAM. Designed by ARUP and fabricated by Thompson’s Project Management, the 51-metre weathered steel bridge will enable buses from Broadway Roundabout to access new facilities at Belfast Grand Central Station by passing over the new rail tracks. Team members from GRAHAM (which was awarded the contract in 2022), ARUP, and Translink crossed the new bridge on a bus as part of the opening ceremony, celebrating the completion of this key stage in the multi-million-pound Belfast Transport Hub regeneration project. The 1500-tonne bridge will enable GRAHAM’s client, Translink, to deliver the next phase of its transformative project, creating a modern, high-quality integrated transport hub in central Belfast (and at the heart of a new city neighbourhood, ‘Weavers Cross’). Once complete, the hub will dramatically improve local and international connectivity, enhancing bus, coach, and rail links across Northern Ireland and beyond. As well as social and economic benefits, it is expected to have a positive environmental impact, reducing air pollution and congestion by encouraging more people to use public transport in the region. Commenting on the completion of the Belfast Transport Hub Busway Bridge & Ramps Project, Andrew Henry, GRAHAM’s Contracts Director, said: “We’re pleased to have completed this package of works, safely and efficiently delivering a sustainable new bridge which provides a gateway to the new station and will facilitate the construction of the wider transport hub. “Like the other projects we have collaborated on with our valued client, Translink, the hub will have significant social, environmental, and economic benefits for the communities it serves. Our team is proud to have played a part in shaping transport in the region, and to have been among the first passengers to cross the bridge.” Philip Brown, Head of Major Projects, Translink, says around 400 bus services will travel across it on a daily basis when the new hub opens: “This busway bridge is an integral part of the bus infrastructure planned for the world class Belfast Grand Central Station. Its development has been visible to anyone arriving into Belfast Great Victoria Street Station by train or using the Westlink over the past number of months and we are delighted to officially mark its opening and the return of this bus passenger priority lane through the site. “From today, passengers will see around ten-minute reductions on journey times when travelling on services that use this direct bus lane and busway bridge to and from Europa Buscentre. We’d like to thank them for their patience and flexibility while we worked to complete this part of the construction programme. “Its completion also enables wider station construction works to progress efficiently. I would also like to thank and congratulate the entire project and operations teams for their hard work to deliver this milestone and also acknowledge the Department for Infrastructure for their essential funding to deliver this project,” said Philip. Crossing the newly realigned railway lines, the bridge comprises two 150-tonne steel girders, which were transported to site and lifted into place in October 2022. It is the first bridge on Northern Ireland’s transport network to be fabricated from weathering steel, a corrosion-resistant material that does not need to be painted. As a result, the sustainable structure has a 120-year design life, while requiring nominal maintenance. Social value was also a priority for the GRAHAM team, and over 300 weeks of apprenticeships were supported during the project alongside local suppliers and businesses. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Network Rail is pleased to confirm the appointments of two regional managing directors to lead the Southern and North West & Central regions. Ellie Burrows has been appointed as the permanent regional managing director for Network Rail’s Southern region. Ellie has been in the regional managing director role for the Southern region on an interim basis since January this year. Ellie Burrows said: “I’m absolutely delighted to have been appointed as the permanent managing director for Southern region. I’ve had such a warm welcome since starting on an interim basis in January and I’m really grateful to have been involved in some exciting industry achievements, including the King’s coronation, the celebration of 75 years of Windrush, the 175th anniversary since London Waterloo station first opened and lots more. “We’ve overcome some significant challenges over the past few years and my focus is on working with our industry partners even more closely to make sure we’re investing our money wisely, so we can give our passengers a safe and high-performing railway that they can rely on. “I’m committed to making Southern region a safe, caring and inclusive place where our people are proud to work.” Eastern region managing director Rob McIntosh has been appointed as the new regional managing director for the North West & Central region. Rob will move over to the region on 4 September, and the recruitment process for a new Eastern region managing director is progressing well. Rob McIntosh said: “I’m very much looking forward to working with colleagues, partners and stakeholders to deliver a better service across the North West and Central region. “Whilst running a safe, reliable service for passengers and freight is at the core of what we do, our commitment extends beyond that to making a real difference to the communities and economies we serve.” Andrew Haines, chief executive, said: “Many congratulations to Ellie on her permanent appointment. Ellie is a fantastic leader in Network Rail and has done a great job during her seven months in leading Southern, including building deeper relationships with the regions stakeholders. “I am also really pleased that Rob has agreed to transfer to our North West & Central region. Rob has valuable experience across the industry and I know he will provide excellent leadership to regional colleagues as they navigate their future challenges as well as continue to work with partners in strengthening regional connectivity. “Wishing both Rob and Ellie the best of luck in their roles and I look forward to continuing to work closely with them as we all work to deliver a safe and reliable rail service across Britain.”
