We often get invited to site visits on some of the biggest internationally recognised construction projects.

Today we will share with you interesting design and construction facts about the Western Ticket Hall in Bond Street Crossrail Station as learned from one of the lead WSP structural engineers working on the project.

This article is specifically for those avid Crossrail fans amongst you eagerly awaiting the opening of the new London Underground Elizabeth line!

Here are 13 interesting facts about the Western Ticket Hall in Bond Street Crossrail Station:

1. The D-wall was constructed using glass fibre reinforcement so that the TBM can easily bore its way through it to form the tunnel.

2. 35-40MN capacity plunge column piles were used to construct the foundations to support the station and potential over site developments (OSDs).

3. These plunge columns are 40mm thick steel box sections filled with reinforced concrete, and encased in concrete.

4. The River Tyne runs beneath Davies Street. Davies Street has an irregular profile where it sinks (troughs) at the location of the new station entrance. 

5. The flood level that required accommodation was initially 2.8m; however this was reduced to a more reasonable 2.1m after a revised study. This level was needed to be accommodated to prevent station flooding.

6. One of the capping beams spanning North-South has a self-raising Kevlar/carbon flood barrier which is activated when flood water is encountered.

7. The Western Ticket Hall was constructed using top-down construction.

8. The Western Ticket Hall raft slab is located 4m above the Jubilee Line.

9. The Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) worked at a rate of 100m per week (working 24/7) to keep to programme.

10. Two types of boring were implemented on the project:

(a) Single diameter pre-cast linings.

(b) Sprayed concrete linings (SCL). This more readily accommodates different tunnel shapes and diameters.

11. Muck away from the TBM operations is taken away down to the Thames Estuary. It was added to a new bird sanctuary. A conveyor belt and hopper is used to transport muck away from TBM operations. A hopper is a bucket type device that turns and tips muck into carrier trucks beneath.

12. 3No. 100mm diameter grout shafts (one at each of the two ticket halls, and one located centrally between the east and west ticket halls) was used for compensation grouting operations to reduce settlements caused by digging and earth movement operations. 

13. Compensation grouting was carried out beneath the buildings at ground level along the busy Oxford St.

 

Check out the Crossrail YouTube video above to see what the finished station will look like.

For more information visit the Bond Street Crossrail website.

Share your comments about the Crossrail project below!

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