Case Study - Keystone - Glasshoughton, West Yorkshire

Project Description:

A design for a new station incorporating the dry build Keystone Walling System from Forticrete provided the solution to construction and logistical challenges at a major new leisure, retail and residential development in West Yorkshire.

A massive reclamation and redevelopment scheme at the Glasshoughton site, a former open cast mine adjacent to the M62 motorway, was carried out by developer Waystone and partner Yorkshire Forward.

One of the pre-requisites for successful development was the construction of a new station to serve the 335 acre site, which is crossed by the existing Leeds-Pontefract railway line.

Developed on land adjacent to the railway line, the station needed to provide access to both platforms via a footbridge, which required the construction of soil reinforced bridge abutments up to a height of more than six metres, supporting ramps to provide pedestrian and disabled access.

The Keystone Walling System was specified for its ability to be built quickly, to incorporate the adjustments necessary to incorporate curves and because of the flexibility to 'build from the back', which removed the need to work close to the railway tracks and obviated the necessity for line closures.

The walls incorporated high strength geogrids from Tensar, who designed the scheme, and features some 1,280 m² of Keystone Splitface Compac Classic units in Yorkstone colour, together with Textured feature courses to the main elevations. The dry-build system was mainly constructed on a base of crushed aggregated, with a concrete pad foundation only necessary in areas where the 100 metre long ramps rise to their maximum height.

By utilising the high strength pultruded pins which are used to link the Keystone units, it was possible to make any adjustments necessary during construction and further reinforcement was also provided by the Tensar geogrids which were locked in place using Keystone's  purpose-designed high strength BBA-approved polymeric comb connectors.

To provide the inherent strength required from the structure, the Tensar geogrids were layered at intervals with DoT specification crushed granular aggregate as backfill.

The Glasshoughton site already houses a major indoor ski-sports facility, Xscape, a new £5 million Tulip Hotel, together with commercial, industrial and residential developments. Further development by Waystone and its commercial partners will take place over several more years

Description: Keystone Yorkstone - Glasshoughton Railway Station

Description: Disabled Access Ramp - Glasshoughton Railway Station

Description: Keystone Yorkstone - Glasshoughton Railway Station

Description: Curved Keystone wall with sloped backfill