Innovative keyhole engineering to rehabilitate a Victorian underground pipe bridge
The KSP Sewer, buried beneath one of the busiest intersections in London, and above one of London Underground’s live tunnels, was found to be showing significant distress during a routine inspection. In addition to severe deterioration, the 170-year-old structure was found to have settled by 166mm from the original constructed level thereby encroaching into the kinematic envelope of the trains below.
The KSP sewer was built between 1848-1856, seven years before the first section of the London Underground. The two structures intersect near Baker Street tube station. At this location, the sewer is supported by a bridge structure spanning between the walls of the underground tunnel. Closing the tube line to repair the sewer from below would be extremely expensive whilst closing the busy road intersection to repair from above would cause major disruption to the public.
Our team worked closely with Thames Water and Stakeholders to develop an innovative solution to extend the asset life of the sewer structure by 120 years. The team’s solution involved strengthening the sewer from the inside, eliminating all disruption to the public. The design and construction of this massive jigsaw puzzle demonstrated exceptional project execution with every component fitting together with millimetre precision.
At a Glance
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- SMB
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