Bam Nuttall has launched a £37.4 million cliff resilience project on behalf of Network Rail, designed to protect an iconic coastal railway line for future generations. Following BAM’s successful delivery of Dawlish sea wall, the team’s focus will move to cliffs between Dawlish and Holcombe, further increasing the resilience of this vital rail link to the South West. The project will involve the installation of a series of protection measures, including netting designed to retain the cliffs in some high-risk locations, as well as catch fences, which will stop any cliff material before it reaches the railway. The £34.7m government-funded project involves installing coir matting on the cliff face, followed by 19,700 square metres of stainless steel netting, secured by more than 6,000 soil nails drilled to depths of up to 13m into the face of the cliff. In an innovative move to deliver best value, the nails are part stainless and part galvanised steel. The galvanised part of the nails will be deeper in the cliff, so will be protected from corrosion. In the areas that fall within the Dawlish Cliffs Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), temporary grey/blue matting will be installed over the cliff face for the safety of workers, which will be removed once the netting is installed. Coir matting won’t be installed in this area, so that as much of the cliff face as possible can still be seen. The work is expected to take until spring 2024. Alan Cox, BAM managing director of regions and transport, said: “BAM is delighted to be continuing to increase the resilience of this vital rail link to the South West. Ever since the original emergency repair work in 2014, we have established strong connections with both local supply chains and local businesses to ensure maximum benefit is derived from the scheme in the local area. “The wide variety of engineering solutions needed to achieve this resilience in a very challenging environment plays to our strengths. Together with Network Rail and the local stakeholders we aim to continue to deliver best value whilst minimising disruption to passengers and public alike. “The people of Dawlish have been incredibly supportive of our work to date, something that makes our work even more rewarding.” Network Rail senior programme manager Ewen Morrison said: “The work is part of the wider South West Rail Resilience Programme, which was set up following the storm of 2014 to help protect the railway between Dawlish and Teignmouth from the effects of extreme weather. It follows on from the construction of the new sea wall at Dawlish and the rockfall shelter just north of Parson’s Tunnel, which is nearing completion. “Most of the work will take place during the day but some activity can only be safely done on Saturday nights when trains aren’t running and we’d like to thank the community for their patience as we continue our work to protect this vital rail artery. “We are conscious of how special the red cliffs are for residents and visitors, and we are working with Natural England on the areas that fall within the Dawlish Cliffs SSSI.” Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “After officially opening the new sea wall in Dawlish earlier this month, I’m delighted the next phase of this vital project is now ready to begin. “Backed by Government funding, the resilience programme is protecting this crucial route from extreme weather resulting in more reliable train journeys for passengers while boosting connectivity and growing the economy across the South West.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
VolkerFitzpatrick has been awarded a £19 million contract by Guildford Borough Council to design and build a much-needed highway crossing over a rail line in Surrey. The Ash Road Bridge project will allow the closure of a level crossing on the A323 Guildford Road that has been assessed by Network Rail as posing a safety risk. Construction of the new bridge and retiring of the level crossing is in preparation for ‘enhanced rail use on the North Downs line’. The new bridge will also reduce congestion in the area and unlock housing development outlined in the local plan. The scheme has therefore been able to benefit from a substantial Housing Infrastructure Fund grant secured from the government. Currently, the Ash Level Crossing is closed for up to 25 minutes out of every hour, leading to significant traffic delays which are likely to get worse once more frequent services are introduced along the train line. Other stated benefits to the bridge include safer crossings for pedestrians and cyclists. As well as the construction of a new bridge, VolkerFitzpatrick will be delivering new approach roads, new junctions and altering existing roads to connect to the bridge. The installation of street lighting, landscaping, fencing, drainage and ponds will also be included in the project. Deon Scholtz, Divisional Director – Infrastructure, VolkerFitzpatrick, said: “We are delighted to have been appointed by Guildford Borough Council to deliver the Ash Road Bridge project. Our regional approach will allow us to deliver our in-house bridge and highways expertise in a way which most benefits the communities in which we work.” Deputy Leader and Lead Councillor for Regeneration, Cllr Tom Hunt, added: “I am pleased to say that work on the Ash Road Bridge project started on site in late July and will take approximately 75 weeks. “The Ash Road Bridge project will support new housing in the area and improve safety for road and rail users. It will also significantly reduce traffic congestion on the A323, help to improve air quality and rat-running.” VolkerFitzpatrick will provide employment opportunities over the course of the project. As well as working with supply chain contractors from the surrounding area, they will engage with local educational establishments and provide a number of apprenticeship placements. Site preparation and pre-construction began at the end of July and is due for completion in early 2025. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
