British Construction Industry Awards 2023

Temporary Works Initiative of the Year

This category recognises the key role played by good temporary works design in construction.

Winner

Tunnel Boring Machine Rotation for Silvertown Tunnels – Riverlinx CJV (Ferrovial Construction, Bam Nuttall, SK Ecoplant)

Judges’ comment “Expertly coordinated, planned, choreographed and executed”Riverlinx CJV devised an innovative method for turning round the Silvertown Tunnel’s 2,000t tunnel boring machine (TBM) in east London, when it had completed its first drive.

The operation took place in a 19m deep, 49m long, 42m wide shaft at the Greenwich end of the tunnel. A reaction frame was built to restrain the TBM’s cutterhead as it emerged from the drive, while generating sufficient force on the segment rings constructed behind the shield.

The frame was also designed to receive the TBM shield as it emerged from the bore before jacks lifted it onto a rotation cradle to turn it round.

The cradle was supported by 12 skates resting on nitrogen-filled bladders. These enabled the shield to be pulled across the steel floor of the shaft with relatively little friction, allowing it to be positioned at the entrance of the return drive.