HS2 is celebrating project progress as its London Logistics Hub, located at the Willesden Euro Terminal, has transported one million tonnes of spoil and taken 110,000 lorry movements off roads. The Logistics Hub, managed by HS2’s London Tunnels Contractor, Skanska Costain STRABAG Joint Venture (SCS JV), transports excavated material from the Old Oak Common Station, the Victoria Road Crossover Box in Ealing, and the nearby Atlas Road sites. Over the course of the HS2 project, the Logistics Hub will transfer and transport over 5million tonnes of spoil. At peak, seven trains per day will depart from the London Logistics Hub, with 3 per day departing at present. Each train takes 1,500 tonnes of material – the equivalent of 80 lorry loads.  The material from HS2’s work is brought to the site on a network of conveyors, which were switched on in November 2022 by the HS2 Minister, Huw Merriman. The operation at Willesden sees the material being transferred onto rail wagons which are then taken to sites in Kent, Rugby and Cambridgeshire, where the material be used for beneficial re-use projects, including a nature reserve for birds. The enormous logistics operation is managed inside the site’s state of the art control room. The team can see how much spoil is on site, can monitor the loading into the wagons, and can ensure that the operation meets the railway timetable. SCS JV worked collaboratively with Sheffield based company, 3Squared, to develop the software being used for rail logistics. The millionth tonne of material was despatched to Cliffe in Kent on 23 June 2023. Celebrating the progress, Malcolm Codling, Project Client at HS2 Ltd, said: “The London Logistics Hub is at the beating heart of the HS2 operation in the capital, keeping the project on track to deliver Britain’s new low-carbon high speed railway in the most sustainable way. Transporting one million tonnes of spoil at this one site is no mean feat and has been achieved through effective collaboration and planning.” James Richardson, Skanska Costain STRABAG Joint Venture said: “For a project of the scale, size and complexity of HS2 London Tunnels, we have built a logistics operation to meet these challenges.  We are justly proud of our technology-enabled operation, our conveyor network and our rail freight partnership which has enabled us to move a million tonnes of material safely, efficiently, and sustainably.  “Every tonne of material is tracked by our state-of-the-art Logistics Hub, from the moment the material goes onto our 1.7mile-long conveyor towards our rail terminal and then onto the existing rail freight network to their final destinations in the UK.  While our geographic footprint stretches across London to Kent, Rugby and Cambridgeshire, we have achieved as low a carbon footprint as possible at each stage of our logistics operation.” The Logistics Hub not only manages materials leaving HS2 sites but will also begin managing the delivery of 100,000 tunnel segments rings which STRABAG are due to begin producing at their new facility in Hartlepool. Like the spoil, the segments will be transported using rail, rather than local roads. Combined with the removal of spoil, it is estimated that the London Logistics Hub operations will remove the need for 1 million lorry journeys over the duration of the HS2 project. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals 

HS2 Ltd, the company building Britain’s new low-carbon high-speed railway, recently confirmed that a second set of proposed changes to the High Speed Rail (Crewe – Manchester) Bill, has been introduced to Parliament. The submission of Additional Provision 2 (AP2) is an important milestone in the parliamentary process. It keeps HS2 on track to open the Crewe – Manchester extension between 2035 and 2041, ensuring zero carbon rail services extend to Manchester’s two new dedicated HS2 stations at Manchester Airport and Piccadilly. HS2’s construction is currently supporting more than 28,500 jobs and over 3,000 UK-based businesses, including 190 in the Northwest, have already won work supplying materials, products and services. The High Speed Rail (Crewe – Manchester) Bill, which seeks powers to extend and operate the new high-speed network to Manchester, was submitted to Parliament in January 2022. The first set of proposed changes to the Bill, known as Additional Provision 1 (AP1), was introduced six months later. Changes to hybrid bills aren’t uncommon and reflect the ongoing work that HS2 Ltd undertakes to ensure it builds the best railway in the best way. This includes developing the design for the railway, acting on new information, and assessing feedback from individuals and communities affected by the construction proposals. One year on from the submission of AP1, communities are now invited to view the latest set of proposed changes and have their say on the supporting documentation through a public consultation.  Stephen Smith, Head of Consultation and Engagement for HS2’s Phase 2b programme said: “Extending the HS2 network to Manchester will vastly improve connectivity between the UK’s major towns and cities, while freeing up vital capacity on the existing rail network for more local and regional rail services. “This latest set of design changes reflects our ongoing commitment to minimise disruption during the construction and operational phases. Feedback from communities plays a vital role in the design process and we encourage people to have their say before the consultation closes.” The public consultation focuses on two key documents which outline any new, different or removed significant environmental effects resulting from the proposed changes. The consultation opens at 09:00 on 4 July and closes 11:45 on 31 August 2023.  