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

Paper

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The Euston Approaches piling works for HS2 applied four measures to reduce carbon emissions and disruption in a densely populated area of London.<br /><br />Temporary guide walls used basalt-fibre-reinforced polymer (BFRP) instead of steel reinforcement, combined with concrete containing a high proportion of ground-granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS). The authors report lower embodied carbon than conventional guide walls, while noting that the low-carbon concrete takes longer to gain strength.<br /><br />For permanent piles, the team developed and approved HC79 concrete, with 79% GGBS replacement. It met project performance requirements and reduced embodied carbon by about 45–46% compared with the original mix. Site trials required adjustments to the mix and delayed its introduction.<br /><br />The zero-trim technique removed excess wet concrete from pile heads with a vacuum excavator before it hardened, avoiding conventional breaking and cropping. This reduced noise, dust, vibration, reinforcement-damage risks and hazardous work; the project reported more than 60,000 hazardous work hours avoided, over 800 tonnes of CO₂e saved, and schedule savings of up to 36 weeks.<br /><br />Piles were also installed using the grid-powered Bauer eBG33 electric drilling rig. It produced no local emissions and had base-carrier noise levels around 50% lower than a comparable diesel rig. Its use required early coordination of the electrical connection, cables and site logistics.<br /><br />Overall, the paper demonstrates how changes to routine piling operations can improve carbon performance, safety and neighbourhood impacts. It reports substantial savings across the initiatives, although its figures for guide-wall and total carbon savings are not entirely consistent.

Keywords

HS2

Euston Approaches

piling works

carbon emissions

BFRP

GGBS

HC79 concrete

zero-trim technique

electric drilling rig

sustainable construction