Wedoany.com Report on Feb 13th, Engineers from the Balfour Beatty Vinci (BBV) joint venture have successfully completed the installation of the deck for the Coleshill Viaduct at the Delta Junction on the outskirts of Birmingham, part of the HS2 high-speed rail project. This critical progress involves four parallel viaducts. As part of the HS2 project, the high-speed line approaches Birmingham from the south, traversing floodplains, local roads, and existing infrastructure near Coleshill in Warwickshire, aiming to optimize rail network connectivity.
The Coleshill Viaduct consists of East and West bridges, with a total extension exceeding 600 meters, located within the triangular Delta Junction. This junction is a complex transport node east of Birmingham, designed to divert rail traffic towards the city center and northern areas. As the main engineering contractor for HS2 in the central region, BBV is responsible for delivering this package under a design and build contract, covering interconnected structures such as viaducts, overpasses, and underpasses.
During the construction of the Coleshill Viaduct, the total deck length is 2.4 kilometers, comprising 1,024 precast concrete segments. These segments were manufactured off-site by BBV at a dedicated facility in Kingsbury before being transported to the site for lifting and installation. The central deck is 22 meters wide, formed by two rows of 11-meter-wide segments, each weighing 60 tonnes; the flanking single-track viaducts use a single row of 44-tonne segments. The entire structure is supported by 54 reinforced concrete piers reaching up to 12 meters in height, ensuring stability and durability.
BBV employed the balanced cantilever method to install the segments, using temporary steel cables for support until the span was completed, after which permanent post-tensioned cables were threaded through the hollow cores of the deck to reinforce the structure. This process was repeated between each pier until all spans were in place. Simon Albarel, BBV Section Manager, stated: "The installation of the 1,024 precast segments marks a milestone for one of the most complex sections of the route." Caroline Warrington, HS2 Ltd Delivery Director, added: "With the deck assembly now complete, work is focused on finishing the final elements, including curbs and parapets, before preparing the structure for track installation."
