News
UK
Berkeley’s box is completed at Woolwich

Berkeley’s box is completed at Woolwich

8 Feb 13 After 400,000 working hours, construction has now been completed on a huge concrete box alongside the river Thames in Woolwich.

The box has been built by housing developer Berkeley Group, at its own expense, to house a station for the Crossrail project.

Berkeley Homes will build its landmark Royal Arsenal Riverside development over the top of the box. The increase in value of the 585 apartments made building the station facility good business for Berkeley.

The new station box, completed four months ahead of schedule, is 256m long, 26m wide and 18m deep.

During construction, 140,000 tonnes of material excavated and 30,000 tonnes of reinforced concrete walls and slabs were created. Constructed deep into the aquifer, the box is prevented from floating by 51 concrete anchors that hold it in the ground.

Berkeley’s box will act as an important staging post for the two 1,000-tonne tunnelling machines, Sophia and Mary, that are digging twin bore tunnels from Plumstead, underneath the River Thames to North Woolwich.

Karl Whiteman, Divisional Managing Director of Berkeley Homes (Urban Renaissance) Ltd, said: “The early completion of this significant project is a credit to the team, especially with over 400,000 man hours worked without incident and industry recognition for the exemplar sustainability credentials that have been set.”

To celebrate the completion of the box, Berkeley Homes will be holding an Open Day on Wednesday 27 February, offering a rare opportunity for the public to step inside before it is handed over to Crossrail.

In addition, a charity fun run will be held within the box at 6.30pm on the same day, raising money for Demelza House Children’s Hospice. One lap of the station box is approximately 500 metres.