The Stafford Area Improvement Programme, a collaboration between Atkins, Laing O’Rourke, Volker Rail, and Network Rail, aimed to eliminate a bottleneck on the West Coast Main Line, where high-speed trains were delayed by slower local services and goods trains. This major upgrade included the construction of 10 new bridges, designed using Building Information Modelling (BIM) from the outset. Laing O’Rourke also employed off-site construction techniques to improve efficiency.

In partnership with Network Rail, the Centre for Smart Infrastructure and Construction (CSIC) and Laing O’Rourke Centre at Cambridge implemented fibre-optic strain monitoring on two of the newly constructed bridges. The project led to the creation of a real-time digital twin of one of the bridges, offering valuable insights into load-bearing capacity. This digital twin technology is expected to have a significant impact on the costs of running the UK’s rail network safely and efficiently, benefiting Network Rail engineers, passengers, and freight transport alike by improving safety, reducing maintenance costs, and providing real-time monitoring of infrastructure conditions.

https://www.cdbb.cam.ac.uk/research/digital-built-environment/staffordshire-bridges-long-term-performance-monitoring-using

Centre for Digital Built Britain, JV between Atkins, Laing O’Rourke, Volker Rail and Network Rail

UK