By rosebell
In order to building the substructure foundations for HS2’s flagship Curzon Street Station in Birmingham, UK, Civil engineering firm MPB Structures has concluded a contract.
With the aim of ramping up in 2025 with the first of a series of major contract awards, HS2’s Curzon Street Station contractor, Mace Dragados Joint Venture (MDJV), is preparing for construction, that is following Keltbray’s current piling operation to install 2,000 concrete piles supporting the station’s foundations.
The date of commencing foundation works for the new Birmingham Curzon Street Station was January 2024. For constructing the new Birmingham Curzon Street station, Mace Dragados is working with HS2 in two stages after a deal worth up to £570m.
In January 2025, a team of around 140 people from Birmingham-based MPB Structures will begin work at the station.
Including removing 65,000m³ of earth,building the complex substructure will be up to this team, whereas the work involves using 17,000m³ of concrete to install 417 pile caps and 4,700+ tonnes of reinforcing steel for the station’s ground beams.
Additionally, waterproofing the new concrete structures, and building the drainage network within and around the station will be up to the civil engineering firm.
MPB Structures’ team is also due to construct attenuation tanks to store rainwater which will be recycled for use within the station.
According to MPB Structures board director and business owner Patrick Boyle: “In addition to local employment, one of our main aspirations is to create work placements and workless jobs starts for local people building on other successes we have had in this arena coupled with West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker’s ambition to create 20,000 jobs and opportunities within the region.”
In order to advancing the construction of the station’s superstructure, further contracts are going to be awarded in the coming months, while these contracts will include building the floor slab, lift shafts, stairs, and columns to support the viaducts.
For saving time and space, the viaducts will be constructed using pre-cast concrete beams, manufactured off-site.
Also a further contract will be granted for the station’s façade, walls, and glazing.
Curzon Street Station project client director Dave Lock said: “This contract award marks the next stage of our construction programme to build the flagship Curzon Street Station, and we’re delighted to have MPB on board.”
Boosting connectivity to Eastside and Digbeth and supporting wider regeneration, Curzon Street Station will serve as a departure point for Britain’s new high-speed railway.
The station will provide connections to local transport, including buses and the Midland Metro, with a tram line running alongside and under the station.
