West Brompton Station - Train-shed Roof Refurbishment

West Brompton station was built in the 1890s, and works to stabilise the roof had to take into account the conservation of the station's historical features. The heritage issues associated with original timber planking and cast iron fittings on the façade presented major problems as little available documentation was available in LU’s engineering archives.

SRC‘s expertise and experience were key in determining solutions to fulfill this commission, which was delivered for KN Network Services. SRC Civil Engineers carried out and documented a series of safe load assessments to allow a 9m high x 15m wide x 19m long scaffolding structure to be erected spanning the station under the existing train-shed roof, while ensuring that the proposed stabilisation works would not impose any loads that would adversely affect the structure.

SRC worked closely with the scaffolding designer and the LU Civil Engineer to ensure that the safe load assessment could be completed and approved with a minimum of delay. This collaborative approach allowed all parties to clearly understand what was required in order for the project to proceed to programme.

The erection of the scaffolding obstructed the permanent station lights and skylights, thereby greatly reducing lighting levels on the platforms, potentially necessitating the closure of the station. SRC developed a normal and emergency lighting design to compensate for the reduced lighting levels caused by the erection of the scaffold. The design ensured that the lighting was compliant with the relevant London Underground standards for a station platform, thereby reducing the risks of slips and trips.

Peter Farnell, SRC’s Design Delivery Manager said: “SRC’s extensive knowledge of LU’s information retention systems was invaluable in that it enabled us to undertake a full review of all documents and drawings from source to the satisfaction of the London Underground Civil Engineer.”