Scaffolding
The Project
An entirely new Paddington Station building is required for the terminus of Crossrail Ltd’s (CRL) Elizabeth Line. The station needed to enable a fully-integrated public transport network, without impacting on the aesthetics of the historical railway station. The solution is an underground concrete structure that passengers will travel down to via escalators from a glazed canopy at ground level.
The ultra-modern station is being delivered by Costain-Skanska Joint Venture (CSJV) for CRL and has involved extensive scaffolding and access infrastructure designed and managed by Millcroft.
The Solution from Millcroft
The Millcroft team was initially engaged to provide general scaffolding services for the site including a 40m sliding temporary roof to give weather protection to the exposed box void, as well as a 120m x 26m x 10m birdcage to provide access for installation of the new canopy.
The access for the Waagner Canopy above the station area was also re-designed to become a 120m long bridged access with waterproofing and water management built into the deck itself to protect the finished works below. The Millcroft design team used experience from other similar projects to supply and install a proven solution.
We also designed and supplied two 250m-long fire-resistant hoardings, fabricated to Crossrail standards. These were installed over a period of just 20 days and completed on time, despite major changes on site throughout the installation period.
The Millcroft team worked a 6-day week with two 10-hour shifts each day to help keep the construction programme on track over a two-year period, managing the challenges of the sunken box construction and heavily trafficked site location with meticulous planning to ensure access and egress to all areas. It was particularly important to maintain access for delivery and movement of materials to all levels and locations.
Along with the major work items, general site scaffolds from handrails to protection decks have also been provided for the project, requiring between six and 10 Millcroft operatives working full time to install requirements across all areas, including confined spaces.
We also supplied lifting equipment and proof testing to various project locations, where conventional lifting practices are not practical.