Country: United Kingdom
Key Area: Transportation
Services: Bridge Engineering,Civil Engineering
Network Rail had an ambitious plan to widen a section of the West Coast Main Line from two to four tracks. It was due in part to the temporary works design solution provided by our Rossett and Cardiff offices, for the Contractor Galliford Try, that the multi-million pound project met the client’s plan and was delivered on schedule.
The rail bridge, number 114, or ‘Canal Bridge’ was one of two bridges that required replacement. The existing bridge had been built in the early 1960s with pre-stressed concrete beams, laterally restrained by post-tensioned bars. Once site access had been granted, Galliford were able to replace the supporting structure with piled foundations, reinforced concrete pile caps, and steelwork slide beams that were prescribed by the Opus design team. Additional work to stabilise the embankment and the canal were also completed within the deadline set by Network Rail. By constructing the new bridge close by, and along with careful logistical planning, the new 400 tonne bridge was ‘slid’ into position using hydraulic rams over a period of only five hours.
Opus’ Rossett office was also commissioned to provide the design solution for the assembly of another four-track rail bridge at Handsacre, (bridge number 112), to replace the existing two-track structure. Piled foundations and steelwork trestling were designed by the Opus bridge team, enabling the bridge, which weighed over 1,000 tonnes, to be lifted into position from a road transporter. The Cardiff Office had to redesign the access road as the gradient was too steep for the transporter to access the bridge site. Despite the size of the bridge it was transported to the site in under half an hour once the existing bridge was dismantled and the preparatory work completed.
The Opus teams worked within very tight deadlines to provide the design solutions for the two bridges and had to meet stringent approval criteria dictated by the client.
