The finished shaft at Carnwath Road will be 25m in diameter and 42m deep. Initially constructed to launch the main tunnel TBM for Tideway West, then subsequently used to extract the spoil and, utilising its riverside location, remove it from site by barge along the Thames.
The finished shaft will provide a junction between 3 tunnels and have a mezzanine (chamber) level for plant near the top. The top of the shaft will be buried and landscaped, providing a public space on the North bank of the Thames.
Using Tekla software
- Using Tekla to model the upper shaft structure facilitated the understanding of the complex geometric constraints and interfaces with numerous M&E requirements, O&M requirements, and other reference models, as well as interfaces between the multiple precast & prefabricated members of the re-design.
- Having the capacity to clash detect virtually, thus avoiding problems as the works progressed to the construction phase, providing both time and cost savings. This also aided the ability to plan out access and working methods in advance which presented a major safety advantage.
- Reinforcing the concrete elements and having the capability to see areas of congestion and complex detailing in 3D enabled the team to adjust the design reinforcement in light of this. This was evident in the limited number of issues which arose as the works progressed into the construction of the slip-formed secondary lining wall which ran incredibly smoothly and was completed with zero issues associated with the reinforcement design detailed in Tekla.
