MAYOR OF LONDON

Transforming

Bond Street station

Transport for London

Spring 2013

Transport for London

After more than two years, excavation on the main Oxford Street worksite will be completed in early June. This article looks at the huge progress that has been made since work began in November 2010.

Once the building had been cleared it was ‘soft stripped’, which involved the removal of all non-

structural elements including carpets, doors and lightweight partitions. Following this, scaffolding was erected around the full height of the building. This was then covered in plastic sheeting, which reduced the impact of demolition in terms of noise and dust, and protected the workforce from the (ever unpredictable) British weather.

Supports were then installed inside the building to strengthen the floors and, in September 2011,

Site demolition almost complete

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24-hour Helpdesk: 0345 602 3813 or helpdesk@crossrail.co.uk

hydraulic excavators were lifted on to the roof of the building. Next came the job of breaking down the concrete-framed building, floor by floor.

This was a painstaking process that was made even more complex where the structure joined a Grade II listed building in 2 Stratford Place. The team took particular care to peel these two buildings apart, with the use of small hand tools becoming critical.

Gradually the building was reduced to ground level, with the scaffolding being taken down as work progressed. The focus then turned to the installation of piles (supports), which involved a service crane and a 150ft piling rig.

With piling complete in July 2012, attention switched to below-ground demolition as the project started to remove the two basement

levels. This was a difficult process for a number of reasons, especially the extremely limited size of the worksite and the single point of access via Marylebone Lane. A 1.5 metre reinforced concrete slab, previously part of the bank vault on the site, was also a considerable challenge to remove.

Excavation of the sub-basement slab was completed in early May and the project is now focused on the removal of a further three metres of clay soil. Following this, a concrete frame will be constructed for the over-site development (OSD), which will eventually house both retail space and accommodation when it opens in 2017. During the tunnelling phase of the project, which will begin later this year, the OSD frame will be used to house equipment, providing valuable working space. Temporary cladding will be added to the frame to help absorb noise and vibration.

Great excavations: the remains of the basements and bank vaults two floors below Oxford Street

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For more information see tfl.gov.uk/bondstreet

Tunnelling and excavationCrossrail’s two tunnel boring machines Phyllis and Ada have reached Bond Street, having bored their way from Royal Oak. Phyllis reached the new Bond Street western ticket hall at Davies Street in March, having completed 3.2km (two miles) of new tunnels.

Bringing up the rear was Ada, who reached the western ticket hall in late April. Both machines will finish their journeys at Farringdon at the end of the year. Between them Phyllis and Ada have constructed more than 5.5km (3.7 miles) of rail tunnels. Together with three other tunnelling machines in the east, nearly 7km (4.3 miles) of the 42km (26 miles) of new tunnels have been constructed so far on the Crossrail route.

Phyllis’ arrival at the Bond Street eastern ticket hall is a significant milestone for Crossrail as it marks the halfway point in her tunnel journey. When completed, Crossrail will provide essential new links and additional transport capacity, with an extra 1.5 million people able to reach Oxford Street within 45 minutes. These transport improvements, together with the new commercial space created above the station, will help boost the West End’s position as a thriving cultural and retail destination.

Crossrail’s contractor Costain Skanska has excavated more than two of the five levels for the new western ticket hall and will reach tunnel level later this year, completing the major excavation phase for the ticket hall.

At the eastern ticket hall, Crossrail’s tunnelling contractor BFK has been busy working at the bottom of the large shafts to excavate reception chambers for the tunnel boring machines. Each machine is more than 140 metres long and weighs more than 1,000 tonnes.

On her way past Hanover Square, Phyllis broke through into one of the specially-made underground chambers, where workers were able to reach the face of the cutterhead (the rotating head that loosens the earth) for the first time since she began her tunnel journey last May, allowing maintenance work to take place.

Phyllis has since continued her journey through Hanover Square and is now on her way to the new Crossrail Tottenham Court Road station, while Ada is just a few weeks behind.

Phyllis completed the laying of the 2,000th prefabricated concrete ring in March, having completed 3.2km of new tunnels

On 1 February this year, Crossrail announced its intention to award the last of the main construction contracts for Bond Street to Costain Skanska Joint Venture. The contract includes main construction, fit-out and mechanical and electrical installation of the western ticket hall (Davies Street) and eastern ticket hall (Hanover Square).

Andrew Wolstenholme OBE, Crossrail’s Chief

Executive, said: ‘Crossrail has now awarded the final main construction contract for the new central section stations. Contracts worth more than £5bn have been awarded to date, providing a much needed boost to the construction industry and the UK economy.

‘The Bond Street Crossrail station contract will create hundreds of new jobs, with hundreds more created in the wider supply chain.’

Contract awarded to complete Crossrail Bond Street station

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The Bond Street station upgrade project has scooped gold awards from both the Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).

The judges praised the project’s ‘great forethought and attention to detail’ and commented on the regular visits made to local residents and businesses, as well as the strong focus on safety measures. The CCS awards, which recognise exceptional standards of consideration towards local neighbours and the general public, the workforce, and the environment, was launched in 2011 and are only awarded to the top 10 per cent of sites.

This honour followed success earlier in the year when the project was awarded a RoSPA gold

Above: The team receives its CCS gold award

Double gold for team at LU Bond Street

VIP visits Bond Street stationCabinet Office Minister Chloe Smith (above) toured the Bond Street site with Crossrail Chief Executive Andrew Wolstenholme OBE in March. Accompanied by the Government’s Chief Construction Adviser Peter Hansford, they visited the western ticket hall site and met those working on the project.

award. This recognised the project’s commitment in terms of safety, as exemplified by regular site inspections, behavioural-based safety training for the entire project and the promotion of a new occupational health theme every three months.

Getting in contactIf you have any questions about the Bond Street station upgrade, or Crossrail, contact the 24-hour Helpdesk:email helpdesk@crossrail.co.uk or call 0345 602 3813More information about the project can be found at tfl.gov.uk/bondstreet and at www.crossrail.co.uk