Supporting documentation and information about the consultation can be found at www.hs2.org.uk/crewe-manchester Information about the changes proposed in AP2, for each of the seven community areas, is published on the HS2 website. In some cases, the changes proposed in AP2 require additional land and powers. HS2’s community engagement team is already engaging with individuals and communities affected by the proposals. Directly affected parties can petition against the changes. The petitioning period will open tomorrow (4 July 2023) and continue until 15 August. More information about how to petition can be found on the Bill’s Parliamentary web page. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals 

HS2’s main works civils contractor in the West Midlands, Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV), has completed the construction of the 200 metre porous portal of HS2’s Burton Green Tunnel. The portal is the southern entrance to the 700 metre green tunnel, which will carry HS2 trains through Burton Green. Once built, the tunnel will have green space created over the top, covered with trees and plants, providing a new landscape for the local community. Over 160 roof segments have been installed as part of the 200-metre long concrete porous portal, with each segment weighing over 20 tonnes. The porous portal features a series of vents in the roof which transition HS2 trains leaving and entering the tunnel. The pressured air wave produced by the ‘piston effect’ of the train moving through the tunnel will be channelled through the vents. Rupert Blake, Senior Project Manager at Balfour Beatty VINCI, said: “We’re making great progress with the construction of the Burton Green Tunnel, with the south portal now complete. The next phase of construction will be the section of the tunnel to the north, where a cutting is being excavated, diaphragm walls built, a concrete roof put on, before soil is backfilled over the top ready for planting. “A key feature is the realignment of the Kenilworth Greenway, which will follow the route of the tunnel and have large-scale planting around it. It will also provide connectivity to existing footpaths which will run across the top of the tunnel, providing green spaces for the local community to enjoy.” To avoid unnecessary HGV movements, the soil generated by the excavation will be used as part of the wider landscaping plans in the area, sensitively integrating the railway into the local area, reconnecting wildlife habitats and enhancing biodiversity. Once construction and landscape work is complete, the Greenway will be restored close to its original alignment, running across the top of the new tunnel, providing a link from Burton Green to Kenilworth and Berkswell for walkers, cyclists and horse-riders. Large-scale planting of native trees and shrubs will provide biodiverse habitats for wildlife, shield the Greenway visibly from the new railway, and re-establish vegetated connections to Black Waste Wood and Little Poors Wood. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals 

HS2 has taken a further step forward in decarbonising the constructure sector, completing a world first by installing four 30-metre deep piles on a London site using a hydrogen dual-fuel piling rig. The trial took place as part of work done in partnership by ULEMCo and Cementation Skanska, working with the world-leading Business Research Establishment (BRE), funded through the BEIS Phase 1 Red Diesel Replacement competition. ULEMCo and Cementation Skanska successfully modified a medium sized CFA piling rig, converting it so that the machine component operated using energy from on-board hydrogen tanks. Using the dual-fuel system, both diesel and biofuels (HVO) can be mixed with hydrogen, displacing the fuel with hydrogen, resulting in a reduction in fuel use and lower CO2 emissions. Following successful yard trials simulating the technology, the rig was brought onto a HS2 site in London where it has successfully completed piling works for HS2, demonstrating that the dual-fuel adaptation can be applied more widely across the construction sector supporting the decarbonisation of plant and machinery. The successful trial is one of several initiatives being undertaken by HS2 in its commitment to decarbonising construction sites and achieving completely diesel-free sites by 2029. To date, 19 HS2 sites operate entirely diesel-free. Speaking about the success of the dual-fuel piling rig on a HS2 site, Andrea Davidson, Head of Environmental Sciences for HS2 Ltd, said: “HS2 is continuing to drive a positive change in the construction sector and is providing an important environment to develop the real-world use of hydrogen energy technology. “The development of dual-fuel systems that can be used to adapt existing equipment so it can run off cleaner, low carbon energy sources, could be a game changer across the construction sector.” Now that it has been shown that the technology can work in a real-world scenario, ULEMCo and Cementation Skanksa are looking at how this technology can be used more widely, reducing embodied carbon in construction and reducing impacts on local communities near construction sites.  Terry Muckian, Managing Director, Cementation Skanska said: “Using this rig in a real-world environment to install piles on a commercial site is an exciting milestone. It follows the success of the simulated trials last year and is the next step towards rolling the technology out more widely. “This project goes beyond piling and ground engineering, it provides proof of concept for converting other types of heavy construction equipment, paving the way to construction site decarbonisation.” Amanda Lyne, Managing Director of ULEMCo said:“The machines used in construction are owned and used for many years, so demonstrating a decarbonisation solution that utilises these existing assets is not only cost-effective but also important for sustainability.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals 

