High Speed 2 (HS2) has released details on one of their new viaducts to be built, featuring the latest in construction methods to reduce carbon emissions.

Recent work by HS2 and its contractors has seen development and design work on the Wendover Dean Viaduct in Buckinghamshire.

Designers have chosen to use the ‘double composite’ method, combining steel girders and concrete to form a viaduct that is very strong but relatively light in weight.

Measuring 450 metres in length and supported by nine piers, the design work has been completed by EKFB and ASC, (EKFB are the main contractors for the site, a partnership between Eiffage, Kier, Ferrovial and BAM Nuttall and ASC, design partner of the HS2 project formed by Arcadis Setec and COWI) who are working with Moxon.

A similar design has been used in France for their TGV rail network.

The design of the viaduct means it will cut out 7,433 tonnes of embedded carbon, the equivalent of 20,500 return flights from London to Edinburgh.

Along with minimising carbon, the design should have minimal impact on the overall landscape, as well as being the first viaduct in the UK to feature a ‘double composite’ design.

Buckinghamshire Council has given approval to the viaduct under Schedule 17 of the HS2 Act.

HS2 Ltd’s Project Client Director Ambrose McGuire said: “By providing a cleaner, greener way to travel, HS2 will help cut the number of cars and lorries on our roads, cut demand for domestic flights, and help the fight against climate change.

“But we’re also serious about reducing the amount of carbon we use during construction, and Wendover Dean is a great example of how we’re using the latest engineering techniques to do just that. Concrete is one of the construction industries’ biggest sources of embedded carbon – and this design will help us cut our carbon footprint while delivering a lighter, stronger and more elegant structure.

EKFB’s Technical Director Janice McKenna said: “This viaduct was inspired by the latest innovative designs in France, but has been enhanced and developed in the context of the Chilterns. Our design solutions are always created with people and legacy in mind and I am really proud of the carbon savings that the Wendover Dean Viaduct represents.”

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