RURAL ECONOMY AND CONNECTIVITY COMMITTEE AGENDA. 3rd Meeting, 2016 (Session 5) Wednesday 7 September 2016

Transcription

1 REC/S5/16/3/A RURAL ECONOMY AND CONNECTIVITY COMMITTEE AGENDA 3rd Meeting, 2016 (Session 5) Wednesday 7 September 2016 The Committee will meet at am in the Mary Fairfax Somerville Room (CR2). 1. Declaration of interests: New members will be invited to declare any relevant interests. 2. Forth Replacement Crossing - Project Team Update: The Committee will take evidence from David Climie, Project Director, Forth Replacement Crossing Team, and Lawrence Shackman, Project Manager, Forth Replacement Crossing Team, Transport Scotland. Steve Farrell Clerk to the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee Room T3.40 The Scottish Parliament Edinburgh Tel: steve.farrell@scottish.parliament.uk

2 REC/S5/16/3/A The papers for this meeting are as follows Agenda Item 2 Forth Road Crossing Project Update PRIVATE PAPER REC/S5/16/3/1 REC/S5/16/3/2 (P)

3 Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee 3rd Meeting, 2016 (Session 5), Wednesday, 7 th September 2016 Forth Road Crossing Project Update REC/S5/16/3/1 REC/S5/16/3/1 Introduction Today the Committee will hear from the Forth Road Crossing (FRC) Project Team who will give a progress report. The team has appeared regularly in front of the previous ICI Committee. The FRC scheme includes construction of the Queensferry Crossing, a new three-tower, cablestayed bridge between Fife and Edinburgh. The project has a 13.7 mile (22km) footprint which includes major improvements to the surrounding road networks on the north and south of the Forth. Further information is contained in the two project update documents below and in the SPICe briefing. Heather Lyall Senior Assistant Clerk Rural Economy & Connectivity Committee 01 September 2016

4 REC/S5/16/3/1 Major Transport Infrastructure Projects Forth Replacement Crossing Principal Contract Project Office King Malcolm Drive, Rosyth KY11 2DY Steve Farrell Clerk to the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee The Scottish Parliament Issued by Our ref: FRC/REC/Sept 2016 Date: 1 September 2016 Dear Mr Farrell Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee Forth Replacement Crossing Update 1 I refer to the commitment given by Transport Scotland to provide regular updates in relation to the Forth Replacement Crossing (FRC) Project. The most recent FRC Project Update 17 was provided to the Infrastructure and Capital Investment (ICI) Committee on 25 February This first update to the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee includes updates on the following key areas: Progress of Construction Stakeholder Engagement FRC Public Transport Strategy Photographs illustrating progress can be found at Annex A. Progress Update As announced to the Parliament on 8 June 2016 by the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work, the Queensferry Crossing is now expected to open to traffic by May 2017, in advance of the contract completion date of June A follow up technical briefing was held for MSPs on 10 June 2016 which was repeated on 8 July The Cabinet Secretary and I gave evidence relating to this change in opening date to the REC Committee in the session on 29 June The revised target date for opening has no impact on the budget and the project is still within the reduced budget range of billion. 1

