Contractor EKFB (Eiffage, Kier, Ferrovial, Bam) has begun work on the 515m long Edgcote viaduct being built for High Speed 2’s (HS2’s) route through west Northamptonshire.
EKFB will construct the second viaduct in the UK to have all of its major structural elements manufactured off-site following the Thame Valley viaduct, which is being constructed by the same contractor for HS2.
In face, the structure for the Edgcote viaduct was redesigned last year, copying the approach used at the Thame Valley viaduct, near Aylesbury. This lighter weight design cuts the amount of concrete and steel in the viaduct, with the piers, beams, deck planks and parapet manufactured off site at a facility in Kent.
This has resulted in a 13% reduction in carbon compared to the previous design where the new design is expected to have 360t less embodied carbon.
When completed, the Edgcote viaduct will carry HS2 across the floodplain of the River Cherwell, south of Chipping Warden.