HS2 has once again begun tunnelling under the capital, launching its third giant Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) in London. The tunnel won’t be used by HS2 trains, but instead will be used to deliver materials and remove spoil from the northern portal where HS2’s Euston twin bored Tunnel will be constructed. Engineers from HS2’s contractor, Skanska Costain STRABAG joint venture (SCS JV), launched the 847 tonne machine from the Atlas Road site in North Acton, from where it will build an 853 metre tunnel to the Old Oak Common Station site. The tunnel drive will be completed in around six months, with the tunnel constructed using 4,264 concrete segments forming 533 tunnel rings. The segments, each weighing over 3 tonnes, have been produced by Pacadar in Kent. The tunnel will be used to transport 8,010 tunnel segment rings to construct the Euston tunnel. The segment rings are being manufactured by STRABAG in Hartlepool and will never be transported by public road – utilising rail, and the logistics tunnel – all part of HS2’s commitment to sustainable construction. A conveyor system will also run through the logistics tunnel, and will connect to an existing conveyor at Atlas Road, taking the London clay being excavated to construct the Euston Tunnel to HS2 London Logistics Hub at Willesden Euro Terminal. From there, the spoil will be taken by train for re-use at sites in Kent, Cambridgeshire and Rugby. Malcolm Codling, HS2’s Project Client for the London Tunnels, said: “The Atlas Road Logistics Tunnel is key to how we will be constructing the Euston Tunnel between Old Oak Common and HS2’s Euston station. The logistics tunnel allows us to take 70,000 lorry journeys off the local roads that would otherwise have been required and will reduce the impact of HS2’s construction on the local community.” The TBM being used to construct the tunnel has been repurposed using components from a TBM, ‘Ellie’, that was previously used on the Crossrail project. ‘Ellie’ dug two sections of the Crossrail tunnels in the Capital – from Limmo Peninsula in Canning Town to Royal Victoria Dock, and between Pudding Mill Lane and Stepney Green – boring a total of 2.23 miles.   Specialist TBM manufacturer, Herrenknecht, has designed a TBM specifically for HS2’s requirements and has expertly remanufactured components including the shield and the cutting wheel. Following a longstanding tradition of naming TBMs after women, members of the local community have selected the name ‘Lydia’ for the TBM. Lydia Gandaa is a former teacher at nearby Old Oak Common Primary School and a founding member of the Bubble & Squeak social enterprise in the area. She is an active member of the local community, running after school and holiday clubs at the Old Oak Community Centre. Speaking about having the TBM named after her, Lydia said: “I’m delighted to have been invited to come down to the HS2 site and am honoured see the TBM that has been named after me. I am passionate about the local community and thank them for choosing my name for the TBM.” The TBM was switched on following a naming and blessing ceremony at the Atlas Road site. Lydia was at the event to see her name unveiled on the giant machine, alongside pupils from Old Oak Primary School. James Richardson, Managing Director of Skanska Costain STRABAG JV, said:”This is our third TBM to launch in London and later this year we will have five machines operating. Four of these will be boring the HS2 tunnels, linking West Ruislip and Old Common. Today’s launch is significant as it is not used for the operational railways, but will create a direct link to between our logistics hub and Old Oak Common, allowing us to transport tunnel segments and spoil without using local roads.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals 

HS2 has set up a rebar threading facility to address materials shortages at its Copthall tunnel construction site in Hillingdon – creating jobs, cutting waste and reducing lorry movements. The new facility will make 92,000 rebar couplers, needed to construct the Copthall tunnel. The Skanska Costain STRABAG joint venture (SCS JV) team constructing the tunnel were faced with delays due to a shortfall of available prefabricated fatigue rated rebar couplers, after suppliers had exited the market. To address this, the team has constructed a threading facility on site to produce the required quantities of the materials themselves. As well as addressing supply shortfall, the threading facility has resulted in a significant financial saving on the project by reducing waste, costs and lorry movements, and overall creating a more efficient way of working. To construct the 880 metre long cut and cover Copthall tunnel, 92,000 fatigue rated couplers are required. A team of 14 will work at the facility six days a week, 8 hours a day for three years to meet the supply needs for the tunnel. The process to get the facility up and running took 20 weeks in total, with the team gaining