Hillingdon, UK
Crossrail is one of the UK’s most ambitious transport infrastructure programmes.
The 73-mile railway line will cross London, making travel into and out of the city easier than ever before. The £18-billion project has taken significant levels of planning, as it makes its way through highly populated areas in and around the capital.
A crucial part of the line is the £49 million Stockley Viaduct Interchange at Hillingdon. This section of the line is a vital component in enabling Crossrail services to operate to Heathrow.
RMD Kwikform collaborated with the main contractor, Carillion Civil Engineering, to engineer a bespoke shuttle traveller system to support the viaduct’s construction.
The specialist solution accommodated the four live railway lines adjacent to the site and adhered to Carillion’s focus of ‘health and safety and build-ability’.
Due to the nature of the project, the traveller design developed throughout the initial phases of the viaduct construction project. To get the required space between the track and traveller screen, Engineering Manager Ian Hawkesford created the solution on Master Series, a frame analysis programme. This enabled the engineering team to assess the various pressures from passing trains on the shutter and determine whether the size and capabilities of the traveller were fit for purpose.
RMD Kwikform utilised a similar kind of shuttle design previously used on the Guardsmill Traveller, which used an overhead beam and a trolley on the lower flange. This allowed the shutter to be pulled away from the wall. The swing movement enables the site operatives to retract the shutter back 600 – 700 millimetres, which allowed for sufficient space for cleaning and oiling in preparation for the next concrete pour.
To construct the wall closest to the track, it was found that there wasn’t enough space to swing the shutter forward. The shutter was constrained due to the beam that ran side-to-side above the wall, so another beam was introduced than ran parallel, which enabled the site team to crack the shutter and travel it sideways instead of forwards.
The wheels are an innovation used on several shutters in the past, including the Guardsmill Traveller. They have the capabilities to move slightly on its axil, allowing for extra space to crack shutters and move them.
Location
Application
Bespoke traveller system for the construction of Stockley Viaduct Interchange
Challenge
Several design changes were required throughout the project meaning the team had to be agile to client needs. Strict health and safety adherence was a key focus, due to the running of four live railway lines adjacent to the site.
Solution
Bespoke shuttle traveller system & wall formwork
Products used
In total, there were three different types of wall being built during the viaduct construction.
It was important that the project team minimised the amount of kit being delivered to site, and due to the nature of the equipment, it can be broken down and used in a variety of ways.
The Superslim Soldiers and the Megashor components are ‘off the shelf’ and sustainable items. They can be reused wherever possible, particularly when the programme time dictates it. We were able to minimise the number of deliveries to and from the site and get maximum utilisation from all equipment. For instance, an 1800 Megashor component can be built out of two 900 Megashor components; a straightforward process that has economic and timesaving benefits.
RMD Kwikform’s engineering capabilities on this viaduct construction project were also recognised by the British Construction Industry Awards, as highly commended in the temporary works category.