5 REC/S5/16/3/1 Since the last written update to the ICI Committee on 25 February 2016 and ICI Committee appearance on 2 March 2016, significant progress has been made on the North and South approach roads and the Queensferry Crossing. Significant milestones achieved in the past few months include: Road construction including the laying of final road surfacing, white lining and barrier installation on the south side approach road progressing as planned (Photograph 1) South Abutment construction complete, internal fit-out on-going (Photograph 2). South Approach Viaduct deck concreting progressing with 21 out of 42 pours completed. (Photograph 3) Pier S2 complete with cofferdam removed in advance of deck lifting. (Photograph 4) Pier S1 complete and now supporting deck. (Photograph 4) Precast deck sections precast concrete decks have now been constructed on all 110 deck units, in the Marine Yard at Rosyth. (Photographs 5 and 6). The final segment was concreted on 12 August. 91 deck units (out of 110) lifted by 1 September. 6 deck units remain to be lifted between North and Centre deck fans, 4 units remain to be lifted between Centre and South deck fans and 9 units remain to be lifted between the South deck fan and South Approach Viaduct. (Photograph 7) North Approach Viaduct closure to North Tower fan completed in July (Photograph 8) Road construction on north side approach roads including Ferrytoll Junction progressing as planned. Surfacing of new southbound carriageway in progress from Admiralty junction to Ferrytoll junction. (Photograph 9) Stakeholder Engagement Community relations continue to be excellent with the North Community Forum and South Community Forum meetings recently taking place on 24 and 31 August 2016 respectively. The project continues to attract a great deal of interest from a variety of stakeholders, including the general public, schools, colleges, universities, industry, international visitors and the media. The Schools Programme has attracted over 17,000 school pupils from throughout Scotland and the Project Exhibition has attracted over 15,500 visitors. Presentations have been attended by over 22,000 people interested in hearing more about the FRC Project and latest in the construction of the Queensferry Crossing. In response to feedback and demand, monthly presentations have been provided to the public on the last Friday and Saturday of every month with over 250 people attending on the most recent days of 27 and 28 August The overall Outreach and Education Programme has now attracted almost 60,000 individuals across all activities. 2

6 REC/S5/16/3/1 The project s social media channels also remain popular. To date, over 206,000 people have viewed videos on the Queensferry Crossing YouTube channel. The official Queensferry Crossing twitter has almost 3,500 followers. The latest Project Update was published in July 2016, a copy of which is attached for your interest. FRC Public Transport Strategy The FRC Public Transport Strategy Working Group continues to meet on a bi-annual basis. The next meeting, which is planned for Autumn 2016, will focus on the A8/A89 Corridor Study which is seeking to identify potential improvements in public transport access on the corridor and through Newbridge junction itself. The findings of this study are currently the subject of consideration by Transport Scotland, the City of Edinburgh Council and West Lothian Council and it is intended that these will be highlighted at the upcoming meeting. Yours sincerely David Climie CEng FICE FRC Project Director 3

7 REC/S5/16/3/1 Annex A Photograph 1 South side main approach road construction (August 2016) Photograph 2 South Abutment (August 2016) 4

8 REC/S5/16/3/1 Photograph 3 South Approach Viaduct (August 2016) Photograph 4 Pier S1 and Pier S2 (August 2016) 5

9 REC/S5/16/3/1 Photograph 5 Precast of Deck Section (August 2016) Photograph 6 Precast Deck Production team (August 2016) 6

10 REC/S5/16/3/1 Photograph 7 Queensferry Crossing (August 2016) Photograph 8 North Approach Viaduct (August 2016) 7

11 REC/S5/16/3/1 Photograph 9 North side road construction (August 2016) 8

12 Forth Replacement Crossing July 2016 The View from Space! Turn to centre pages photo spread to see the Forth Bridges as you have never seen them before! A view to savour: looking north across the Firth of Forth, this view of the three famous bridges will surely become one of the best known scenes in the country. Project Directors Update A round up of the latest progress being made in the construction of the magnificent Queensferry Crossing. Page 2 Working in the Community Latest news from the Queensferry Crossing s community liaison programme. Page 3 Technical Focus We take a look at how the weather out in the Firth of Forth can affect operations to lift the enormous deck sections into position. Page 4

