Battersea Power Station is an iconic location in the centre of London and blu-3 was chosen for this project due to its experience in similar civil engineering works. The overall scheme was a multi-billion-pound project developing an old grade II listed building and its 42-acre surroundings into a modern multi-use complex.
Location
Battersea,
SW London
Client
Battersea
Power Station
Development
Corporation
Power Station
Development
Corporation
Value
£60M+
Scope
- Construction of two approach roads and bridge abutment to form enabling form part of Stage 3 works
Site clearance, demolition and diverting of existing services and the provision of new surface draining, services and ducts - Hard and soft landscaping and installation of traffic light systems
- Reducing the height of existing ground level and temporary works design
- Provide surface and ground water management alongside vibration and movement monitoring
- Installation of sheet pile cofferdam and breaking out of existing substructure for future pile design for the proposed building
- Disposal of non-hazardous excavated material
- Burn out steel reinforcement and steel supports
- Provide openings for access and carry out the installation of access ramps and haul routes
- Provide full BIM
Project Challenges & Solutions
- Some existing foundations within the power station reached 12m deep. In order to access these foundations in such a tight site, sheet pile cofferdams were installed and machines lowered into the excavation to undertake the breakout. Major concrete breakout within a listed building presented its own challenges. Constant and thorough vibration monitoring was implemented to ensure no damage to the existing structure was caused
- Third party interface was a major challenge for the team and the bridge approaches had to be constructed whilst the temporary residential road passed through the site
- Stringent site requirements were in place to ensure new and potential residents were unaffected by the work taking place, and the project programme was critical as the opening date had been well-publicised in advance
- Multiple stakeholders required continuous engagement and the team needed to work collaboratively to overcome issues with design and development
- The project was shut down due to Covid-19 and the new resulting guidelines made working conditions challenging for the team
- Final surfacing had to take place on a weekend to ensure it was completed and ready for Monday morning traffic
