HS2 site to build concrete segments and launch careers
PRODUCTION is set to start next month on the first of almost 3,000 precision-designed concrete segments for one of the most complex sections of the HS2 route.
A giant outdoor factory and training academy in Kingsbury (Warwickshire) will produce the segments for the nearby nineviaduct network that will form part of the Delta Junction - a key triangular section of line where HS2 will curve westwards towards Birmingham before continuing north towards Crewe.
The 550m2 construction site will be the base for a 1,000-strong workforce who will produce a total of 2,742 segments, made from materials mixed at the on-site batching plant. At peak production, the pre-cast yard is expected to turn out up to eight segments per day, each weighing between 60 and 80 tonnes.
The segments are built in two different sizes, with the larger design (2.6m long x 10.5m wide x 3.5m high) used for the doubletrack sections of the railway.
HS2 Ltd’s civils partner, Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV), expects production to begin this August, with on-site assembly of the segments for the Delta Junction viaducts due to start next summer.
Work has begun on assembly of a 54-metre-long gantry crane that will lift each segment during the manufacturing cycle, ahead of their onward transportation to nearby Water Orton and Coleshill ready for on-site assembly.
HS2 says the short distance from Kingsbury to the assembly sites helps to reduce the number of vehicle movements, as part of the project’s environmental commitments.
Since opening its doors in February, the Kingsbury Skills Academy has delivered more than 1,000 courses and over 9,000 hours of training.
BBV’s first Academy, based in Bordesley Green (Birmingham) focuses on upskilling those who are unemployed or looking for a new career. From there, they transition to the Kinsgbury Academy for job-specific training.
“This site at Kingsbury is a fantastic demonstration of the importance HS2 Ltd puts on training and developing local talent to build the new railway,” said HS2 Client Project Director David Speight.
BBV Head of Delivery Programme Management Jo Chell praised the project as a “fantastic opportunity for our highly skilled workforce to play a part in their construction.
“We have embedded the principles of ‘modern methods of construction’ by creating factory conditions for manufacture and modularisation, providing us with a rich legacy of skills and learning for the future.”
BBV Head of Learning and Development Vicki Lovatt added: “Being on the doorstep of where HS2 is actually being built makes it the perfect environment for our learners.
“It’s a great asset not only for the project, but for the region too, helping to upskill local communites and launch careers in construction and engineering.”