A Helping Hand From The Victorians!

An innovative value engineering solution at Llandudno Railway Station could not have happened but for Victorian engineers.

The station has been re-developed as part of a £5.1m restoration and improvement scheme that will, according to Network Rail, “improve passenger facilities and make rail travel a more attractive option for people in the local area.”

But, when HBPW was asked to undertake a design to strengthen a free standing party wall located next to an adjacent café, engineers came up with a winning solution for the Buckingham Group.

“The wall was left propped with a temporary steel frame following demolition of former station buildings. A permanent design had been formulated involving the construction of a large steelwork frame, however, as a result of analysing the original Victorian engineering drawings for the station walls – along with a detailed study of the local ground conditions – an alternative wall strengthening design was formulated which used the existing foundations,” said HBPW Managing Partner, Paul Withers.

HBPW’s Geoenvironmental Engineer, Jay Fox, got involved and their revised engineering approach took considerable cost out of materials and construction costs whilst also minimising lost floor space.

“By looking at the original foundation drawings, available soils information and undertaking a targeted ground investigation, we were able to demonstrate that the soils below the foundations were strong enough to support the additional loading of a new, thickened wall on the same foundations, negating the need for the large, steelwork frame,” added Jay.

Nathan Godley, Design Manager with the Buckingham Group added: “BGCL were very pleased with the design solution presented by HPBW and that it offered savings in construction costs against the original provided solution.”

The improvements at Llandudno station are being delivered on behalf of the Welsh Government and are part of the Department for Transport’s National Stations Improvement Programme. The project has been supported by the European Regional Development Fund, through the Welsh Government.