As a result of a misalignment that was recently discovered, the construction of the Colne Valley Viaduct for High-Speed Two (HS2) was put on hold. Consequently, the contractors working on the project quickly begin remedial work.
(Photo : Unsplash/Guilherme Cunha )
Immediate Corrective Actions on HS2's Viaduct
The launching girder for the Colne Valley Viaduct has arrived at the Grand Union Canal, located close to Harefield Marina. The girder was scheduled to begin traveling over the Grand Union Canal this week; however, this has been postponed indefinitely for immediate maintenance within the viaduct.
Beginning on Monday, February 19, the repair works, which will involve breaking out concrete, will continue during the night for 2-3 days. After the most recent span of the viaduct had finished being constructed, a spokeswoman for HS2 indicated that the contractors needed to do cable tensioning work again. For homeowners who are impacted by the 'noisiest' of the night operations, HS2 has provided alternative accommodations.
The Colne Valley Viaduct, which will cost £2 billion or more than $2.5 billion and consists of 3.4 kilometers (two miles), will be the longest railway bridge in the United Kingdom, spanning several lakes and canals between Hillingdon and the M25. Moreover, with the assistance of HS2 Ltd.'s 700-tonne launching girder, over 700 of the 1,000 precast deck portions necessary to finish the viaduct have been deployed.
The cantilever is put together by constructing precast deck segments on either side of the pier, and the final 20cm join between adjacent cantilevers is cast on-site; the viaduct is then post-tensioned from the adjacent cantilevers. Therefore, it will be necessary to break out this 20-centimeter joint to conduct remediation within the structure.
Thus, the collaborative effort known as Align JV, composed of Bouygues and Sir Robert Mcalpine, has offered alternate lodging to individuals impacted by the night operations that are taking place this week.
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HS2's Colne Valley Viaduct
Located in the northwestern suburbs of London, the Colne Valley Viaduct will be about one kilometer longer than the Forth Rail Bridge. It will transport the new high-speed line across several lakes and canals. Parks, green spaces, and reservoirs can be found in the Colne Valley, a region of varied countryside. Aside from the Grand Union Canal and the River Colne, the valley is a popular public space that allows tourists to engage in leisure activities.
The first of over 300 piles that will serve as the groundwork for the Colne Valley Viaduct was sunk by a skilled group of ground engineers at the beginning of 2021, marking the start of development on the longest railway bridge in the United Kingdom. It was conceptualized after a stone's gliding motion across the water. Also, railways traversing the Colne, lakes, and Grand Union Canal rivers were elevated by an estimated 10 meters due to the graceful arches that adorned their surfaces, with some surpassing 80 meters in height.
With narrower spans designated for the approaches, the viaduct will traverse the lakes via low-lying, wider spans. This design was selected to allow for vistas over the environment, reduce the impact the viaduct would have on the lakes, and assist in complementing and enhancing views throughout the natural surroundings.
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