Stratford Box
 

 

The Stratford Box - a part of Channel Tunnel Rail Link

Stratford Box is where the new Stratford International Station for the Channel Tunnel Rail Link is being constructed.

A reinforced concrete box was constructed at each end of the proposed station to allow the tunnelling machines to be lowered into position before driving the tunnel headings towards St Pancras Station and the opposite direction beneath the River Thames.

Contract 230 - Stratford Box was awarded to Skanska Construction for £105 million. This comprises the construction of the 1070m long by 50m wide and 16-22m deep Stratford Box to accommodate Stratford International Station and the 160km/h crossovers onto the 225km/h CTRL Main Line. The Contractor commenced some advanced works in June 2001 that included setting up site accommodation in existing buildings for Contracts 220, 230 and 240, undertaking diaphragm wall test panels, demolition surveys and river diversion works.  In addition, the following work is being carried out.

bullet
Constructing twin 7.5km tunnels to
connect Stratford International station with
St Pancras station.
bulletCreating a massive below-ground
concrete structure one kilometre long to house Stratford International station, which opens in 2007.
bulletBuilding twin 4.7km tunnels at the eastern end of the Stratford Box.
bulletDeveloping a series of cut and cover tunnels through Ashford, regarded as one of the most complex projects of the whole scheme.

Boring began in September 2002, from the Stratford Box heading east under the Great Eastern Line and London Underground's Central Line Tunnels. The JV used two 8.1m diameter Wirth TBMs to bore the 7.15m i.d segmentally lined tunnels through dense water bearing Thanet Sands.

For more information, follow this link.

On the next page you can see photographs taken during the students two day site visit.

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Last Edited :  22 August 2008 00:03:19