13 Welcome Proud of this civil engineering benchmark Welcome to the latest edition of the Queensferry Crossing s Project Update newsletter. Once again, we return to a fold-out photo centre spread format which we believe is an ideal way to keep readers up to date with the progress being made on the construction of this fantastic bridge. David Climie & Michael Martin. Good progress continues to be made across the works. At the time of writing, we have successfully lifted 80 out of a total of 110 deck sections. We have completed the concrete deck casting of 103 deck sections in FCBC s fabrication yard in Rosyth Docks. On the north side of the Forth, passers-by will have noticed that the approach viaduct and the main crossing coming from the North Tower have now been joined. This milestone represents the first of four such closures to happen on the Project. The creation of the stay cables inside their signature white external casings continues to go well and excitement is mounting as the final look and shape of the new bridge becomes clear for all to see. Finishing works are continuing on the three towers, the tallest bridge towers in the UK. The temporary, tower-top jumpform structures, which acted as moulds for the 54 concrete pours on each tower, have been removed from the South and North Towers and will be removed from the Centre Tower during the summer. On the approach viaducts, all piers are now complete. Meanwhile, the casting of the concrete decks on which the final road surface will be laid is progressing well on both north and south viaducts. The temporary steel structures around the bases of piers S1 and N1 have now been removed to river bed level. For the first time, this gives us a good idea of how the completed bridge will look when all marine towers and piers will appear to rise elegantly straight out of the water. Turning to the network connections, surfacing work on the new stretch of M90 motorway to the west and south of South Queensferry is progressing well. A number of large ITS (Intelligent Transport System) sign gantries have arrived ahead of their installation on newly built foundations. In June, northbound traffic heading to the Forth Road Bridge was successfully switched on to a section of the new carriageway. On the north side, the newly aligned Castlandhill Road was opened in June. On the nearby Ferrytoll embankment, infill and levelling work is well underway on the land vacated by the northern approach viaduct once it had been launched out into position over its two supporting piers. This area will ultimately carry motorway traffic between the new Queensferry Crossing and the nearing completion Ferrytoll Viaduct a few hundred metres to the north. In June, it was announced that the Queensferry Crossing would open to traffic by May 2017 not, as previously targetted, by the end of It is important to understand that the Project is still on target to have traffic flowing on both carriageways before its contractual completion date of June 2017 and that it remains significantly under budget. The time differential needed to complete the structure has been the result of working days lost due to poorer than expected weather, especially wind. ( Technical Focus on the back page looks at the weather-related challenges we face every day.) Current deck lifting operations and stay-cable installations are highly wind sensitive and are being carried out at extreme heights out in the middle of the exposed Firth of Forth. We are, at all times, at the mercy of the weather. We are proud of the progress being made and the job we are doing on this once-in-a-lifetime construction project. We remain determined to continue the work to the standards required by a worldwide benchmark of civil engineering excellence in which future generations will share our pride just as we today still take great pride in the achievements of those who built the Forth Bridge and the Forth Road Bridge. David Climie Transport Scotland Project Director Michael Martin FCBC Project Director How the Queensferry Crossing will look when completed. 2

