Sheet Piling UK Carries Out Further Work at Old Oak Common
Teams from Sheet Piling (UK) Ltd have enjoyed the opportunity to return to a site that they first worked at in Spring 2021, to view progress at one of the most significant HS2 (High Speed Rail) hubs in England and contribute yet more to its development.
Sheet Piling UK first worked at the prestigious Old Oak Common Station, last year, when carrying out a six-week sheet pile installation project, to create a temporary retaining wall.
Most recently, we have returned to the site, working on behalf of McGee Group, to create a temporary sacrificial retaining wall, formed from steel sheet piles, to the western & central part of the 32-acre site.
This work entailed installing 158, 10.5-metre-long Emirates Steel EZ19-700 sheet piles. As HS2 works are carried out in sensitive environments, often urban and in close proximity to city homeowners, tenants and workers, we used silent and vibrationless sheet pile installation methods, to minimise impacts.
This involved the use of a Kowan ZU100 sheet pile press, which was serviced by a 50Te Sennebogen crane, which pushed the piles into the ground, without requiring the use of driving and impact hammers.
Having to comply with a weight restriction on an access overbridge, which required gross transport loading of 79Te or less, we ensured that the piling rig was de-ballasted, prior to its arrival at site.
Sheet pile installation methods also had to be free of water jetting, so we adopted a pre-auguring methodology, to facilitate successful sheet pile installation into the prevailing soils and terrain. The pre-auguring of the pile line was carried out using an ABI TM13 Telescopic Leader Rig with auger motor and flights attachments.
Ensuring we also complied with all NRMM regulations with regard to emissions standards, by using only EU Stage-V engine plant from our extensive and modern in-house fleet, we have been able to successfully complete the job, achieving that actually ahead of programme schedule.
Our two-week work has ensured that work can progress safely, at a site that will become one of the busiest stations in the country, offering high-speed services to Scotland and the North, access to central London and Heathrow via the Elizabeth Line and transport links to Wales and the South West.
Future projects should enable us to view ongoing progress at Old Oak Common, where work is due for completion between 2029 and 2033. The station will then be an anchor point for part of the rail system and contribute to the regeneration of West London. With 14 platforms and a station box that will be large enough to fit 6300 Routemaster buses, it will ultimately be some sight to admire.
If you wish to tap into our expertise with rail infrastructure projects and the sheet piling works required around them, please call us on 01772 794141.
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Sheet Piling (UK) Limited is one of the UK's leading piling contractors. Owning and operating a comprehensive range of specialist piling equipment Sheet Piling (UK) Ltd also carry extensive stocks of new and used piles enabling rapid reaction to any urgent requirements or emergency situations.