‘UK Engineering First’ Werrington Tunnel Opens
The rail minister has officially opened a £200m railway tunnel dubbed a “UK engineering first”. The Werrington Tunnel was created by “pushing” an 11,000-tonne concrete curve under the East Coast Main Line (ECML) near Peterborough.
Work began on the project in the summer of 2018 and a curved concrete tube, weighing more than the Eiffel Tower, was pushed into place underneath the existing lines in January 2021.
It is the first time the technique has been employed in the UK. The structure - measuring 155m (508ft) long with 1m-thick (3ft) walls - was pre-built in nine sections before its installation.
The new operation would also pave the way for the Integrated Rail Plan, which sets out £96bn of investment in the UK railway network.
Kunzvi Dam Project To Supply Zimbabwe Capital With Water
A project of 109 million U.S. dollar is on course by Nanchang Engineering. The project aims to construct Kunzvi Dam in Goromonzi District, Mashonaland East Province, which will provide capital city of Zimbabwe, Harare, with a new water source. The dam is going to be built northeast of the city and will provide relief to the city which has for long had to deal with four water sources, two of which are heavily polluted.
A new water treatment plant and a pipeline from the dam will be, also, constructed north of the city. Nanchang Engineering has now moved onto the site with equipment and will undertake the work on a “build, operate and transfer” (BOT) model.
UK’s Longest Rail Bridge: First Of 56 Piers Complete
The first of 56 piers needed to support HS2’s Colne Valley Viaduct has been built. Once complete the viaduct will be 3.4km long, making it the longest rail bridge in the country.
Align project director Daniel Altier said: “I have no doubt that the viaduct will become one, if not the most striking element of HS2 phase 1 once complete. “The way it will be constructed is going to be equally fascinating for engineers young and old.
The sections for the deck will be fabricated at our main construction site to the west of London just inside the M25, and using a huge launching girder, the deck will be formed from north to south, along the line of the route, thereby keeping unnecessary construction traffic off the roads.
“I would like to thank the whole team, including our supply chain partners, who have worked very hard to enable us to meet this important milestone in the viaduct’s construction.”