Write a commentTerra Solutions a specialist trenchless civil engineering contractor based at Carnbane in Newry has secured a major contract to link a £57million office development in the City of London to the London Underground.
The specialist tunnelling firm has been subcontracted by Hochtief UK Ltd to create two passenger tunnels between a ticketing office under Bloomberg’s planned European headquarters and Bank Station, which is on the Waterloo and City line.
The company, which is being supported by Ulster Bank, will begin work on the contract this month, with the project due to be completed before summer 2016.
Barry McAllister, Managing Director of Terra Solutions, says: “In order to reduce peak period congestion on the Waterloo and City line at Bank Station, Transport for London has reached an agreement with the developer of Bloomberg Place to construct a new ticket hall within its basement, providing an entrance/exit. These new passenger entrances will be formed by two 5.5m diameter tunnels, and Terra Solutions is delighted to have been appointed to carry out the specialist tunnelling works.”
“We’ve worked closely with Ulster Bank for more than seven years, and they have supported our continued development and growth. As part of this latest project, Ulster Bank is providing us with increased facilities to help us meet the investment needed to complete such a major contract,” he adds.
The £57m Bloomberg Place development, which will be the financial information provider’s new European headquarters, will comprise of two nine-floor office buildings, providing more than 110,000 sq m of high-specification office space.
The tunnels will be constructed by Terra Solutions using sprayed concrete lining (SCL) tunnelling, using the new ‘Strong-back Method’, only used before on Victoria Station. Sprayed concrete lining is a method for large diameter tunnel construction in the UK, sometimes described as the NATM (New Austrian Tunnelling Method). This method comprises the staged excavation of the tunnel using mechanical excavation and the application of sprayed concrete to the excavated surfaces to provide ground support. The sprayed concrete supports the excavation both temporarily and permanently.
After the tunnels have been formed, a permanent cast in-situ concrete lining, reinforced with steel bars, is installed. The tunnel can only remain unsupported for a limited time and hence the permanent, load-bearing secondary lining is required.
Girvan Gault, Head of Lisburn Business Centre at Ulster Bank, says: “Terra Solutions secured this very prestigious contract to deliver a world-class infrastructure project against stiff competition from international businesses. They will be using new tunnelling technology, putting them at the cutting-edge of engineering, and Ulster Bank is very pleased to support them to deliver the project.”