HS2 Ltd is the only organisation in the UK to achieve and retain a prestigious accreditation standard established to recognise exceptional commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in the workforce. The Clear Assured Platinum Standard, which was first achieved by the government-owned company in 2021, marks its commitment to embedding inclusive best practice into all elements of its work, including the design and delivery of Britain’s new railway. Through evidence-based assessment, HS2 Ltd demonstrated that its EDI policies and processes continue to be best practice and set new standards for the industry. HS2 is committed to creating an inclusive work environment for all employees. Actions to address feedback from Clear Assured in 2022 were swiftly taken to maintain progress in areas such as, fairness and proportionality in the outcomes of talent assessments, supporting senior staff members on leading inclusively and reinforcing its commitment to a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination. Alexandre Maria, Director of Clear Assured & Supplier Diversity at the Clear Company, said: “HS2, despite already being EDI leaders in the industry, have continuously stretched the boundaries of inclusive best practice since originally achieving Clear Assured Platinum accreditation in 2021.” “HS2’s dedication to quantifying the impact of their interventions and proactive approach to inclusive recruitment and fostering diverse senior leadership, demonstrates their commitment to achieving their EDI targets.” “Whilst HS2 keeps raising their EDI standards and strives to create an even more inclusive working environment, the EDI team’s own leadership, their effective use of data and commitment to accountability makes them an exemplar organisation.” The announcement coincides with the publication of HS2 Ltd’s EDI report for 2022/23, which shows that the HS2 project is leading the way and exceeding industry benchmarks for workforce diversity. As Europe’s largest infrastructure project, HS2 is setting new standards and driving change in both the rail engineering and construction sectors. It achieves this through a strategic commitment to EDI, inclusive procurement practices and by holding its Tier 1 suppliers to account for their EDI performance and they, in turn, do the same for their sub-contractors. As a result, ethnic minority representation in HS2’s Tier 1 supply chain increased by 2% in 2022/23 and now stands at 20%. The number of females in the Tier 1 supply chain workforce also increased from 28% to 30%. Leading by example is at the heart of HS2 Ltd’s approach to EDI good practice. Non-Executive Director and HS2 Board Diversity Champion, Dame Judith Hackitt, is determined the organisation must go above and beyond to change the face of construction now and for future generations. Dame Judith said: “A project of HS2’s scale and longevity presents a unique opportunity for change and I’m determined we capitalise on that. “Three years into our major civils programme, it’s evident that HS2 is showing what can be done and demonstrating the benefits of addressing the lack of diversity which has been a feature of construction for so long. “I genuinely believe that if we can set an example at HS2 and show the benefits of a diverse, inclusive culture, then we’ll lead the way for the rest of the sector.” As the project client, HS2 Ltd sets its own challenging targets for workforce representation. It achieved 24% for ethnic minority representation in 2022/23, against a target of 23%, but fell just short of its ambitious 40% target for females in the workforce, securing a 38% rate – one percentage point higher than the previous year. This is significantly higher than current construction and industry standards, which are between 21% and 23% Encouraging more women to enter and progress their careers in the sector remains a key focus for HS2 Ltd. 40% of its executive team is female and 36% hold Director roles within the company. Throughout 2023/24, HS2 Ltd will continue to focus on its recruitment and retention strategies to increase the female workforce in its delivery directorates, where gender representation remains a challenge. Shira Johnson, HR Director at HS2 Ltd said: “We are exceptionally proud of our EDI achievements to date and the commitment shown by the thousands of UK businesses engaged in our supply chain. “The fruits of our work are really beginning to take shape. More women and ethnic minority groups are stepping forward to play their part in Britain’s new railway, as they recognise the importance we attach to ensuring that HS2 is an inclusive workplace for all. “Clear Assured provides rigorous assessment and direction allowing for accountability to be allocated throughout the organisation and consistently measured. There is always more we can do, and that remains our focus in the months and years ahead.”
Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) is reminding passengers travelling along the rail line between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York to plan their journeys ahead of time, as track upgrades in Huddersfield are due to take place each weekend throughout September and October. Over the two months, hundreds of engineers working on the multi-billion-pound scheme will replace approximately 650m of railway tracks. This work will enable trains to travel at higher speeds and improve the overall reliability of services passing through the area in the future, as the number of railway tracks will increase from two to four. While the railway line through Huddersfield will be temporarily closed to facilitate the upgrades, passengers will be kept on the move through a combination of diversionary routes and rail replacement buses. Gareth Hope, Sponsor for the Transpennine Route Upgrade said “Between September and October, we’ll be renewing the railway tracks in Huddersfield each weekend. This work is a key aspect of our wider upgrades and will not only allow for trains to travel at higher speeds in the future, but also increase the reliability of services.” “We’re committed to ensuring a smooth transition during the upgrades and passengers can rely on a mixture of diversionary routes and rail replacement buses to keep them moving.” “I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their patience and understanding while the work takes place and remind customer to check www.nationalrailenquiries.co.uk or their respective train operator’s if travelling over this period”. Additionally in August, engineers will complete railway bridge upgrades in the Huddersfield area on 6, 13, 19, 20 August 2023. These upgrades will allow the number of railway lines to increase, by strengthening the bridge structures to support more weight. Chris Nutton, Major Projects Director for TransPennine Express, said: “This vital work is key to the overall modernisation of the railway that will be taking place as part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade, which will help deliver a faster and more sustainable service for our customers who travel between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York. “We’d like to thank our customers in advance for their patience while this work take place. To keep customers on the move, there will be some changes to our services, including diversions, and we advise our anyone to check carefully before travelling. We’ll have extra staff on hand at stations to help customers who are travelling on days affected by this work.” The track upgrades are essential for achieving the TRU’s vision of creating a cleaner, greener, and more reliable railway system, bringing improved connectivity and travel experiences to passengers traveling across the Pennines. Tony Baxter, Regional Director at Northern, said: “Whilst this work is essential and will lay the foundations for the transformation of Huddersfield station, we appreciate that nobody likes the thought of disruption to their journeys. That’s why we’ve worked hard to keep our customers on trains, with trains running as normal during these works between Sheffield, Barnsley and Lockwood, connecting with just a short bus journey between Lockwood and Huddersfield. I’d like to thank customers in advance for bearing with us whilst this work takes place.” TRU will enhance rail connectivity and improve travel experiences for passengers traveling between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds, and York, better connecting towns and cities through more frequent, faster trains, running on a cleaner, greener and more reliable railway. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Yesterday the production of over 83,000 concrete tunnel segments for HS2 has begun at a new facility at Hartlepool docks. STRABAG were awarded the contract to manufacture the segments in October 2021 and chose Hartlepool as the location for their new production site. Located in a unit at Hartlepool Dock which was previously used for the fabrication of oil rigs, the new facility has been fitted out with a state of the art automated segment carousel and reinforcement hall. Robots controlled by telemetry have been installed to produce the high quality reinforcement cages required for each segment. The location boasts excellent transportation links, both by road and sea, and the STRABAG team have brought the rail head adjacent to the site back into use, reinstating rail connections. Over 100 jobs have been created at the Hartlepool facility, including six new apprenticeships and a number of formerly unemployed people recruited from the local area. STRABAG are also utilising the local supply chain, sourcing aggregate from local quarries and using UK recycled steel. Over 83,000 precast tunnel segments will be produced for HS2 in order to construct the Northolt tunnel east and Euston tunnel. They will be used to construct 3.4miles of twin bored tunnel for the Northolt tunnel East, and 5miles of twin bored tunnel for the Euston tunnel between Old Oak Common and Euston. Each ring has an 8.8m outside diameter, is 35 centimetres thick and weighs seven tonnes. The Hartlepool facility will be used to produce HS2 tunnel segments for around three years but the investment from STRABAG in the site is part of a long term UK investment strategy. Ruth Todd CBE, HS2’s Chief Commercial Officer, said: “HS2 is already bringing benefits to the UK economy, creating jobs around the country as part of the construction and