Crossrail C511 – Whitechapel Access Shafts

Scope of works

The new Whitechapel Crossrail Station has platforms in deep tunnels to the North of the existing station leading to a fully integrated station that provides an easy step-free interchange between the Crossrail, Hammersmith and City, District and Overground lines.

Kilnbridge were appointed to deconstruct a 60m long by 2.7m wide (at the base) and 10m high brick and mass concrete retaining wall running parallel to a live London Overground platform.

The operational challenge was to deconstruct the wall during normal working hours, with approval from London Overground, ensuring there was no risk to passengers.

Kilnbridge were engaged at a very early stage of the project to advise on a range of deconstruction methods and were selected on the basis of experience in this particular type of work and in-house capability to design and install temporary works and to undertake CAT 3 design checks.

The wall was deconstructed in 4 stages utilising a combination of drilling, bursting and wire sawing techniques.

Challenges / Achievements

• All temporary works were designed, fabricated and installed in-house
• Drilling, bursting and wire sawing techniques to minimise noise, dust and vibration