A UNIC mini spider crane was used to fit fireproof hoarding at Farringdon Train Station as part of the ongoing Crossrail project. Crossrail’s final two tunnelling machines, Elizabeth and Victoria, successfully broke through into the eastern ticket hall at Farringdon station in May 2015; a UNIC URW-095 mini spider crane was on hand to help with the next phase of the works.
Crossrail is the biggest engineering project in Europe and involves creating a 120 km line from Heathrow Airport to Central London and constructing ten new state of the art rail stations. Tunnelling began in the summer of 2012 and ended at Farringdon with the breakthrough of tunnelling machine, Victoria. Eight 1,000 tonne tunneling machines have bored 26 miles or 42 km of new 6.2m diameter rail tunnels under London.
To allow the extensive works in the ticket halls at Farringdon Station to be carried out safely the UNIC mini spider crane was called to install fireproof hoarding throughout the station’s interior. The hoarding panels measured 1.2 metres wide and 8 metres high, weighing in at 250kg each. The 8 metre length of the panels meant that the lifting prowess of the URW-095 was needed to lift them to the installation point of 5 metres. As the station is so busy all work was carried out during weekend days and nights.
With the hoarding is in place construction of the interior walls and floors can take place within both ticket halls at Farringdon Station. In the western ticket hall, construction of the escalator barrel which will lead to platform level is to get underway. The hoarding means that the works can continue on the Crossrail project while the station remains open to passengers. Now that the tunnels are connected, work will continue to build platforms, lay tracks, fit out station structures and install operational systems ready for the new Crossrail trains to start running from 2018. It is anticipated that the completed project will increase passenger flow through Central London by 10%.
To find out how UNIC Cranes Europe can help with your railway infrastructure project contact our friendly team of experts today.
