Byrne Bros. ‘Digging Deep’ at Peninsula London

Operating 25m below ground with 14 Floors of the Peninsula Hotel constructed above, the Byrne Bros. team are pushing the limits of ‘top down’ construction. Excavation output has peaked at 111 loads per day with a weekly average of 97 loads per day, far exceeding the original programmed output of 40 loads.

This has been achieved through the collaborative approach adopted by Byrne Bros., Erith and Sir Robert McAlpine. The relaxation of a design constraint permitted a double dig from Basement level B2 to B4. The increased headroom allowed bigger excavators to operate at the dig face, thus the capability was there to generate significant spoil, although this was only a benefit if we could remove it quick enough. The supporting logistics were swiftly reviewed and interrogated, and a new plan developed to introduce a second ‘mole’ point, allowing the output to double per shift. The system is now fully operational with wagons entering site through one gate, as part of a one-way system, and loaded in tandem like clockwork.

The revised strategy has proved a huge success and generated a 10-week programme saving for our Client. The Excavation continues to progress, and the basement reinforced concrete structures will commence in the coming weeks.