Neil Bowman of Ischebeck Inform looks at the implementation of a ground slab edge formwork system at a west London railway station, as part of the HS2 project.

Speed, regeneration, These are some of the High Speed 2 (HS2) – the new railway currently under construction that aims to form the backbone of Britain’s transport network. For contractors working on this project, it’s crucial they use products that are in harmony with HS2’s goals. Additionally, as rising costs become an issue for the construction industry, it becomes even more important that contractors use innovation to their advantage. This will help them better align with a project’s broader goals and ultimately make their jobs easier.

Regeneration

Ischebeck Inform recently provided a specialist engineering contractor with K-Form, a concrete slab edge and joint formwork system, for a project at HS2 Old Oak Common railway station. The development of the station will help kick-start the UK’s largest regeneration project – transforming the former railway and industrial area into a new neighbourhood supporting up to 65,000 jobs and 25,500 new homes. It’s estimated that the new HS2 station will contribute to a £15 billion economic boost over the next 30 years.

The Project

The formwork was used to help efficiently construct a concrete base for a batching plant at the HS2 site. Overall, it was a large-scale project of approximately 1000m2 with a slab depth of 200mm. The forms were laid out in 5m bay sections and the fast system enabled the contractor to set up multiple bays to pour concrete quickly, saving a considerable amount of setup and pouring time. The slab was reinforced using fabric and dowel bars were also used. As a result, it reduced labour costs, while delivering the specified finish.

Benefits

The formwork system doesn’t need to be removed once in place (as with steel and timber edge forms). It also works up to four times faster than traditional steel and timber concrete systems. This is really helpful for contractors that are constrained on time, such as those working on HS2. It can be used for screed rail, concrete slab forming work and concrete paving. Importantly, K-Form can be used for various infrastructure projects.

Delivering Results

As large-scale infrastructure projects such as HS2 come under increasing scrutiny and pressure to deliver results, it’s crucial that contractors use innovation to help align with broader project goals. The engineering contractor did exactly this with the construction of the batching plant at Old Oak Common Station and the results speak for themselves.