The next viaduct to be put in place near Chelmsley Wood is being prepared
The HS2 M6 South viaduct’s west deck, carrying trains from London to Birmingham, is being prepared via assembly in four sections.
The first of the four sections is expected to be slid into place next month.
The sections are hundreds of metres in length
This first section will begin its journey on 11 April, and will be 107 metres long and weigh 1,250 tonnes. It is destined to be put in place over the M6 junction 4 southbound slip road.
Balfour Beatty VINCI predict that sliding the section will take just two days by using the slide technique, using a giant hydraulic jack to pull the viaduct over concrete piers across 102 metres.
Ian Clarke, HS2 Ltd’s project manager for the M6 works, said: “After safely completing the first viaduct on time, our engineers have wasted no time in forging ahead with the second installation.
“Thanks to the world-class engineering techniques we’re adopting on HS2, we’ve once again been able to reduce the number of temporary closures on the motorway while we carry out these essential works.”
Russell Luckhurst, a Balfour Beatty VINCI civil engineer leading the works, said: “Building on the success of installing the East deck viaduct last year, we’re gearing up for the first launch of the neighbouring West deck in April.
“We’re using the same sliding technique, where a giant hydraulic jack will push the viaduct across the motorway in multiple stages throughout the year. The previous launches provided the team with invaluable experience, which they’re eager to apply to future works on this eye-catching structure spanning the M6.”
All the viaduct segments for the Delta Junction have been created
2,724 concrete segments have been created for the Delta Junction, which will be the most complicated network of the whole HS2 line.
Each segment is pre-fabricated at a temporary factory alongside the M42, where they are then stored to await transportation to be slid into place. The segments weigh up to 85 tonnes.
The Delta Junction itself will feature over- and underpasses to carry the trains across motorways, local roads, railways, rivers, and floodplains.
HS2 Ltd’s head of delivery, Caroline Warrington, said: “Casting these enormous segments on site, close to the viaducts, helps us deliver a quality product and reduce disruption for road users. It’s great to see the final segments complete and I’d like to thank everyone involved in the manufacturing process.
“With this part of the work finished, the team can begin to focus on the deck slabs for the approach viaducts which will carry the railway into central Birmingham.”
The post Second HS2 M6 viaduct ready to be launched appeared first on Planning, Building & Construction Today.
