When two platforms needed replacing at one of London’s busiest railway interchanges, the problem was not the platform surfaces themselves but the support structure underneath them, which were in danger of collapse.
Temporary supports were in place, but, in the quest for long term safety and maintainability, the decision was taken to replace both platforms, the precast concrete surface sand the underlying supports, with new, lower-maintenance glass-reinforced polymer (GRP) platforms. To ensure the ground could safely support the new structures, ground conditions beneath 77 new foundation locations would need strengthening.
The platforms in question were Platforms 3 and 4 at Tottenham Hale station, which serves National Rail’s Greater Anglia and Stansted Express services alongside the London Underground’s Victoria line. Main contractor Construction Marine Limited (CML) approached specialist ground engineering company Mainmark UK to strengthen the ground beneath 77 new foundation locations.
Mainmark used its Teretek® engineered resin injection solution to strengthen the existing ground, avoiding excavation and minimising disruption to the wider construction programme. The work was completed in just three shifts over a bank-holiday weekend.
The existing ground conditions presented several engineering challenges, including variable-made ground and granular soils requiring densification.
Mainmark’s solution delivered targeted ground improvement to a depth of two metres beneath each foundation using precision resin-injection through small-diameter access points, eliminating the need for excavation and minimising disruption to the wider construction programme.
David Hedley, Infrastructure Lead at Mainmark UK, said: “The successful delivery at Tottenham Hale Station demonstrates how engineered resin injection can deliver precise, measurable ground improvement under extreme time and environmental constraints, supporting modern rail upgrades without compromising programme or performance.”
Raj Sharma, contracts manager at CML was very satisfied with the result. “Mainmark UK demonstrated a high level of technical expertise and professionalism during the platform foundation works at Tottenham Hale Station,” he said.
“Their ability to deliver safely, on programme, and with minimal disruption under challenging conditions was critical to the project’s success.
“We would gladly engage Mainmark UK on future works.”
The project, worth more than £150,000, was part of a wider station upgrade, and all works had to be completed within tightly controlled rail possession windows, with multiple contractors operating simultaneously across the site.
The successful delivery demonstrates the type of specialist ground engineering expertise Mainmark will bring to future rail projects, including work delivered through the recently awarded Balfour Beatty CP7 Framework, under which the company will support the delivery of key rail infrastructure works across Network Rail’s latest five-year investment programme. The programme focuses on maintaining, renewing and modernising the rail network to deliver a safer, more reliable and more sustainable railway.
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