The Design & Construction of Cliffsend Underpass

This paper presents the building challenges and final design of the Cliffsend Underpass being built under the railway near Ramsgate in South East England. Network Rail are particularly sensitive about this line as it carries the new Javelin trains which service the high speed link to St Pancras International. The challenge was therefore not only to devise a scheme which met the Client, Kent County Council’s requirements, but also to develop a technique which minimise ground settlement.

The underpass is part of the new East Kent Access Road. It is 23 m wide and has a length of 125 m. For a structure of this magnitude and subject to the rail constraints highlighted above, a special box jacking concept has been developed. The jacking proposal belongs to a group of concepts based on Jacking and Skidding. IABSE Working Group 6 on Bridge Deck Installation is studying the safe use and benefits of these techniques.