Railway bridge sheet piling
Cow Lane Underbridge
Sheet piling for a Christmas Day bridge replacement in Reading, with a revised design reducing the required pile length from 14 metres to 8 metres.
Project video
Watch the Cow Lane Underbridge project video.
DAACE’s team appears from 2 minutes 10 seconds.
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The piling had to take place on Christmas Day as part of a major Network Rail bridge replacement. Demolition, foundation works and construction had to be coordinated with other trades within a demanding railway programme. The initial requirement for 14-metre sheet piles presented a high-risk installation operation in those conditions.
The team proposed a revised support arrangement using 8-metre sheet piles together with a waling beam. The beam supported the arrangement needed to excavate the foundation before the new bridge was driven into position. Reducing the pile length made the installation more manageable within the constrained working period.
The sheet-piling work was successfully delivered during a long Christmas Day shift, enabling the foundation stage of the bridge replacement to proceed. The project demonstrates how adapting a temporary support design can improve practicality where railway access, time and coordination with other trades are critical.