Innovative Partnership Of The Bogiemen!

Pro-active innovation and forward looking methods of construction have been playing their part in a unique ‘Bogiemen’ partnership between Nationwide Engineering Group (NEG) and HBPW Consulting.

The two companies have recently been working together on a striking design at the Bluestone Centre close to Stonehenge in Wiltshire, and in the Edinburgh suburb of Craigentinny, NE Scotland where innovation has played a fundamental part in mitigating a key challenge at the district’s rail depot.

Rob Hibberd,Director at NEG, said: “Network Rail needed to remove a carriage bogie from one of the depot tracks, requiring the construction of a substantial ‘bogie crane’. However, over and above the crane itself, was the added problem of restricted access which is why we called in HBPW’s Paul Withers, certainly one of the industry’s most experienced rail engineers. ”

Paul, Managing Partner at HBPW, designed the foundations for the bogie crane but, rather than using several large anchoring piles, he decided to feature a series of mini piles in his resulting design.

“This removed the need for 760 diameter bored piles,” said Paul, “which, frankly, would have been totally impractical within the constraints of the site at Craigentinny. However, drawings on paper are all very but, without an innovative construction partner that’s all they ever remain. In this instance NEG were able to breathe life into my innovative approach and, by working together, we delivered a seamless solution for Network Rail, solving the lifting problem whilst ensuring that the rail lines themselves were not detrimentally impacted by an over toppling crane thanks to the use of smaller, but more versatile, mini piles.”

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Meanwhile, at the Bluestone Centre in Solstice Park – just five miles from Stonehenge –  an iconic building design will soon emerge from the soil!

Nationwide and HBPW have been working together to design a huge 45mx45m cube-shaped building in the Wiltshire town that will be used for self-storage. Paul Withers, also the man behind the engineering drawings, said: “From an aerial perspective the building is exactly square although it only has a height of 22m. Nevertheless, this will certainly take on a striking ‘cube’ perspective when built,” he said, “and will feature around three and a half acres of mezzanine flooring across six levels. Each floor will be divided on a 5mx5m series of grids to provide self-store units.

“Viewed alone HBPW is the office based firm of engineers whilst Nationwide are the bricks and mortar. However, combine the two and, between us, we will soon deliver an amazing piece of architecture which, I believe, will be talked about in the locality for years to come. A perfect example of innovation through partnership.”

CREDIT
Craigentinny image courtesy of www.sw-gr.com