Design
Design Resources
Resources include papers, videos, research summaries and good practice documents produced by authors from across the HS2 Family to capture learning, good practice and innovation from the HS2 programme
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Re-use of excavated materials
This paper focusses on the sustainable re-use of excavated earthworks materials and the lessons learned as part of the EKFB journey. The objective for EKFB, as the main works contractor for C2 and C3 of the HS2 route, is to maximise the re-use of materials and minimise off-site disposal. This has been achieved through the…
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Shaft friction design for piles in extremely weak to weak Mercia Mudstone
There is limited guidance for pile design in the Mercia Mudstone, when it varies between a weathered stiff clay and unweathered weak mudstone. In this transitionary zone, it is common for the mudstone to be found interbedded with varying degrees of weathering over a significant depth, or for the material to gradually transition from a…
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Simplification and automation of design process for HS2 viaducts drainage elements
Viaducts structures are assets adopted in High Speed Two (HS2) to minimise the impact of the railway on the existing motorways, watercourses, and other low-lying developments. The design of surface water drainage systems on high-speed rail viaducts can be a challenge for drainage engineers due to the limited specific research and available design manuals. Yet,…
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Railway drainage design in constrained environments. A case study in the vicinity of HS2 Birmingham Interchange Station
The HS2 Birmingham Interchange Station has been located to provide connections to multiple transport modes and routes. It is surrounded by major roads and situated close to Birmingham Airport and the existing Network Rail Birmingham International Station. Given its proximity to new and existing infrastructure, the design of the drainage for the catchment areas around…
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The use of measuring-while-drilling to aid investigation of Mercia Mudstone and other weak rocks
The investigation and accurate characterisation of weak rocks can be extremely challenging when fracturing and weathering creates difficulties in sampling and testing from boreholes. One such material is the Mercia Mudstone Group (MMG) that is prevalent along parts of the northern section of High Speed 2 Phase One route. Investigation into the strength and potential…
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Investigation of the behaviour and the design for piles subject to ground heave
The High Speed Two (HS2) mainline crosses deep cuttings in Charmouth Mudstone. Deep excavations cause significant stress changes in the ground which inevitably result in ground heave. However, there is a dearth of research and design guidance currently available for piles subject to ground heave induced by deep excavation in Charmouth Mudstone. In this paper,…
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Colne Valley Viaduct foundation design
The proposed 3.4km long Colne Valley Viaduct provides an excellent opportunity to review and optimise design methodologies for large diameter bored piles within Chalk. Whilst piles have been successfully designed and constructed in chalk for many decades, the HS2 Colne Valley Viaduct will be required to support the highest speeds and dynamic forces of any…
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Improvements for the design and operation of demolition hanging screens and curtains
Following the extensive use of demolition curtains on the Costain Skanska joint venture (CSjv) High Speed Two (HS2) Enabling Works Contract (EWC) South, a guidance document has been produced with the aim of highlighting risk elements, passing on learning and design considerations, and improving the safe system of work employed for this operation. Currently, no…
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Birmingham Curzon Street Station: A 21st Century Station Roof
Birmingham Curzon Street Station is the planned new northern terminus for Phase One of High Speed Two (HS2), located in the city centre of Birmingham. The Curzon Street Station roof is defined by its efficiency, simplicity and elegance, measuring 280m long by 80m wide and with a clear span of 70m metres over the station’s…
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Integrated design development of the Colne Valley Viaduct
The Colne Valley Viaduct, a 3.4km structure, will be the longest railway viaduct in the UK and has been designed to meet demanding technical, environmental and operational requirements. A key challenge for the multi-disciplinary integrated team has been to balance these requirements with the needs and aspirations of the client and local community stakeholders for…
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HS2 Interchange Station: An exemplar project for integrating safe by design principles
HS2 has set strategic goals in health and safety to create a railway designed, built and operated to world class standards creating a legacy of new and better standards in health and safety[1]. This paper details how the design of HS2 Interchange Station is a prime example of how Safe by Design principles[2] can be…
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HS2 Interchange Station – Innovative Roof Design: An exemplary project on Integrated Design Team collaboration and the use of advanced Digital Workflows
The design of the roof at Interchange station embodies the HS2 Design Vision. It is both a conceptual response to its site’s rural context and a demonstration of how integrated design can achieve a solution that is visually elegant, cost effective, simple and safe to construct, that minimises both operational and embodied carbon and is…
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Minimising carbon emissions at HS2 Phase One Stations
The High Speed Two (HS2) Sustainability Policy sets out the programme’s ambition to build the most sustainable high-speed railway of its kind in the world. The Phase One stations are at the forefront of this ambition and will provide new transport hubs in both Birmingham and London. Phase One stations are tasked with achieving net…