manufacturing required for HS2. STRABAG’s choice of location in Hartlepool for its new facility demonstrates a commitment to bringing new job and training opportunities to the North East, and the HS2 project provides a great pipeline of work. “Over 3,000 UK based businesses are already working on the project, with over 28,500 jobs directly supported, with many more through the supply chain. As more phases of the HS2 programme begin, there will be many more opportunities for businesses across the UK to get involved in this once-in-a-generation mega-project.” Hartlepool MP, Jill Mortimer, said: “It’s been absolutely fantastic to be back at STRABAG and in two years seeing how much they have achieved. We were talking about jobs and investment then and now it is here. It’s £50million of investment and 100 jobs, not just for HS2 but beyond, for 50 or 60 years building tunnels across the nation. We should be really proud that Hartlepool is part of the HS2 project because that is something that is going to bring benefits across the country.” Robotics will be used by the STRABAG team at the facility and a state-of-the-art automated segment carousel will ensure shorter turnaround times and better quality in production. The automation used in creating the steel reinforcement cages reduces wastage to negligible volumes and operates with energy efficiency levels significantly better than traditional methods. Andy Dixon, MD for STRABAG UK, said: “This is an extremely exciting day for STRABAG’s UK operations. Our new factory in Hartlepool allows us to manufacture products for HS2 in the North East of England by giving new life to a vacant site and bringing over 100 new skilled jobs to the area. The increased use of automation enhances production efficiency, creates a safer environment for our staff as well as creating new technology related job opportunities. “In addition, having direct access to the rail network means that we can take a significant number of lorries off of UK roads. This creates a more sustainable solution in the way that we transport tunnel segment rings to the Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) building the London tunnels for HS2, resulting in a reduction in our carbon footprint.” 96 concrete segments rings will be produced each day at the site, with teams of 30 working in shifts across 24 hours, seven days per week. HS2’s Main Works Civils Contractor, Skanska Costain STRABAG joint venture (SCS JV), are constructing HS2’s London tunnels. The segments will be transported by rail to HS2’s London logistics hub, part of HS2’s commitment to reduce carbon emissions in construction.. Starting in the summer, a 20 carriage train will depart from the site each day over six days, increasing to 2 per day as production increases. From the Logistics Hub, the segments will be transported by an electric Multi-Service Vehicle (MSV) to the neighbouring construction sites and transferred on to the four giant Tunnel Boring Machines that will be constructing these tunnels. James Richardson, Managing Director of SCS JV, said: “We are proud to be able to support the development of this state-of-the-art industrial facility, ensuring jobs and economic growth are secured for the future in the Hartlepool area.“The tunnel segments manufactured here in Hartlepool will be transported by rail to our tunnel boring machines, forming the high-speed tunnels in the heart of London. By using rail instead of road to move over 83,000 segments, we avoid over 56,000 lorry journeys and reduce CO2 emissions by 76 percent. At all stages of the manufacturing, transportation and installation of these tunnel segments, we will ensure the building of a cleaner, greener railway and unlocking the social benefits HS2 can bring across the UK.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
HS2 has successfully carried out the UK’s heaviest drive to install an intersection bridge structure beneath the West Coast Main Line at Fulfen Wood near Lichfield. The 56 metre long and 19 metre wide structure will allow Britain’s new high-speed railway to pass beneath the busy existing railway line, on its route going north of Birmingham Curzon Street Station up to Crewe. The giant 6,200-tonne concrete structure, which was built adjacent to the WCML over the last six months, was slowly manoeuvred into place on self-propelled modular transporters. Specially designed for very heavy lifting, the 840-wheeled transporter with four carrier beams was controlled by a remote steering system. Over 61,000 cubic metres of earth have already been removed and the bridge structure has taken six months to build at the side of the existing railway. Over the two days before the move, the team removed the railway track and excavated over 15,000 cubic metres of material to create the space for the structure to be moved into. The operation follows other important milestones in the West Midlands including the completion of the one-mile twin-bore tunnel under Long Itchington Wood and the start of production of 3,000 viaduct segments at an outdoor factory in Warwickshire. Caroline Warrington, Senior Project Manager at HS2 Ltd said: “This huge feat of engineering – the UK’s heaviest single span bridge drive – is our latest big milestone as we approach peak construction on Phase One of HS2. We’re making fantastic progress on this section of the route, with over 9,000 people working on the project in the Midlands and over 29,500 on the whole project, providing a vital boost for British businesses and jobs.” Around 300 people working for HS2’s civils