The redevelopment of London Bridge Station has been awarded the highest ever score under CEEQUAL, the sustainability assessment scheme for civil engineering projects.
The Network Rail project, which will see major changes to accommodate 18 trains per hour through the station on the new Thameslink network, achieved a CEEQUAL ‘Excellent’ interim client and design award with a score of 96.9% - 22% above the required score for such a rating.
The ‘Excellent’ rating was a core requirement of Network Rail for the project. Engineering and design consultancy WSP developed a sustainability strategy which included reducing carbon emissions through a range of measures such as optimising daylighting in the concourse areas and on the platforms, creating high performance building envelopes for retail and station accommodation and natural ventilation and free cooling to the concourse as well as the station accommodation when feasible.
The embodied energy and carbon impact of the materials and components proposed for the station were also investigated in detail as part of a project lifecycle energy and carbon analysis. This identified the key contributors to the overall carbon footprint and focused attention on lower impact options. Measures were included such as demolished bricks and concrete being crushed and re-used on site, maximising the use of recycled and secondary aggregates in structural concrete and the specification of 100% FSC certified timber
Meike Borchers, sustainability manager at WSP said: “Such an outstanding achievement is the result of the early and continuous engagement of our key design disciplines and close working with our client. Our approach involved regular meetings and workshops with all those involved to understand what our ultimate targets were and how they could be impacted by design at Grip4 stage [the review process for managing National Rail projects].”
