TPA Portable Roadways is one of Europe’s largest suppliers of temporary access solutions. Operating from bases in the UK and Germany, TPA provides equipment rental and installation of portable roadways, walkways and stairways, to customers in the transmission, construction, rail and outdoor events markets.
TPA Rapid Rail Access is firmly established in the rail sector as the principle provider of safe, effective, value for money access systems. Providing nationwide hire of specialist temporary access equipment designed, approved and dedicated for use in the rail sector.
Temporary roadways by specialist access solutions supplier TPA have helped a major bridge lift for HS2 complete in super-quick time.
More than 1,100m2 of TPA’s heavy-duty aluminium panels were used over 1,000 tonnes of ballast to enable the 1,600-tonne overbridge to be lifted into position by two 128-wheeled SPMTs at Aston Church Road in Saltey, Birmingham.
The project was completed in just five hours under a 52-hour Network Rail possession from August 10-11 as the new 84m long by 21m wide bridge for vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians has to replace the existing one, which has a shorter span, over four tracks of the Birmingham to Derby railway line and new HS2 tracks.
The TPA panels were required to provide a level surface and traction for the SPMTs, as well as a safe working area for the teams to move around the plant equipment, and were installed by two TPA teams over four hours.
Their removal had to be phased as the ballast, which was levelled using a 3D model programmed into the dozers and laid over a 1,200-gauge membrane, was removed by six vacuum extractor machines that needed the TPA panels for their own traction.
Duane Carey, project manager for transport infrastructure engineers Pod-Trak, said: “We have used TPA before as a company, but this was my first time using them on one of my projects. The panels were perfect - we had no issues with any of them or the fixings supplied.
“Time was a massive factor on this job. Every team had to be flexible to undertake their task at short notice, to allow maximum time for the bridge to be moved into place.”
He added:” TPA’s performance was brilliant, led by project coordinator Derek Gaw. It was a fully integrated team that was fully aware of the plan and risks associated with providing a platform for the SPMTs. Each member understood their roles, installing two hours faster than originally planned.”
The bridge comprises a concrete deck cast over steel girders with GRP panels used as permanent formwork. Around 4,000m3 of concrete and 490 tonnes of steel were used in its construction by Balfour Beatty VINCI on land next to the existing railway.
It was moved into position in one operation to significantly reduce disruption to rail passengers and road users and now sits on three structures – an abutment to the west of the existing rail tracks, a pier consisting of two columns on the east of the existing tracks, and an abutment to the east of the pier.
Derek Gaw said: “With the project being time critical, our crews were ready and adapted to the live variables on site, working well alongside Pod-Trak and other contractors to ensure the bridge placement and recovery of trackway and ballast went seamlessly.”
Work on this element of the HS2 project started a couple of years ago, and over the next 14 months (starting October 2024), the original Aston Church Road bridge will be demolished to create the extra space for the HS2 line to pass through, and works will start to connect the new bridge to the existing road network.
You can watch the bridge lift in action here
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