FP McCann’s Retaining Platform Wall system specified on Essex Station rebuild

Status: Completed

Location: Essex

Division: Railway

Main Contractor: BPH Rail & Scott Parnell (Rail Supply Specialists)

Market Sector: Transport

FP-McCann-precast-concrete-Witham-Station-Essex-Retaining-Walls

FP McCann’s standard precast concrete platform retaining wall system has played a major part in the rebuild of a 125m long platform at Witham station in Essex. The project on the Great Eastern Main Line involves the replacement of track and signalling as well as the rebuilding of platform one, all part of a major revamp of the station’s infrastructure.

A number of retaining wall systems were considered for the Platform 1 rebuild, but with construction time-limited to weekends and night work, an offsite precast wall design fitted the design brief and the working constraints. The FP McCann team, working closely with rail supply specialist Scott Parnell and civil engineering contractor BPH Rail, identified the precast front wall retaining unit as being most suited to the platform rebuild.

As part of a six-week programme of works that took place mainly during weekends and nights to minimise disruption to the mainline operation, BPH Rail installed 13 individual precast walling units each weighing 1.5 tonnes. Each specialist retaining wall unit supplied from FP McCann’s Littleport factory in Cambridge was seated on a precast concrete foundation slab designed to hold the wall units securely and uniformly in place. The surface level of the platform will be constructed using asphalt, standard precast concrete copers and buff tactiles to complete the rebuild.

Speaking on behalf of BPH Rail, Operations Manager Paul Howard says, “This project highlighted FP McCann’s ability to design, manufacture and supply such specialist precast concrete products to match the rail engineering brief. The successful installation of the retaining walls at Witham Station within the working time frame once again demonstrated the efficiency and benefits of using off-site precast concrete solutions.”

FP McCann provides a number of precast concrete construction solutions for new build platforms and platform extensions. These range from the hollowcore plank and beam system, through to the latest innovations in modular precast platform design. Every station provides a different set of challenges and FP McCann has the right solution to answer these challenges.

Note: FP McCann is a Network Rail approved supplier. Achilles RISQS Supplier ID: 061598

For more information on FP McCann’s Rail Solutions, contact the team on 01353 861416 or email sales@fpmccann.co.uk.