The Midland Metro Alliance is a team of planning, design and construction specialists responsible for building a number of new tram extensions over the coming decade, on behalf of the West Midlands Combined Authority. These exciting extensions will help deliver a lasting legacy, aiding social and economic regeneration across the region.
There are a total of six projects that form the work of the alliance, specifically Wolverhampton Interchange, Wednesbury to Brierley Hill, Birmingham Eastside, East Birmingham to Solihull, Birmingham to Centenary Square and Centenary Square to Edgbaston. These projects form a significant part of the ‘Movement for Growth’ strategy through which Transport for West Midlands will work to limit the effects of congestion, by improving the availability of modes other than the private car.
Barhale carried out work on the new Chelsea to Battersea gas pipeline. As part of the ongoing work to replace and upgrade large diameter gas mains throughout central London, a new gas pipeline was required underneath the River Thames between the Royal Hospital Chelsea and Battersea Park.
The overall project was split in to two separate contracts, both of which were awarded to Barhale:
Contract 1: Construction of two shafts, connected via a new tunnel
underneath the River Thames, which would facilitate the installation
of the new 600mm diameter gas main. This contract was delivered to
tRIIO.
Contract 2: Installation of the 600mm diameter, welded steel pipeline
through the tunnel. Including the installation of several governors
and the connection of the new pipeline into the existing network. This
contract was delivered directly to Cadent Gas Ltd.
As part of works on the west section of the Thames Tideway Tunnel scheme, Barhale were contracted by the BAM Nuttall Morgan Sindall Balfour Beatty (BMB) joint venture to construct a series of complex underground structures that would intercept the sewage overflows from the West Putney Storm Relief Sewer for transfer to the main Tideway tunnel beneath the River Thames.
The scope of works included the construction of a 35m deep x 6m internal diameter drop shaft and a 210m long x 3m outside diameter connection tunnel.
Surface level works include 6m deep reinforced concrete (RC) interception chambers, a RC culvert and a RC MEICA building, comprising of electrical intake room, telemetry room and control room for system alarms and automated actuated valves (installed by others).
Barhale also built an 800m long, 4m wide access road, and installed additional sections to address Environment Agency and Local Authority requirements related to existing flood defences and protected trees in the proximity of the works.
Coltbridge Viaduct is part of a disused Victorian railway line, located in the Roseburn/Murrayfield area of Edinburgh. The triple-arched viaduct spans the Water of Leith, Coltbridge Avenue and the Water of Leith Walkway.
The integrity of the structure was being compromised by the growth of vegetation and erosion of mortar on the underside of the arches, causing risk of falling debris.
The scope comprised:
• Vegetation removal
• Drainage
• Masonry repairs
• Waterproofing
• Extensive scaffolding
• Other refurbishment works
Barhale was contracted by Portsmouth Water to design and build
appropriate infrastructure at its abstraction intake on the River Itchen.
The scheme aimed to align the structure with the recently imposed
England and Wales Regulations (Eel), whilst also screening for Brook
Lamprey.
To achieve this, 4No. S1800 Hydrolox screens were retrofitted to the
existing intake structure in place of the existing raked course bar
screens. This required structural modifications and an additional
cantilevered 12m walkway over the river for maintenance access.
As part of Barhale’s framework with Affinity Water to divert and
protect the latter’s assets along the HS2 route, Barhale were
contracted to replace and reinforce sections of an existing strategic
12” main between the Affinity Water Northolt Booster site and
Greenford Park Estate.
The reinforcement of the strategic main will
ensure sufficient water supply to two maintenance shafts that will be
built by HS2’s main works contractor in the area. The works on site
started in September 2019, and they are due to finish towards the end of 2020.
Network Rail informed Yorkshire Water that foul sewage was leaking
to the surface and onto the railway track. After CCTV investigation and attempts at unblocking the pipeline, it was found that the 225mm
diameter foul sewer had collapsed due to its 100 year old age and
ground pressure caused by the trains. The sewer was shallow at only
1.5m depth and had been affected by a Network Rail track drainage
project.
Following an optioneering process, the damaged sewer was reinstated at its existing alignment and was relayed in sections, with live flows. This required the use of a temporary overpumping system.
The sewer line crosses the main MVL3 Manchester to Huddersfield line, so the works were carried out over a series of short Rules of Route (ROR) night possessions.
King George V Reservoir was constructed between 1908 and 1912.
It opened in 1913 and is the largest reservoir within the London area, measuring 170 ha (420 acres) in size and holding 2,740,000,000 gallons of water. To enable the reservoir to continue to operate safely, Barhale were engaged by eight₂O (SMB JV) to carry out two essential elements of work:
- Strengthening of the existing kneeler beam
- Installation of a hardcore access road round the crest of the reservoir
Kneeler beams are built into the upstream shoulders of the reservoir
embankment. They provide support to the concrete slabbing, which
protects the embankment from wave erosion around the top of the
water level. When reservoir levels were very low, there was the risk
of erosion undermining these kneeler beams, which could cause the
concrete slabs to fall away.
As part of the upgrades at Coppermills Water Treatment Works,
Barhale were contracted by eight₂O to undertake the civil works for
the installation of 12 Rapid Gravity Filter Tanks (RGF Tanks), construct
a new weir chamber and pipework to two adjacent pipe galleries and
install new draw pits and ducting for HV/LV cables running into the
newly constructed MCC base slab. These upgrades will significantly
improve water purification capacity into Thames Water’s Ring Main,
and help to meet the demands of London’s rising population.
The scope of work on this project included all the earthworks for the
installation of the RGF Tanks and North and South pipe galleries. The
initial work plan required us to excavate the pipe galleries before
constructing the piling mat between them.
As part of eight₂O’s Tunnels and Aqueducts Programme, Barhale conducted the enabling works for tunnel inspections by Thames Water engineers. This included:
- Structural integrity surveys of specified tunnels
- Designing, supplying and installing secondary isolation
- Tunnels drainage and cleaning
- Primary inspection of tunnels
After Thames Water engineers inspected the tunnels, Barhale also carried out the required repairs. The scope of work covered 4 tunnels of which significant sections had been built in the 1800s. The tunnels were accessed via 5no shafts (3m ID, and depths ranging from 16 to 25m), which were located inside the reservoirs. The reservoirs themselves are situated on land that is open to public access via the Wetlands project.