Insights from constructing HS2 go online

Insights from constructing High Speed 2 are being shared online from this week to present lessons learnt, good practice and innovation for the benefit of the wider infrastructure sector.

The ‘HS2 Learning Legacy’ was launched at the Institution of Engineering & Technology in London on Monday at an event supported by the Major Projects Association and the Infrastructure & Projects Authority.

The first tranche of material includes over 100 resources covering topics such as design engineering and architecture, environment, digital engineering and occupational health and wellbeing. To visit the site visit the Learning Legacy which is now live.

Papers available to view include those covering the aerodynamic design of rail tunnels, assessment of crosswind safety, design of noise barriers for high speed railways and minimising carbon emissions at stations.

HS2 is also partnering with industry to disseminate the learning through events and engagement as well as academia to share real life case studies with post graduate students.

New learning legacy papers will be published every six months. Launch of the project follows similar initiatives for the London Olympic Games of 2012, Crossrail and the upgrade of London Bridge station, but HS2 will be the first project to start this early in the project lifecycle enabling the capture of learning from the early projects stages such as procurement, initiation, design and enabling works.

High Speed 2 chief executive Mark Thurston said:

“Major projects like HS2 do not happen in isolation – we build on the experience and lessons learned from previous projects and rely on the wider industry to deliver. That’s why it is so important that we pay back and offer the next generation the same opportunities to learn from our experience.”

Major Projects Association executive director Andy Murray added:

“While it is not the first learning legacy, it is the first one to be established at the beginning of the project and enables sharing between all the parties involved. I have no doubt it will prove invaluable for the initiation and delivery of future projects too.”

High Speed 2 has also announced that over 250 packages of work are available for small to medium sized companies over the next 12 to 18 months, ranging from £4,000 to £158M.

Details will be provided at two forthcoming ‘Meet the Contractor’ online supply chain events; the first for station works on 15 - 17 November and a second covering construction along the route, between 29 November and 1 December.

Photograph courtesy of HS2 Ltd