Skanska Costain Strabag Joint Venture (SCS JV), HS2’s contractor delivering the London tunnels, has handed Pacadar the first of two contracts for the production of concrete precast tunnel segments.
Pacadar, a Spanish company, intends to manufacture the tunnel lining at its factory in the Isle of Grain, Kent. Pacadar UK recently supplied 7.5 miles of tunnel segments on the Thames Tideway Project but the HS2 order is the largest contract that the company has ever won in the UK and will support 180 jobs in the UK. The contract value was not disclosed.
Production will begin in January next year at the factory, shortly before SCS JV’s two tunnel boring machines (TBMs) begin their drives. Pacadar’s segments will be delivered by rail to the TBM launch site in West Ruislip, where construction of the twin bored, five-mile Northolt Tunnel West will begin.
More than 160,000 cubic metres of concrete will be used to make the segments, which form a 9.5-metre outside diameter tunnel, 350mm thick. Each complete ring is made of seven segments and a key. Each segment weighs approximately seven tonnes.
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SCS JV managing director James Richardson said:“This is an important milestone in the programme as we get closer to launching our first two tunnel boring machines next year. We’re building 26 miles of twin bore tunnels, covering the 13 mile distance between West Ruislip and Euston, tunnelling up to 50 metres below ground. Using rail to deliver all our segments required for our tunnelling programme will help us to remove one million lorry journeys from the road over the lifecycle of our programme.”
Pacadar UK recently supplied 7.5 miles of tunnel segments on the Thames Tideway Project, have the expertise, state of the art pre-cast factory combined with rail access for ease of delivery to support SCS -JV in delivering the London Tunnels Project.
HS2’s London tunnels from West Ruislip to Euston station will have a total length of 26 miles, the same length as Crossrail. The construction of the first tunnel will be completed in 2024.
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