Amersham Signal Equipment Room

Pod-Trak has completed a variance of projects as part of a scheme to modernise how a major transport provider operates on a daily basis.

For one of these projects, Pod-Trak was required to complete the construction of a Signal Equipment Room (SER) base at Amersham as part of the London Underground/TFL 4 Line Modernisation scheme in North West London.

Pod-Trak undertook the construction of all civils aspects of the project; this included:

• A temporary piling mat
• 15 no. CFA piles and pile caps
• Embankment stairs
• The installation of a prefabricated steel frame
• Installation of a walkway
• Installation of all associated drainage

Pod-Trak also carried out all preparation work for SSE including tree protection, haulage roads and setting up of the site compound.

Challenges and Solutions
Restrictions with space on site and its proximity to the main road adjacent meant that all deliveries had to be scheduled between 7:00am and 8:00am with the SER delivery date being the key programme deliverable driving the completion date.

During the piling works, chalk was discovered at 2m below ground level. As a result the concrete was not achieving its design strength and adaptations were needed in order for this to achieve success.

To alleviate this, casings were used to line the auger but this method added time to an already challenging programme. By carrying out some works concurrently with our team, the delay was avoided.

As a saving to the client and to reduce our environmental impact our Project Engineer proposed to use the excavated material to regrade the embankment.

This was accepted by the client and significantly reduced the number of muck away loads that would have been required.