contractor Balfour Beatty VINCI have delivered the work, and a team of 200 people are working 24/7 this week to move the bridge, backfill around it and put the railway back in place ready to re-open next week. Chloe Foster-Chambers, Section Engineer for Balfour Beatty VINCI has been working with a team of 200 people carrying out the operation. She said: “As an engineer, big feats of engineering like this bridge drive make HS2 such a fantastic project to work on. It’s been a real team effort over the last two years, and seeing the operation successfully completed felt like a great achievement for everyone involved.” The operation happened during a nine day closure of the railway between Stafford and Rugby while Network Rail carry out upgrades as part of a multimillion pound investment to improve future journeys on this important stretch of the West Coast main line through the West Midlands. Work is now taking place at Fulfen Wood to replace the tracks and railway systems over the new bridge which will allow the railway to reopen to passenger and freight services on Monday 24 July. John Emery, Senior Sponsor for Network Rail, said: “I’d like to thank passengers for their patience this week while we carry out major upgrades on the West Coast main line in Staffordshire which will help to make rail journeys more reliable. We’ve worked closely with our partners at HS2 to combine their work with track and signalling upgrades in Colwich, as well as platform upgrades at Lichfield Trent Valley station to minimise disruption.” One of over 3,000 supply chain companies working on the HS2 project, specialist construction company Byrne Bros led the bridge build over the last six months. Tom Lyons, Construction Director for Byrne Bros said: “Byrne Bros are delighted to have been involved in such an amazing project. The BBV team have been fantastic to work with, demonstrating great leadership, teamwork and management of a complex engineering project.” Specialist lifting company Mammoet – based in Stockton-on-Tees, undertook the bridge move with state-of-the-art transportation equipment. Peter Schoenmakers, Lead Engineer at Mammoet UK Ltd said: “The Fulfen Wood Overbridge installation does show that with a collaborative approach and early engagement with all involved parties during the design stage of the structure, a cost effective and a most efficient installation method can be developed early on in the project. “The early engagement allowed the designers of the structure to design the bridge that suited the available and existing equipment to be used and no special equipment had to be fabricated or purchased. This approach is very important from a sustainability perspective. All in all, this was a great project for Mammoet and we are proud to be part of its success.” After this operation, the same transporters will be utilised to install another huge bridge drive which will take place a little further up at Streethay, where a similar 2,600 tonne structure is being moved into place under the South Staffordshire line between Lichfield High Level station and Derby. Once complete, HS2 will link London Euston with Birmingham, Manchester and the East Midlands. It will act as a catalyst for growth by improving connections between major towns and cities, opening up new employment and leisure opportunities for millions of people. Network Rail advise people travelling between London Euston, the Midlands and the North West between now and Sunday 23 July, to please check at www.nationalrail.co.uk or with their train operator to see how their journey will be affected. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
In a first for the construction industry, technology originally developed to design and optimise automotive and aerospace structures, is being deployed to engineer some of the largest and most impressive structures on Britain’s new high speed rail network, High Speed 2. As part of its Innovation programme, HS2 Ltd has teamed up with Leamington Spa-based Altair Ltd, to develop a unique, automated civil engineering design process driven by its software tool, OptiStruct®, that can reduce embedded carbon in HS2’s viaducts by up to 10 per cent, as well as shrink viaduct design time from around a month to as little as one hour. Traditionally the engineering design process to set a viaduct’s geometry and quantify the required materials takes around four weeks. Once set, there is almost never any opportunity to revise designs due to the nature of project delivery schedules. However, by harnessing what is essentially the same intelligent design technology that Altair uses to design components and assemblies within modern aircraft and automotive vehicles to minimise the amount of raw material used, the firm’s HS2 collaboration team has tested and refined the OptiStruct-driven process for the civil engineering sector. The technology enables engineers to flex a viaduct’s design. For example, the span length between each supporting pier could be increased thereby reducing their overall number; or the deck carrying the train could be slimmed – all of which reduces cost, carbon and build time. The technology takes a viaduct’s operational requirements, including the speed, frequency, and braking load of the high speed trains it will carry throughout its operational life. It then runs millions of design iterations based on the physical properties of all the materials it will be built with, including concrete and steel, to produce an optimised design. By using building materials in the most efficient way, and without