London & South East

Tottenham Court Road transforms

Crossrail Tottenham Court Road

Tottenham Court Road Tube station is currently undergoing an extensive redevelopment programme that will dramatically reduce congestion and provide vital links to Crossrail services.

The £500 million redevelopment of the Tube station will create a huge amount of new underground space, with stunning new entrances, step-free access to all platforms and a direct interchange with Crossrail services when they arrive at the station in 2018.

When Tottenham Court Road station was built over a century ago, it was not designed to cope with the 147,000 people that currently use it every day. As one of the most important stations in the heart of London, the station serves the Central and Northern lines that bisect the city. To combat increasing levels of congestion, an intensive upgrade programme is now underway.

Preparation work began back in 2007, when a three-year programme of utility diversions, strengthening and replacement commenced. This work effectively created the space below Charing Cross Road for the new ticket hall to be constructed and culminated in the strengthening of old cast iron trunk utilities below Oxford Street to protect them from the potential effects of settlement.

Crossrail Tottenham Court Road

The main works contract to build the station got underway at the start of 2010. London Underground appointed a joint venture of Taylor Woodrow BAM Nuttall (TWBN) to deliver the works over a seven-year construction programme.

London Underground Programme Manager, Les Hamilton, said:

“Anyone who has visited the area recently will recognise that construction of the station is a huge logistical challenge.

“Our site is surrounded on all sides by busy streets, offices, shops and homes, not to mention a Grade II* listed church.

“Space on site is at a premium so co-ordinating the works efficiently is hugely important – our contractor simply has to make the most of every inch of space.”

Crossrail Tottenham Court Road

The site includes the northern end of Charing Cross Road which now diverts around Centre Point. Multiple works have been carried out simultaneously including the construction of the new ticket hall, an entrance from Oxford Street, a new emergency escape shaft, new tunnels to the Central and Northern line and a deep shaft that will link the new ticket hall with Crossrail below Goslett Yard.

Taylor Woodrow BAM Nuttall’s Project Director, Jez Haskins, said:

“London Underground’s new ticket hall is a huge double basement excavated within a secant piled box.

“The new ticket hall will be nearly six times bigger than the existing station which will ease congestion once it’s built, but for now the challenge is civil engineering – during 2012 we will excavate around 30,000 cubic metres and pour around 20,000 cubic metres of concrete.

Crossrail Tottenham Court Road

“The engineering challenges posed by the project could hardly be greater. The design required the Northern line platform tunnels to be reshaped during an 8 month platform closure in 2011.We had to create space between the tunnels to install new lifts and staircases to platform level.”

Jez Haskins added:

“Over the 8 months our tunnel gangs removed around 800 tonnes of old cast iron segments and installed around 1000 tonnes of new steel props.  This was all done in the narrow worksite down the length of the platforms in very difficult conditions.

“All materials and plant were lowered down to platform via a 4.5 metre diameter shaft that will ultimately be fitted out for passengers to access services step-free – and vitally for London Underground we handed back on time as planned.”

While the majority of the Tottenham Court Road improvement scheme focuses on providing better facilities for passengers, external areas will also be transformed as part of the project. London Underground’s project team, including architects Gillespies, have been working with Camden and Westminster councils to develop a brand new urban environment. This centres on a large new piazza which includes glass station entrances at the foot of Centre Point.

Reinstating the urban realm in this way will help improve pedestrian routes to Soho, Covent Garden, Fitzrovia, Bloomsbury and of course, Europe’s busiest shopping street – Oxford Street.

Crossrail Tottenham Court Road

Capital Programmes Director, David Waboso, said:

“The upgrade of Tottenham Court Road station is underway. The station is currently operating with heavy congestion, which is why it is essential to upgrade the station. The new ticket hall will be 6 times that of the current ticket hall and the station will also have step-free access along with new lifts.

