Steel viaduct for major east London rail extension

Structural steelwork is playing a pivotal role in the Barking Riverside extension, which will add 4.5km to the London Overground railway network, taking it from Barking to a new station at Barking Riverside.

Forming a major part of the railway scheme is a 1.5km-long viaduct, which is supported on 57 piers and requires Severfield to fabricate, supply and erect approximately 3,500t of steelwork.

A total of 10 spans of the viaduct, measuring up to 40m-long, are formed with steel. The steelwork for each span is delivered to site piece-small, with individual plate girders weighing up to 130t each.

The erection process, some of which is over operational railway lines, requires the use of cranes with capacities up to 1,200t.

The final girder installation on the viaduct will take place during the Easter holidays and civils work on the viaduct is expected to be completed in July 2021.

The railway extension will serve Barking Riverside, the largest housing development in east London, with planning permission for up to 10,800 new homes, as well as healthcare, shopping, community and leisure facilities.

Working on behalf of Transport for London (TfL), the extension is being delivered by the MSVF joint venture, which consists of Morgan Sindall Construction & Infrastructure and VolkerFitzpatrick.