compromising strength or longevity, the two companies estimate OptiStruct could reduce the amount of carbon embedded in the structures by as much as 10 per cent. Commenting, HS2 Ltd Senior Innovation Manager, Charlotte Hills said: “HS2 is the biggest transport infrastructure project in the UK. To help build it we are drawing on the technology developed for other industries to help deliver the new high speed rail network and adding value to UK plc by creating new opportunities for innovative companies outside civil engineering. “Working with Altair as part of our Innovation programme demonstrates the benefits of applying its technology to building HS2, and the potential it offers in the long term as an integral tool to streamline structural designs and reduce embedded carbon by as much as 10 per cent.” Tomas Garcia, HS2 Ltd Head of Civil Engineering Structures said: “Our innovation project with Altair is a game-changer. It gives engineers a tool to explore alternative designs that were not previously feasible due to time constraints. By cutting development time, running automatically dozens of combinations of the design variables, the technology allows to identify solutions that minimises embedded carbon.” Altair Ltd’s Martin Kemp, Senior Technical Specialist said: “Altair’s design and optimisation technologies have been utilised across industry for over two decades. However, we seldom see them deployed on structures as large as rail viaducts due to rigorous codes of practice. HS2 was determined to remove the barriers to adoption by integrating European Codes of Practice directly into the optimization process. The resulting capability brings cutting edge design and innovation to viaduct designers and opens further adoption in civil structure design.” HS2 Ltd plans to mandate Altair’s technology for designing viaducts and bridges on Phases 2a and 2b for the high speed rail programme. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Video of West Wycombe Estate in Buckinghamshire – one of the projects which has received funding: A £5 million HS2 Woodland Fund, administered by the Forestry Commission, is supporting new woodland creation and Plantations on Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWS) restoration projects around the Phase One route between London and the West Midlands. To date, a total of £1.75 million has been allocated across 35 schemes. This has resulted in the restoration of over 66 hectares of ancient woodland, including the planting of over 110,000 trees; and over 130 hectares of new native woodland, with around 220,000 trees planted. The fund provides support for landowners in the area 25 miles around the Phase One route. This goes beyond HS2’s existing environmental programme to plant 7 million trees and create over 33 square kilometres of wildlife habitat. James Hicks, Biodiversity Policy Specialist at HS2 Ltd said: “We’re designing HS2 to be a railway that respects the natural environment by conserving, replacing and enhancing wildlife habitats with a new ‘green corridor’ along the route. This will create a network of bigger, better-connected, climate resilient habitats and new green spaces for people and wildlife to enjoy in the future. “Over and above our required mitigation, our HS2 Woodland Fund provides important additional financial support for areas near the route to help compensate for unavoidable impacts to ancient woodlands.” Sir William Worsley, Forestry Commission Chair, said: “We must ensure that woodlands and habitats impacted by HS2 are effectively restored and protected. “The HS2 Fund will continue to facilitate the creation of new woodland and bring new life to ancient woodlands around the Phase One route between London and the West Midlands.” The HS2 Woodland Fund on Phase One provides funding to restore and maintain PAWS sites, including restocking with native trees and shrubs, and associated items including fencing, gates and natural flood management items. It also provides funding for creating, protecting and maintaining new native woodland through the England Woodland Creation Offer – part of a suite of Forestry Commission initiatives to support woodland creation and tree planting across England. West Wycombe Estate in Buckinghamshire is one of the projects which has received funding to restore one of their ancient woodland sites and is now seeing the benefits. Over 15,000 native trees were planted on a site that is very well used by the public, which was previously planted with non-native Japanese Larch that had suffered from damage by squirrels. David Hunt, Forest Manager at West Wycombe Estate said: “With the funding available from HS2, it made it an obvious choice for us to opt for going back to restore native ancient woodland on the estate. The benefits of planting woodland on ancient sites is really wildlife conservation, biodiversity and landscape as opposed to commercial woodlands. The funding from HS2 has been really important for us, and anyone interested in this woodland can see the benefits of going back to native tree planting.” HS2 Ltd are working to extend the Woodland Fund for Phase 2a with an additional £2million of funding available. A £1million HS2 Woodland Fund was also announced on Phase 2b in January 2023 which will be launched following Royal Assent. More information on the HS2 Woodland Fund, including the locations of schemes delivered to date, can be found on the HS2 website: https://www.hs2.org.uk/building-hs2/environmental-sustainability/ancient-woodland/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
