NSC 7
Jun 20
The A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon
scheme, said to be Britain’s biggest roadbuilding
project has opened for traffic
eight months ahead of schedule.
The £1.5bn scheme will transform
journeys on the A14 in Cambridgeshire,
shaving up to 20 minutes off journeys and
strengthening links between the Midlands
and the East of England, while improving
access to and from the UK’s largest
container port at Felixstowe.
A number of bridges are included in
the completed scheme, the biggest of
which is the 750m-long River Great Ouse
Viaduct.
Working on behalf of main contractor
Costain Skanska Balfour Beatty JV,
Cleveland Bridge erected 6,000t of steel for
the viaduct comprising 76 main girders
and 800 cross members.
Willie McCormick, Construction
Director for the A14 Cambridge to
Huntingdon Improvement Scheme on
behalf of Highways England, said: “This
viaduct over the River Great Ouse, south
of Huntingdon, is by far the biggest bridge
on our 21-mile project. It’s taken over 18
months to build, and it carries drivers
over the river and floodplain.”
Highways England Chief Executive Jim
O’Sullivan said: “This upgrade is a key
addition to our national infrastructure,
better linking the North of England and
the Midlands to the East of England
and to the Haven ports. It also brings
economic benefits to the wider region and
local towns and communities.
“Being able to open it more than six
months early and on budget shows what
the UK construction industry can achieve
with an integrated client team, common
goals and targets, and a shared vision of
success.”
In response to the challenge of ensuring
safe social distancing at large-scale
outdoor events, structural engineers
Elliott Wood and reForm Architects
have developed a concept design for a
reconfigurable elevated steel walkway to
reduce crowd densities.
Originally conceived to enhance the
visitor experience at major horticultural
events, the Tree Line has been reimagined
as a temporary structure that can be
quickly erected and demounted and can
be reconfigured for use across multiple
sites and different types of event.
When implemented as part of a
movement strategy, it will enable
one-way circulation, reduce crowd
density at ground level and support the
implementation of social distancing
measures.
The Tree Line is said to offer exciting
new viewpoints for visitors and creative
opportunities for event organisers.
Inspired by the stem and leaves of a plant,
the structure includes a meandering
walkway with separate viewing platforms
and access ramps at each end. The design
is based on a transportable length, fully
prefabricated offsite so that it can be
erected quickly on site.
Gary Elliott, Co-Founder and CEO of
Elliott Wood said: “In the short term these
structures provide the events industry
with a tool for reducing crowd density,
longer term they add a new dimension to
the visitor experience”
Nik Randall, Managing Director,
reForm Architects added: “The beauty
of the Tree Line is that it addresses the
challenges currently faced by many events
and takes that opportunity to enhance the
visitor experience.”
News
NEWS
IN BRIEF
Severfield has announced the
first order for its new Severstor
product line of steel-framed
modules that house critical
systems technology and can
be supplied to a wide range of
main contractors and end users.
The initial order is for the supply
of four modular substations to
house switchgear with delivery
due before the end of this year.
Willmott Dixon has been
contracted to build the
University of Lincoln’s £7M agrifood
research and development
(R&D) facility at Peppermint
Park – part of the South
Lincolnshire Food Enterprise
Zone (FEZ) in Holbeach.
The completed building will
facilitate pioneering research,
skills provision and knowledge
exchange for agri-food
businesses across Lincolnshire
and beyond.
Developer Patrizia has been
given consent to demolish
its Market Street building
in Aberdeen and replace it
with a new glass and granite
clad commercial scheme. The
‘lantern-shaped’ building would
be only five-storeys tall at the
Market Street end but gradually
increase to 11 storeys – or
56.9m tall – at its south-western
corner, opposite the junction
of Carmelite Street and Hadden
Street.
An underground car park
in the heart of London’s West
End is set to be converted
into a £150M subterranean
healthcare and entertainment
complex. Westminster Council
has approved plans for the fourlevel
mega-basement beneath
Cavendish Square during a
’virtual’ planning meeting
thought to be a first for such a
major project.
BAM Construction has
been appointed to build
new teaching facilities for
Chorlton High School South
in Manchester following a
competitive tender process
led by the Department for
Education, under its capital
framework for schools in
England. The company has been
appointed to develop a plot
on Mauldeth Road West which
is partly occupied by Greater
Manchester Police dog unit and
horse paddocks.
Developer Drum Property
Group has received planning
approval for its masterplan for
a mixed-use transformation
of Candleriggs Quarter in
Glasgow’s Merchant City. The
£300M redevelopment plan
includes homes, offices, hotels,
restaurants and a new public
square delivered on the 3.6-acre
city centre site.
Temporary steel bridges
reimagined for social distancing
UK’s biggest road project opens ahead of schedule
Go ahead given for West Midlands rail hub
The government has given the green
light for the construction of a new rail
freight hub on land adjacent to the M6
motorway in Staffordshire.
Known as the West Midlands
Strategic Rail Freight Interchange it will
link to the motorway and the West Coast
Mainline.
The hub is set to be built near the
village of Gailey and will allow for the
transfer of goods between lorries and
trains and requires the creation of a
freight terminal, container storage,
heavy goods vehicle parking, rail-served
warehouses and ancillary buildings.
Construction is expected to start in
2021 and is currently expected to be
phased over 15 years.
Preliminary works will include
new roads, bridges and drainage
infrastructure, extensive earthworks,
landscaping and utilities works.
/Bridges
/A14_Cambridge_to_Huntingdon_improvement_scheme
/A14_Cambridge_to_Huntingdon_improvement_scheme
/Design_for_steel_bridge_construction#Bridge_erection
/Ladder_deck_composite_bridges#Main_girders
/Ladder_deck_composite_bridges#Cross_girders
/Concept_design
/Construction#Steel_erection
/Design
/Fabrication#Handling_and_transportation
/Multi-storey_office_buildings
/Healthcare_buildings
/Leisure_buildings
/Education_buildings
/Residential_and_mixed-use_buildings
/Multi-storey_office_buildings
/Residential_and_mixed-use_buildings#Hotels
/Retail_buildings#Distribution_warehouses
/Construction
/Bridges