Low Carbon initiatives at Euston Station HS2– the environmentally friendly way of pile installation in the city of London-PPT Presentation

PPT Presentation

Pdf Summary

The Euston Approaches piling works for HS2 involve around 2,000 bored piles and 1,300 metres of contiguous retaining walls across five structures. The project team introduced four measures to reduce emissions, improve safety and efficiency, and limit disruption.

<strong>Low-carbon guide walls:</strong> Basalt fibre-reinforced polymer (BFRP) replaced conventional steel reinforcement in guide walls. BFRP can have up to 74% lower global warming potential than steel, and the reinforcement substitution was estimated to reduce embodied carbon by about 30%.

<strong>High-replacement concrete:</strong> The team worked with suppliers to develop and trial concrete mixes with high levels of ground-granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS), including mixes with 70–90% GGBS. Laboratory, plant and site trials were used to refine and verify the mix.

<strong>Electric-driven rig:</strong> A wired eBG 33 rig was developed for high-demand piling work, providing power throughout a shift without relying on a battery pack. It installed piles up to 1,800 mm in diameter and 46 metres deep.

<strong>Zero Trim:</strong> Instead of breaking down excess concrete by conventional methods, the pile is cast using the traditional process, excess concrete is removed by vacuum excavation, and the bore is filled with shingle. This avoids extensive manual breaking and reduces noise, dust and vibration risks. The presentation reports 60,000 manual breaking hours eliminated and 1.1 million kg of CO₂ saved from reduced over-pouring. It also indicates substantial programme and commercial benefits.

The presentation’s carbon-savings table reports savings for low-carbon guide walls, electric rig operation, low-carbon concrete and Zero Trim. Overall, the project demonstrates how practical changes to routine construction methods can reduce carbon while improving worker safety, programme performance and impacts on nearby communities.

Keywords

HS2

Euston Approaches

piling works

bored piles

contiguous retaining walls

low-carbon construction

BFRP reinforcement

GGBS concrete

electric-driven rig

Zero Trim