Customer challenge
Riverlinx CJV, on behalf of Transport for London (TfL), are constructing the new Silvertown Tunnel under the river Thames. The 1.4 km twin bore road tunnel will improve cross-river connectivity in east and southeast London. The tunnel will connect the A1020 Silvertown Way/Lower Lea Crossing on the north side with the A102 Blackwall Tunnel Approach on the south side. A significant construction challenge to be considered, was the issue of water runoff from vehicles and rainwater entering the tunnel. An effective pumping solution to handle the water and prevent potential flooding and safety hazards was therefore required.
Xylem solution
To combat the water ingress, Xylem designed, installed and project managed several pumping stations strategically placed along the tunnel route. The various low sump pump, ramp sump pump and tunnel invert sump areas was equipped with a mixture of powerful NZ 3301 70kW pumps, NP 3171 18.5kW pumps and NP 3085 1.3 kW pumps all operating in a duty/duty assist configuration to ensure a continuous and reliable operation to handle varying water inflows effectively. Xylem’s scope of work encompassed the supply, installation, and commissioning of all pumping stations, including the required equipment and infrastructure. Additionally, approximately 1 km of 300mm wrapped ductile iron pipework was installed to facilitate the efficient transportation of pumped water. A further requirement of the entire system included rigorous pressure testing to ensure its robustness and reliability, to handle all associated varying water inflows effectively.
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