BACKGROUND
EMCOR together with Costain, O'Rourke and Bachy Soletanche, formed a consortium, known as CORBER, to redevelop London's St Pancras International. The station, which was originally built in 1869, is a top ten Grade I listed building which is considered as important to our heritage as Stonehenge and St. Paul's Cathedral. The existing train shed, which was retained, was the largest enclosed volume of its time and formed the basis of many station buildings in the United States.
The construction was undertaken in two phases. Phase 1 involved finishing the East Deck extension by 2004, which would act as an interim station of up to 6 platforms. Once the interim station was operational, work proceeded for Phase 2; to excavate and build a 'station box' for the new Thameslink underground station, complete the West Deck extension and refurbish the existing train shed.
The redeveloped station is now the terminus for High Speed 1 (formally the Channel Tunnel Rail Link) and offers a flat-roofed extension and 13 platforms, 6 of which cater for 400 metre-long Eurostar trains.
OBJECTIVES
The objective of this redevelopment was to transform St Pancras International into a world class station and complete the nine year project to build the high speed Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL), now called High Speed 1 (HS1). Its construction was also key to stimulating the regeneration and redevelopment of the King's Cross environs.
Key construction objectives:-
- Construct and make operational an interim station
- Construct Thameslink ‘station box’ in 6 months
- Relocate Midland Mainline operational facilities so the station could be completed to accept Eurostar trains.
VALUE DELIVERED
- Working within a consortium with the civil and building contractors reduced interfaces for the client.
- Ability to influence decision making through partnership within the consortium.
- Milestones and an early completion date achieved through working in an integrated team.
- An experienced project team of engineers, designers and operatives, who had been involved with the successful Jubilee Line extension.
- Worked closely with RLE and CORBER to drive out costs through value engineering.
- Our relationships and integration of key members of our supply chain were used to full effect.
- Knowledge of working in a rail environment, the station remained operational throughout the project.
- Supporting the client in ensuring the project exceeded safety and environmental standards, demonstrated by excellent statistics and accolades won.
- Engineering and working within the constraints of an existing Grade 1 listed building and liaison with English Heritage.
SOLUTIONS
The client operated the ‘Six Sigma’ strategy and would adopt and lead teams to successfully resolve major issues and challenges as they surfaced. EMCOR was an active member of these teams.
The interim station was intended to be a temporary solution constructed in 12 months and refurbished once the main station was operational. EMCOR engineers designed services in order to maximise permanent works to reduce costs and need for refurbishment.
The short timescale to construct the Thameslink ‘box’ was recognised and the 6 month blockade could not be extended. The consortium successfully adopted ProjectFlow to add certainty to completion. Given the resounding success of ProjectFlow, it became the tool of preference for key ongoing programme challenges.
Pressures on the complex construction sequencing and programme were relieved by modularising the West Side Plant Rooms and prefabrication initiatives, particularly in the substantial Undercroft service trenches.
The relocation of Midland Mainline required considerable planning and engineering. Midland Mainline was relocated 12 months prior to station completion. In order to achieve this, approximately 85% of the MEP and communications services for the complete station, including a station control room, needed to be complete, commissioned and operational. This would be a tall order on any project, but in a rail environment, with high assurance needs, it was a considerable challenge. The design and installation needed to provide the infrastructure and services required to operate train services. It also had to limit the need to re-enter and work within completed operational areas and thus avoid disruption to the operation of the railway and our own works.
EMCOR'S SCOPE OF WORK
- MV & LV distribution
- Train shore supplies
- Vacuum drainage
- Platform lighting booms
- Lightning protection
- Heating systems
- Platform and above ground drainage
- Communications and IT systems
- UPS systems
- Lighting Earthing & bonding
- Fire detection / protection
- PA VA systems
- Natural gas
- Air conditioning
- Ventilation
- Security systems
- Passenger information systems & points
- Automatic controls BMS
AWARDS
The St Pancras International redevelopment project won many awards including: Considerate Constructors Award, RICS Project of the Year Award 2008, BCI Major Project Award 2008, Secure Station Award 2009 and Project of the Decade at the London Transport Awards 2008.
After successfully completing this project, EMCOR went on to work on the regeneration of the long disused St Pancras Hotel into a 245 bedroom hotel and 67apartments, directly above the high-speed Eurostar rail link.
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Copyright 2004, EMCOR Group, Inc., All Rights Reserved
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