14 Queensferry Crossing Photo Collage DECK: TOWERS: 2 1 A lucky omen a rainbow comes to rest on the Queensferry Crossing. 2 Inside the Centre Tower, tensioning the steel strands which make up each stay cable. 3 The first of the four main closures : the final deck section between the North Tower and the Approach Viaduct North is lifted into place. 4 Out of sequence? No, the deck section on top of southside Pier S1 had to be positioned before its predecessor in a technically challenging operation. 5 Aerial view of operation shown in No 4. Note the removal of the temporary steel structure at the foot of the pier. 1 The unique and impressive view from the crew boat as it heads back to land. 2 At 650 metres in length, the Centre Tower will soon become the longest freestanding cantilevered structure ever built. 3 Looking south from North Queensferry, the three towers at dusk. 4 The Centre Tower poses beautifully against the sunset. 5 A stunning shot of sister bridges, the Forth Road Bridge and the Queensferry Crossing, at night. This is set to become one of the most frequently taken photos in the country! PHOTO FROM INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION The view from Space! We are hugely grateful to NASA s Chris Hadfield, former Commander of the International Space Station, who took up FCBC s request and tasked British astronaut, Tim Peake, with taking this amazing photograph showing the three Forth Bridges. The photo was taken on 2nd April Now back on land, both men have a standing invitation to come and visit the Queensferry Crossing. It s the least we could do! Thanks guys! Photo courtesy of NASA VIADUCTS: 1 Welding operations on-going on the Approach Viaduct North. 2 On the Approach Viaduct North, the concrete deck surface is being cast section by section. In order to add strength to the whole structure, post-tensioning cables, such as the one being carried here, are installed through ducts inside the concrete. 3 The Approach Viaduct South reaches out across the water towards the South Tower cantilever. 4 We do get sunshine sometimes! Here, scaffolding poles are removed from the on-going Approach Viaduct South deck casting operations. 5 V is for Victory: looking through the Approach Viaduct South s concrete support piers ROADS: This aerial view of the road works at Ferrytoll, just north of the Queensferry Crossing, shows the complexity of creating the new junction, roundabouts and embankments while at all times keeping traffic flowing on the M90 and local access roads. 2 Looking north from the Approach Viaduct North (in the foreground) to the new Ferrytoll Viaduct where the application of red waterproofing material is nearing completion. 3 Progress is being made on laying the new stretch of approach motorway south of the new bridge. The completed new Queensferry Junction and roundabout are clear to see on the right. 4 Looking east towards Scotstoun to where the new approach motorway (in the foreground) will join the existing A90 heading towards Edinburgh and the M9 Spur. 4

15 Community Schools Programme Success The Schools Programme at the Contact & Education Centre has concluded for the summer with over 15,000 school pupils having now visited to learn about the construction of the Queensferry Crossing and undertake a number of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) challenges. The programme has proved a huge success with school pupils visiting from all over Scotland to see the latest construction progress, meet project engineers and gain an appreciation of the skill and endeavour of people working on the project. Senior pupils from Williamwood High School in East Renfrewshire recently undertook a site visit led by project engineers who shared information and answered questions about their experiences working on the Project. The visit highlighted how learning in the classroom and pupils subject choices can relate to potential future careers in construction and engineering. Principal Teacher of Design & Technology, Karen Gallagher, commented: Not only was the visit enjoyable but also very relevant and rewarding. It certainly helped to provide a wider practical context to learning within the classroom by placing course work in the context of a possible future career choice. Depute Head Teacher, Laura Ferguson, added This was an excellent opportunity for pupils as it encouraged them to identify the skills and knowledge they learn in the classroom and place it in the context of a possible future career. Pupils were also encouraged to identify the skills required for learning, life and work. The visit was both educational and enjoyable for everyone involved. The finer points of the new bridge s construction are pointed out to pupils from Williamwood High School by Project Engineers Aidan Merrilees and Sarah Breen. Budding civil engineers get to grips with bridge building. Bridges to Schools In April, Bridges to Schools week was held, in association with the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE). A total of over 300 pupils enjoyed building their own cablestayed bridge, giving them an insight into the technical challenges of civil engineering and the importance of health and safety and teamwork while having fun along the way. Dressed in hard hats and hi-viz vests, they constructed a 12 metre long model of a cable-stayed bridge, supervised by volunteer civil engineers. The pupils (and some intrepid teachers!) then walked across the bridge to test the strength of what they had constructed. Forth Road Bridge Veterans with members of FCBC s Community Liaison Team. Forth Road Bridge builders visit Queensferry Crossing How does the construction of the Queensferry Crossing compare with building the Forth Road Bridge back in the 1950s and 60s? That s what over 30 of the Forth Road Bridge veterans came to find out in May in a follow up to their first site visit in Once again, it was an honour and privilege to welcome our predecessors to the Queensferry Crossing. A presentation at the Contact & Education Centre provided an in-depth look at the construction of the new bridge and its connecting roads. A coach tour of the construction site on both shores of the Forth was followed by lunch, giving the veterans a chance to share stories and experiences not only with each other, but with project engineers. Whilst many things have changed in 50 years, a sense of pride in their work and the scale of their achievements provided common ground for those involved in these two major, neighbouring construction projects. National Women in Engineering Day Engineers from Amey paid us a visit in June as part of National Women in Engineering Day. Project engineers Emily Alfred and Sarah Breen gave the visitors a comprehensive presentation followed by a question and answer session and site tour. 3

