Crossrail – Whitechapel Station

Scope of works

Kilnbridge were appointed by BBMV JV to dismantle 14 separate structures, including 7 bridging structures which span the station to enable the construction of the new concourse and access structures.

Kilnbridge carried out the works over a three-year period. Temporary works (which were designed and manufactured in-house) were installed to support the structure and cut it into craneable sections for removal off site.

Other works included, creating openings (adits) in the completed tunnel shaft walls to link these to newly formed shafts. On this element of the works Kilnbridge formed 19 adits in 5 locations which ranged from 5m to 13m in diameter which required, in excess of 5,000m of stitch drilling and 2,000m² of wire sawing.

As part of the Durward Street Shaft (DSS) construction, Kilnbridge also undertook wire sawing and ancillary coring and bursting as well as the removal of the concrete waler beams at levels 4, 6 and 7 (amounting to approximately 2,900 tonnes of concrete).

Challenges / Achievements

• Adit formation alone involved the removal of c. 1,000m³ of in-situ concrete, requiring in excess of 5,000m of stitch drilling and c. 2,000m² of wire sawing
• Deconstructing large structures adjacent to operational railway lines
• Design and installation of bespoke temporary works systems to support the structures and cut into craneable sections, which allowed for more hold points and de-risked the possessions