HS2 Colne Valley Viaduct

United Kingdom

Innovative solutions to noise mitigation in support of the longest railway bridge in the United Kingdom

The Colne Valley Viaduct, which will stretch more than 3.4km across lakes and waterways, will be the longest railway bridge in the United Kingdom upon completion. It will carry the new high-speed line through the northwest outskirts of London.

Photos

Hs2 Coln Valley Viaduct Wikimedia Credit Nathan Grier
HS2 Colne Valley Viaduct rendering. Image source: Wikimedia Commons. Credit Nathan Grier.
Hs2 Colne Valley Viaduct Under Construction Wikimedia Credit Otis Vr
HS2 Colne Valley Viaduct under construction. Image source: Wikimedia Commons. Credit OtisVR.

Services provided

  • The Challenge

    Our client was looking for specialist support to the team responsible for the detailed design of the noise mitigation on the Colne Valley Viaduct. Drawing on our expertise in high-speed railway noise and vibration gained during the detailed design of HS1, RWDI was selected for the job.

  • Our Approach

    The scope of our input included:

    • Developing bespoke calculation methods for the reduction of noise from high-speed trains on viaducts.
    • Using innovative noise barrier designs comprising a combination of transparent panels and traditional noise barrier materials.

  • The Outcome

    The work was used to support the planning applications for the viaduct under Schedule 17 of the Act. Ongoing works include the iterative analysis of detailed design modifications including changes to the acoustical properties of treatments incorporated into the scheme designs, using novel finite element and boundary element techniques.