HS2 to use 3D concrete printing to help cut carbon on project by up to 50%
In a UK first, on-site 3D reinforced concrete printing is set to deliver environmental, cost and community benefits for Britain’s new high-speed rail network.
List view / Grid view
High Speed 2 (HS2) is a planned high-speed railway in the United Kingdom. Some sections of the railway are under construction, while other sections are awaiting approval. At 345 miles long, the new high-speed track will connect the city centres of London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds.
When complete, HS2 will be the backbone of Britain’s transport network – helping to bridge the north-south divide. HS2 will free up space on the UK’s already congested rail lines, relieving overcrowding and improving reliability for millions of people using Britain’s railways.
In a UK first, on-site 3D reinforced concrete printing is set to deliver environmental, cost and community benefits for Britain’s new high-speed rail network.
Engineers working on Britain’s new high-speed railway have begun excavating the first of five shafts that will provide ventilation and emergency access to the 10-mile long tunnels they are digging under the Chiltern hills.
The innovative ‘double composite’ approach will be used on the Wendover Dean Viaduct, aiming to help HS2 cut its carbon footprint while delivering a lighter, stronger and more elegant structure.
The groundbreaking Transport Decarbonisation Plan includes the aim to create a net zero rail network by 2050.
In total, HS2 will leave behind more than 33 square kilometres of new woodland, wildlife and river habitats along its West Midlands to London route.
The framework agreement is an important step in HS2's plans to extend Britain’s new high-speed railway from the Midlands to the North.
HS2's Logistics hub in Willesden will enable the removal of one million lorries from the roads in the London area alone, significantly reducing the project’s environmental impact.
HS2's second tunnel boring machine, 'Cecilia', will operate alongside an identical machine, named ‘Florence’, to excavate separate northbound and southbound tunnels.
Areas to be created around two new HS2 viaducts over the River Cole in Warwickshire will include natural habitats for local wildlife, plus new footpaths and cycleways to promote active travel for local people.
At the peak of construction, permanent works on HS2's Old Oak Common station will support over 2,300 jobs and 250 apprenticeships.
Following the publication of the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail, Transport for the North has called for the UK government to ensure that local and regional leaders are at the core of the reform of the UK's railways.
One thousand jobs will be supported by the contract to construct HS2's Interchange Station, while regeneration around the station will support 30,000 jobs and up to 3,000 new homes.
Following the beginning of Birmingham’s Clean Air Zone on 1 June 2021, HS2 has outlined how its use and promotion of green technology is supporting the pollution and air quality initiative.
HS2 Ltd has revealed a new vacuum excavation technique for piling which could have massive benefits for the international construction industry.
A deal with Birmingham Curzon Street station construction contractor, Mace Dragados, will create over 1,000 new jobs including new entrant roles and 100 new apprenticeship positions.