Balfour Beatty VINCI has completed the Streethay bridge near Lichfield as part of the HS2 project
Balfour Beatty used advanced low-carbon design on the Streethay bridge. They excavated 14,000 tonnes of soil before building a 140-metre retaining wall.
Balfour Beatty workers then moved a 2,600-tonne bridge into position below the South Staffordshire freight railway.
This was completed over a 10-week period in collaboration with Mott MacDonald designers and 18 other specialised supply chain companies.
420,000 tonnes of carbon was saved in Streethay Bridge’s construction
In July, the Streethay bridge deck was moved 130 meters into place using self-propelled modular transporters. Both sides of the bridge were backfilled, rail tracks were restored, and the railway line was successfully handed back to Network Rail on August 16.
The bridge will facilitate HS2 train travel between the existing railway between Birmingham and Crewe.
Mott MacDonald engineers reduced the overall length of railway wall structures at Streethay from 1.6 kilometres to 420 meters. This led to an 80% reduction in concrete and saved around 420,000 tonnes of carbon.
During the construction, over 150 professionals from 18 companies worked on the design, surveys, piling, bridge assembly, concrete pouring, crane operations, reinforcements, modular transportation, track and systems adjustments, and reinstatement.
HS2 are continuing to make progress on bridge construction projects
This completion of the Streethay bridge coincides with the completion of the Fulfen Wood bridge on the West Coast Main Line, in which a 6,200-tonne single-span bridge was installed.
“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,” said David Millar, rail interface manager at Balfour Beatty VINCI.
“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,” he continued.
After stopping rail freight, the track and embankment were removed. 76 secant piles were added to existing ones by Bachy Soletanche alongside the Balfour Beatty Ground Engineering team, creating two bridge-forming retaining walls.
“We’re immensely proud of the collaborative effort to get the design for this critical structure and operation ready for HS2,” said Mark Jordan, mainline design director at Mott MacDonald.
“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,” he concluded.
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