Product category:
Drainage, Footings and Piling
News Release from: Bachy Soletanche | Subject: Piling contract at Shepherd's Bush
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 02 May 2007
Bachy Soletanche piling contract at
Shepherds Bush
Bachy Soletanche has completed a GBP1million plus piling contract at Shepherd's Bush (Central line) underground station.
Leading geotechnical specialist, Bachy Soletanche Limited has completed a GBP1million plus piling contract at Shepherd's Bush (Central line) underground station - constructing two shafts for step-free access from the underground platforms The shafts were constructed for the redevelopment using the Hard/Firm secant wall piling method during a five-month programme working for Morgan Est, the Principal Contractor
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 5 Feb 2007 at 8.00am (UK)
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Shepherd's Bush Central line is undergoing a major upgrade.
It is expected that 60 per cent of people visiting the massive Westfield London retail and leisure development, which lies to the north of the Shepherd's Bush site, will come by public transport.
As a result, the project will help the station to accommodate the influx of people.
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The project involves a number of redevelopments such as the remodelling of the ticket hall and step-free access created through the installation of lifts.
New passageways and staircases will also increase the station's capacity.
In addition, the station will be modernised through the installation of upgraded security and information systems, and new ceiling, wall and floor surfaces.
The site is sandwiched between Shepherd's Bush (Central Line) underground station, the bus station and the busy city centre roads, and Tom Stewart; Site Supervisor at Bachy Soletanche explains the difficulties involved in the piling work: "Careful co-ordination was essential to the smooth running of the project, as both sides of the site were tight and surrounded by traffic and pedestrians during most of the working day".
"The site consists of two sections - the east shaft and west shaft - with the busy Shepherd's Bush bus stand sandwiched between the two." He added.
The two shafts were constructed using the secant wall piling method, incorporating 900mm large diameter auger (LDA) piles, which were drilled to a depth of 19metres for the east shaft, and 24metres for the west shaft.
As the west shaft was larger, sixty-eight piles were constructed compared to the fifty-six installed at the east shaft.
Tom Stewart commented "Although the LDA process is more time consuming than other methods such as continuous flight auger (CFA) piling; the LDA process was utilised due to the accurate drilling tolerances required of better than 1 in 200 verticality, the 300mm cut on the female piles, and the required concrete strength of 30n/mm2 in the female piles".
"Also, some of the piles required further strengthening before tunnelling work could begin between the two shafts - meaning thirteen of the female piles from each shaft had full length steel beams inserted into the piles before concreting." He added.
The position of the beams gave little room for error as the male piles were cut full depth and with less than 50mm between the casings and the beams.
At surface level, it was due to the skill and dedication of the piling team that they managed to drill all the piles successfully.
The use of the heavy-duty rig on site also helped the programme on the east shaft when existing reinforced concrete piles - discovered once drilling began, hampered work.
These piles were cored out to the new pile depth of 19metres before Bachy Soletanche could progress further and install the secant piles.
Tom Stewart added: "Discovering the existing piles, and having to stop works to core them out was a lengthy process, but as the heavy duty rig was already on site - the coring process allowed the shaft to be installed in the original position without any design changes".
"Aside from this minor obstacle, the project ran very smoothly, with all works complete and the site cleared by the project deadline.".
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