HS2 Colne Valley Viaduct, Buckinghamshire

To support the construction of the HS2 Colne Valley Viaduct in Buckinghamshire by Align JV, Taziker was contracted by VolkerStevin to fabricate and install a temporary jetty structure. The HS2 Colne Valley Viaduct will be the longest railway bridge in Britain with a length of 3.4km, and spanning over the Grand Union Canal and a series of lakes and waterways in the Colne Valley.

Working on behalf of VolkerStevin for Align, a joint venture which includes Bouygues Travaux Publics, Sir Robert McAlpine and VolkerFitzpatrick, Taziker began fabrication in June 2021.

The Challenge

Taziker was responsible for the supply, fabrication, transport and installation of the temporary jetty, which comprised of four separate structures with a total length of over 1km. The jetty was required to facilitate the construction of the viaduct, acting as a haul road for construction traffic, so the team were working to strict installation deadlines.

Due to these deadlines and the scale of the project, Taziker increased the rate of fabrication, which in turn caused challenges with respect to storage of the steel components.

Additionally, the location of the works on site were spread over a large distance, and it was necessary to carry out work on three separate jetties simultaneously at one stage of the project.   

This meant that it became more challenging to organise the workforce to complete priority tasks.

The Solution

By thoroughly planning the logistics and managing the workforce effectively throughout the project, Taziker was able to prepare for any challenges and overcome any unforeseen difficulties.

All fabrication works were completed at a Taziker fabrication facility using qualified welding and fabrication operatives. The platforms were trial erected at the facility before being loaded onto transportation, using a 18te Telehandler and then taken to the site. Storage space at Taziker’s facility was increased and we effectively managed the steel production in conjunction with the planned transportation.

The installation of the steelwork was carried out using a variety of plant cranage, such as a 150te crawler crane in the main compound to unload the steelwork, as well as 200te and 250te crawler cranes over the jetty to complete the final installation. A self-propelled modular transporter (SPMT) was also used to transport the braced pair platforms from the storage areas to the piling gate.

Handrail and vehicle barriers were installed using Telehandlers and SPMT to transport to the required location. To complete the installation works, Taziker utilised lift plans, lift supervisors, slingers, and qualified steel erectors.

Taziker held numerous design workshops to assess value engineering solutions. These were used to continuously challenged designs and due to the close, collaborative relationship with the client, VolkerStevin, Taziker was able to submit suggestions to the designer which enhanced the end product and enabled significant cost savings.

The Result

This was an immense project for Taziker to work on, both in terms of size and significance, and our teams on and off site worked tirelessly to ensure the project ran smoothly and to schedule. By providing our specialist steelwork expertise, we developed a close and trusting relationship with the client, VolkerStevin.

We successfully fabricated and installed the temporary bridge, which included four separate structures and provision of safety barriers, pedestrian walkways and guardrails. Our designs minimised the number of welds and instead introduced simplified connections.

Running alongside what will become the UK’s longest viaduct, the temporary bridge allows construction vehicles to access the construction site across the Colne Valley, which in its first year of operation has taken more than 10,000 vehicles journeys off local roads.