Crossrail West Outer Electrification Structures

We manufactured and supplied the structures for the electrification of a 12.5 mile section of the Crossrail West Outer section, from Stockley Junction to Maidenhead.

Challenge

The main challenge on the Crossrail contract is the exceptionally fast track nature of the supply of the steelwork to site – typically within 3-4 weeks from receipt of order. This would be a challenge in normal circumstances, but coupled with the fact that this was a new market for us and the finished steelwork undergoes a rigorous quality inspection by both Network Rail and Balfour Beatty, the short deadline was even more challenging.

Delivery

We manufactured and supplied all of the steel for the overhead line catenaries on the 12.5 mile stretch of railway at our facility in Hereford. Our skilled workforce and BS EN ISO 9001:2008 management systems ensured that all steel met the exacting standards of both Network Rail and Balfour Beatty with the tight timescales being met by just-in-time delivery of the critical items that were stored in our yard until required.

Result

We successfully manufactured around 400 tonnes of steel to the highest standards of quality whilst meeting tight timescales.

London Power Tunnels

We designed and fabricated the specialist brackets and steel support structures required for the installation of nearly 200km of cabling in the new London Power Tunnels. The Tunnels ensure the security of the city’s high voltage electricity network.

Challenge

The confined tunnel spaces, manual handling and working at height were all safety risks that our in-house team had to consider in the design and installation of the brackets and steel support structures.

Delivery

Working closely with our installation colleagues and client, we attended design risk meetings to make sure that we delivered a product that could be safely installed. In order to meet project deadlines and produce the brackets to the required levels of quality, we also reviewed our fabrication process. This review led to a streamlining of our production processes to incorporate dedicated personnel, storage and quality assurance processes that were bespoke to the high volume fabrication of the brackets.

Result

The brackets we created for this project ensured the effective and safe installation which was delivered on time, on budget and to the required quality standards set by National Grid. The design of the brackets was tailored to ensure that they were easier to install which was a key contributing factor to the project being delivered with zero safety incidents.

Crystal Palace Television Tower

The Crystal Palace Television Tower was the tallest structure in London until the construction of One Canada Square during the 1990s. Further strengthening and refurbishment work was carried out by Painter Brothers for the digital switchover.

Challenge

Exceptional skill was needed for the design and fabrication of this self-supporting tower. The structure as a whole had to be sufficiently rigid to restrict the angle of deflection of the aerials, yet the upper portion had to be slender, to comply with the demands of aerial design.

Another requirement of the design and fabrication was to ensure its aerodynamic stability, particularly against strong winds. Its prominent position in South London also required the tower to be aesthetically pleasing.

Delivery

The total weight of the steel was 450 tonnes with individual parts of the upper structure weighing more than 3 tonnes each. These had to be lifted and placed into position over 150 metres above ground.

During the erection of the panels, temporary stays attached to mass concrete anchorages were used to support the heavy corner members, until the bracing connections between them were completed. Two masts, 70 metres and 38 metres high were used in conjunction as derricks for the initial stages of steel erection. As works progressed, the smaller mast was converted into a floating derrick supported on steel-wire ropes from the corner members of the tower.

Result

The main corner members of the structure were selected to combine a low resistance to wind pressure, with great strength as struts. By the time the upper portion of the tower came to be constructed, transmissions were taking place from temporary aerials on the main part of the structure, this meant that steelwork to complete the structure had to be raised outside of the tower, at a pre-determined distance from the aerials. The topmost aerial was also lifted this way and placed into position over 200 metres in the air.

Beauly Denny 400kV Overhead Line Construction

From project inception, we worked with engineering and management teams to design and fabricate almost 9,000 tonnes of steel for use in power transmission towers.

Challenge

The route of the new overhead line crosses the Grampian Mountains and Scottish Highlands. This meant that the design of the steel towers would need to be suitable for them to be installed on mountainsides with angles up to 35 degrees. With some locations at up to 700m above sea level, extreme weather conditions also had to be considered as part of our solution.

Delivery

We provided the steel for 70 towers that were significantly heavy and had bespoke leg extensions for installation on the steep slopes. To ensure that the towers could withstand extreme weather conditions, we supplied 355 high tensile J2 steel. This ensured that the structural performance of the steel is the same at OC and -20C

Result

Through working closely with the project team to develop solutions for the challenging terrain and environment, we helped them to achieve significant time and financial savings.