16 Technical Focus Weathering the Weather Last September, we explained the technical processes involved in installing the individual deck sections which form the new bridge s road deck. Here, Florian Dieterle, FCBC s Cable Stayed Bridge Temporary Works Co-ordinator, looks at the challenges posed by the Scottish weather when lifting such huge structures. Since September last year, FCBC has successfully lifted 80 deck sections from sea level to road deck level on the Queensferry Crossing. Each lift operation is a major civil engineering feat in its own right. Remember, the structures we are lifting weigh on average around 750 tonnes (or roughly 54 London buses with passengers!), they measure 40m by 16m by 5m (so they re big!) and we have to lift them up an incredible 60 metres (200ft) into the air! To top it all, we are carrying out these operations in the middle of a wide, exposed, maritime estuary. This is tough civil engineering! It s a huge challenge and, every day, we face a number of significant, mostly weather related variables which govern how well each lift will go and how long it will take. Let s start with wind. We cannot begin lifting such huge structures in wind conditions over 21 knots (or 11m per second). Wind can cause the road deck, on which the blue erection traveller crane is situated, to move, albeit fractionally, just as 750 tonnes aloft! Another deck section lift underway at the South Tower. it is designed to do. This could have knockon effects on the movement of the deck section once it becomes airborne making precise control difficult. That s why we liaise very closely with the Met Office to identify suitable windows of opportunity where we can be confident of being able to start and complete a lift operation in safe, low wind conditions. Wind also affects when we can lift the main stay cable pipes into position. If we cannot finish and fully tension the cables supporting the previously installed deck section, then we cannot move the erection traveller forwards and, consequently, cannot start the next deck lift. Our operations out there are sequential. One stage has to be fully completed before the next can begin. If wind delays the completion of one operation, then subsequent operations will also be delayed. Days can sometimes be lost waiting for the right wind conditions. Even in May this year, when the country experienced three or four consecutive weeks of warm, sunny weather, we lost some working days due to continuing variable and blustery wind conditions out on the Forth. Then there s fog. As local residents will testify, the Forth estuary is prone to mist and fog, known locally on the east coast of Scotland as haar. Good visibility is vital so that the barge carrying the deck section can The deck section which sits atop Pier S1 begins its journey upwards. sail out from the dock to the tower site and to allow us to start the lift operation itself. For safety s sake, we have to be able to see every part of the operation. Powerful floodlighting means that, if necessary, we can perform a lift in reduced light conditions just as well as during the day. This is particularly important in the winter months with their shorter days. Sea conditions are also important to a successful and timely deck lift. We can lift in both falling and rising tides, but waves of over 0.3m (1ft) in height can result in movements in the barge which could affect the way the deck section begins its journey upwards. So we have to pause and wait for the waves to subside. So wind, fog and waves are the main enemy. Other conditions, such as rain, snow, ice, or even a sudden heatwave, pose less of a challenge though may bring some staff safety considerations. We don t necessarily object to bad weather - if it happens at a time which leaves us free to get on with our day jobs unhindered! Contacting the FRC team There are a number of ways you can contact us to ask questions, provide comments, make a complaint or find out more about the Forth Replacement Crossing project: Fife A90 Call the dedicated 24 hour Project Hotline the team enquiries@forthreplacementcrossing.info Look for us online: Or go to the Queensferry Crossing YouTube channel Or drop into the Contact & Education Centre Adjacent Forth Road Bridge Administration Office, South Queensferry, Edinburgh EH30 9SF Opening times Mon-Thu: , Fri: , Sat: Firth of Forth B924 A904 We are here B907 South Queensferry B924 A90 Edinburgh A90 B800 A8000 West Lothian