The Custom House station in East London will be unique and the design and build will bring some individual challenges. The project must be completed without causing major disruption to the existing Docklands Light Railway’s (DLR), Custom House station and the adjoining Excel Centre - London’s most modern conference venue, hosting up to 50,000 visitors per day.
A joint team from Atkins, Arup, Allies & Morrison, Crossrail and Laing O’Rourke collaborated to develop the striking design for the station, creating a beacon for both Crossrail and the community. This had to work around a number of constraints including a very narrow site; existing utilities; existing DLR remaining fully operational throughout construction; a busy footpath and congested Victoria Dock Road and a public right of way.
According to Atkins’ programme delivery director, Simon Layzell; “The new station will act as a catalyst for regeneration in the area but it is an incredibly complicated site and we needed an elegant and efficient design and engineering solution to meet the project requirements.
“By maximising the use of offsite fabrication techniques, we will be able to guarantee quality before assembly begins and also significantly reduce the time needed to complete the build. Also minimising the amount of material coming to site will make it a far more carbon critical design.”
Once opened the station will welcome regional and international visitors to London’s largest conference centre, ExCel London, and create an important transport interchange for the Elizabeth line, DLR and local buses. It will also provide a focus for the regeneration of the local area, the London Borough of Newham.
Duncan Wilkinson, Arup framework director, said: “This will be a challenging station, but with the offsite pre-fabrication proposals it should set a benchmark in both cost and quality for other Crossrail overground station works.”
Offsite manufacture requires fewer deliveries and vehicle movements around the site, reducing traffic, noise and effects on air quality. By shifting construction activity from site to the factory working conditions are improved and health and safety risks reduced. The more controlled conditions of the factory also ensure more consistent and higher-quality production.
The development of a pre-cast concrete solution bring other benefits to the construction phase, allowing swifter installation by gantry crane of repetitious units, a benefit made more acute by the proximity of live overhead power cables and the restriction this imposed on the construction sequence.
Ed Newman- Sanders – Technical Director at Atkins will be speaking at Explore Offsite Infrastructure - discussing - Crossrail Custom House Station: A Kit-of-Parts.
Ed Newman- Sanders will be joined at Explore Offsite Infrastructure by an outstanding speaker line-up that includes: Joshua Southern, Associate Director - KPMG; John Spittle, UK Representative - Wiehag; Martin Perks, Commercial and Procurement - Highways England; Steve Kaye, Head of Innovation - Anglian Water; Paul Newby- Executive Engineering Services Director - SES Engineering Services; Phil Robinson- Lead, Principal Engineering - Laing O'Rourke; Phil Wilbraham – Development Director– Heathrow Airport. For the full list of speakers go to: http://exploreoffsite.co.uk/2017-events/explore-offsite/conference-speakers
Taking place on 05 December 2017 at the NEC in Birmingham, this combined conference and exhibition will present pioneering case studies of civil engineering projects that have used offsite technology to deliver infrastructure schemes on programme and budget. Explore Offsite Infrastructure provides a dynamic and interactive learning experience for all delegates through presentations and the wide array of exhibitors. Tickets cost £125 + vat to include parking, refreshments and lunch - to find our more or to secure your place at Explore Offsite Infrastructure go to: www.exploreoffsite.co.uk/book
