UK: High Speed 2 package C23 civil works contractor EKFB has awarded a joint venture of Bauer Technologies and Keller UK a £95m contract for geotechnical works.
Package C23 covers the 80 km between the Chiltern Tunnel and Long Itchington Wood, with 15 viaducts, 81 bridges, 6·9 km of green tunnels and 30 million m3 of excavation.
BKJV’s contract covers the construction of piled foundations for structures, as well as secant piled and slurry walls and the installation of pressure relief drains.
Annoucing the contract on April 14, BKJV said it would require more than 200 experts in ground engineering and foundations at the peak of its work. It has already completed preliminary pile testing works, with main works to begin this month for completion in 2024.
‘BKJV is a return to our successful partnership with Bauer having previously worked together on the London Underground and Crossrail station projects’, said Jim De Waele, Keller President Europe. ‘We’re excited to bring our complementary geotechnical capabilities, experience and capacity to one of the most demanding and exciting transport projects in Europe.’
