Overview

An overview of Carpenter’s Land Bridge - the project named Engineering Award and Overall Award winner of the CIHT Awards 2020. 

It will review the project and how it came to be touching on procurement, design and construction, with a significant look at the innovative installation technique and the various challenges surrounding the project.

Executive summary of the project

Believed to be a UK first, the innovative installation of Carpenters Land Bridge encapsulates the “exceptional engineering” at the heart of the CIHT Awards. Using a unique Self-Propelled Modular Transporter, we manoeuvred and positioned the complete bridge (66m long/7.2m wide/350tn of steel) as a long, eccentrically loaded cantilever, on wheels. It was balanced using a 450tn counterweight. Within an extremely constrained site, across five railway tracks, we completed the launch during a single possession – 15 hours early. Equally as impressive, our team completed the installation on Christmas Day (3.30am/3.30pm) – the perfect “present” for the multi-billion-pound East Bank regeneration scheme.

Read more about the project here.

The judges said

The judges were impressed with the creative approach to design and implementation. This innovative solution, using off site fabrication and novel construction techniques, provides a potential model for others to follow. There were significant benefits in delivering during a constrained time window with large social values for the community and business. The entry clearly outlined how it met all the requirements for entry.

Speakers

Sean O'Neill, Project Manager, GRAHAM

Andrew Henry, Contracts Manager, GRAHAM

Leo Martin/Stephen Hand, Managing Director Civil Engineering/Pro-Construction Director, GRAHAM

Volodymyr Opanasiuk, COWI