“While the entire Crossrail project will be the biggest construction project in Europe, no-one should underestimate the scale and extent of the work that will take place at Tottenham Court Road. This will be one of the biggest station redevelopment projects ever undertaken in central London.

“By 2018, Tottenham Court Road station will be one of the most important stations in the West End, serving both London Underground and Crossrail. The expanded tube station will be integrated with the new Crossrail station to form a major interchange.”

Rentavent 

Rentavent specialise in providing temporary air quality control solutions for the construction industry in order to reduce noise and dust pollution. One of the company’s most commonly used products is the Soundex Acoustic Curtain, a lightweight curtain that can be hung from either temporary fencing panels or scaffolding.

The Soundex Acoustic Curtain mainly absorbs noise to confine and contain the sound emitted from a site or from machinery. What makes the Soundex Acoustic Curtain so unique is its Velcro connection which provides a simple to install, consistent and efficient sound barrier.

On the Tottenham Court Road project, Rentavent is providing Soundex Acoustic Curtains for use on temporary fencing around the main work areas and localised barriers close to noise sources. The curtains will assist in protecting the general public from site noise.

Rentavent also offers Quick Erect Acoustic Enclosures which are ideal for creating temporary enclosures in particularly sensitive areas. The enclosures can be erected by two people within 10 minutes and are easily transportable.

Rentavent’s Marketing Manager said:

“At Rentavent, we specialise in our ability to develop innovative new products, and we always aim to find the correct solutions to meet our clients’ needs.”

SIG Construction Accessories

SIG Construction Accessories is a market leadingUKwide specialist distributor of products designed for use within the construction, civil engineering and infrastructure industries. These products include waterproofing, concrete accessories, formwork products, concrete repair and industrial flooring coatings. In addition, the company distributes grouts and anchors, geotechnical products, masonry support, brickwork accessories and sealants.

With 15 branches strategically located across the UK its network offers a massive choice of stock, combined with flexible delivery, first class service and expert product advice. SIG Construction Accessories works with many national contractors and sub contractors, including Laing O’Rourke, BAM Group, Morgan Sindall, Kier, Vinci, Costain, Balfour Beatty and Carillion, amongst others.

SIG Construction Accessories National Account Manager, Wayne Brown, said:

“At SIG Construction Accessories we have products that can be used during each stage of a project and with experienced and knowledgeable teams on hand at all of our branches, we can provide our clients with a range of solutions to meet their needs. We have a vast range of products available within our portfolio, with core items available for next day delivery.

“We are heavily involved with Crossrail and have set up a dedicated Crossrail Project Team to enable complete support in all areas, from providing tenders and value engineering identification to ensuring all deliveries are correct and on time. We are proud to supply Tottenham Court Road Station with specialist construction accessories products and expert advice.”

 VJ Technology

Established in 1991 VJ Technology specialise in the manufacture and distribution of top quality fixings, hand and power tools and related consumables for the construction industry. VJ Technology has offices in Ashford inKent,BristolandSouthamptonand has a portfolio of over 2,000 customers with clients including BAM Nuttall, Kier Group, Laing O’Rourke, Balfour Beatty, Morgan Sindall and the Costain Group.

At Tottenham Court Road, VJ Technology is providing fixings, tools and consumables to BAM Nuttall, Ferroival and Kier for use on the project. A technical key account manager has been appointed to oversee the project and includes regular visits to the site to keep track of progress. Deliveries are made daily using their own fleet of drivers. VJ Technology is also providing fixings and consumables for a number of additional Crossrail projects and has a dedicated team in place to work specifically on Crossrail with key functions in place for technical assistance, purchasing, internal sales coordination and lab testing.

VJ Technology Managing Director, Dr Pietro Grandesso, said:

“We would like to thank all of our clients for choosing us as their preferred supplier of construction fixings and tools. At VJ Technology we always strive to deliver the correct products at the correct time and with the correct technical support. We look forward to working with our clients for the duration of the project and we hope we can support them on new projects in the future.”

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