CARES certification (assured certification for the constructional steels industry) for the work and securing the required equipment from Sheffield based company, Leviat. It is only the second time CARES certification has been given for this activity to happen onsite. The team purchase stock rebar and then complete processing operations on site, before taking it through the four-step threading process and delivering it to the Copthall tunnel construction area. All the work is taking place within the site boundary reducing unnecessary lorry movements, supporting HS2 Net Zero Carbon targets. The solution was devised by Ray Moloney, Senior Project Manager for SCS JV, who explains his approach: “Uncertainties in the market and the need to meet the requirements of the HS2 construction programme meant that we had to look at an innovative solution for supplying fatigue rated mechanical reinforcement connections. In mid-2022 we started engaging with partners including Leviat and CARES to develop an on-site processing scheme and within 20 weeks, we were processing our first order. “The solution has created new jobs, offered new training opportunities for engineers and means that we can remove the risk of any delays in construction due to supply shortages.” HS2’s Project Client, Malcolm Codling, said: “We are always looking at ways in which we can improve construction efficiency and are pleased to support our construction partners in developing solutions like this and getting them off the ground. Ray and the team have developed an approach that means we can stay on track, save money, and can be replicated elsewhere.” The model offers a new blueprint for how the manufacturing of materials can be done on site and can offer significant benefits to other construction projects. As well as supplying the Copthall tunnel works, the facility has also been able to provide fatigue rated couplers to other HS2 works being delivered by SCS JV to support overall delivery and de-risk supply chain delays. The team are now looking at how they can improve productivity in the manufacturing process to create additional capacity to support other supply requirements across HS2. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals 

HS2 yesterday confirmed that traditional Warwickshire ‘ironstone’ will be used to clad the piers supporting the high speed railway’s new Oxford Canal Viaduct as a nod to the canal’s architectural heritage after engaging with the local community. Set low in the landscape, three concrete spans will carry the railway 62.5m across the canal, towpath and a country lane near the village of Wormleighton close to the border between Warwickshire and West Northants. Local ironstone will be used to face the piers and abutments that face onto the towpath and passing canal boats. Tough and hardwearing, the warm-brown stone been a feature of local buildings for hundreds of years and gets its name from the small quantities of iron ore contained within it. As part of the design process, local residents were given a choice of smooth concrete finish or a rough-cut masonry finish for the viaduct piers – with the majority opting for ironstone. As well as using local stone, the viaduct has been designed to be as open as possible to improve the environment for boaters and walkers, allowing views across the landscape and the horizon. The design combines a simple overall form with a special focus on materials for the parts of the structure that are close to the canal and its visitors. Opened in stages between 1774 and 1790, the 75 mile long Oxford Canal is one of the oldest in Britain and was designed to bring coal from the Coventry coalfields to Oxford and the River Thames. HS2 Ltd’s Senior Project Manager, Paul Cooper said: “The construction of the first canals revolutionised transportation and helped to build the country we live in today so it’s fitting that our contemporary design includes a nod back to those eighteenth-century pioneers.” “Once complete, HS2 will transform journeys across the UK, help to boost the economy and support the UK’s transition to net zero. But it’s also important that key structures like the Oxford Canal Viaduct are sensitive to their location, which is why we were keen to involve the community in key decisions, like the design of the viaduct piers.” Construction of the HS2 project – which is designed to improve rail links between London, Birmingham and North, help level-up the economy and provide a zero carbon alternative to car and air travel – is ramping up across the UK with almost 30,000 jobs now supported by the project. The Oxford Canal Viaduct is one of 15 viaducts and bridges across the central section of the HS2 route which is being designed by HS2’s main works contractor EKFB – a team made up of Eiffage, Kier, Ferrovial and Bam Nuttall – working with architects Moxon and design partners ASC – a team made up of Arcadis, Setec and Cowi. EKFB’s Interface and Stakeholder Director, Simon Matthews said: “The Oxford Canal You Said We Did community event is a prime example of how HS2, EKFB and its designers worked alongside the local community to further enhance the exterior appearance of the viaduct’s supporting piers and abutments. “The local stone detail reflects the canal’s original architectural characteristics which enriches and remains in keeping with its surrounding area. “EKFB is pleased with the outcome from the community event and thanks the community for its input and support.” More information about the design can be found here. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals