Nine HS2 bridges with welding defects

[ChristopherJ]

£20.4m to rectify.

Severfield reveals costly problems with HS2 bridges | Construction News

Steel giant Severfield has slipped to a £5.8m pre-tax loss in its interim results after uncovering the need to remediate 12 bridges, nine of which form

www.constructionnews.co.uk

Steel giant Severfield has slipped to a £5.8m pre-tax loss in its interim results after uncovering the need to remediate 12 bridges, nine of which form part of the High Speed 2 (HS2) megaproject.

The York-headquartered firm this morning (26 November) revealed it had set aside £20.4m to resolve structures it had identified as “not in compliance with the client's weld specification requirements”.

This left Severfield with a plunge into the red in the six months to 28 September this year despite a 17 per cent hike in revenue to £252.3m.

It blamed “sub-optimal choices of welding procedures” for the bridge issues but added that these were “exacerbated by limitations in the specified weld testing regime for these projects".

A “comprehensive review” was underway involving clients, insurers and “relevant industry authorities” said the firm.


HS2 bosses confirmed that nine of the 12 sub-standard bridges formed part of the rapid rail link.

 

[Towers]

They’ll go nicely with the fleet of Hitachi trains that’ll run across them, then…

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Oh well they've got plenty of time to perform rectification

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Oh well they've got plenty of time to perform rectification

There isn't much steelwork up yet, either.
They've only just started to erect spans around Aylesbury, at the Delta junction and at the Curzon St approaches.

 

[D Williams]

Grind them out, turn up the amps and start again.

 

[gravitystorm]

Oh well they've got plenty of time to perform rectification

I'm not sure if that's actually true. From what I've seen in various videos, many of the bridges are key enabling works, since parts of the HS2 trace are going to be used as a temporary haul and/or access roads. So many of the bridges need to be completed first, to allow works to continue on the rest of the trace.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

I know stuff happens but this is crazy.

 

[NickBucks]

There isn't much steelwork up yet, either.
They've only just started to erect spans around Aylesbury, at the Delta junction and at the Curzon St approaches.

Do you know if this involves the bridge over the A418 Aylesbury-Thame road which has only just opened ?

 

[dosxuk]

There's no suggestion in the story that these faults are on structures that have been installed - the story is much more about the manufacturer having to set aside money to fix faults that they didn't identify, but that their client, HS2 has. I would expect HS2 to be making those types of inspection before they actually assemble the structure, not after. It's also going to cost a lot more than £20m to dismantle 12 bridges and rebuild them with repaired parts.

 

[NickBucks]

Thanks for the clarification.

 

[bnc2018]

Construction enquirer have more information about the bridges:
https://www.constructionenquirer.co...g-crisis-hits-five-national-highways-bridges/

On HS2, the problem steelwork is clustered mainly on the key main approach viaducts to the flagship Curzon Street station in Birmingham. These are still under construction.

They also claim these three completed bridges are affected:

Completed HS2 viaducts impacted​

---

Duddeston Mill Road bridge, Birmingham – main works contractor BBV

Princes Risborough to Aylesbury rail bridge in Buckinghamshire which Carries Chiltern main line over HS2 – EKFB

Harvil Road bridge, Hillingdon. Road bridge over Chiltern Line for main works contractor SCS.

There’s a typo in the article, the second bridge mentioned carries the Princes Risborough to Aylesbury line, not the chiltern main line. Depends what’s wrong of course, but it’s going to be pretty challenging to make any changes on those rail bridges.

 

[Yindee8191]

Construction enquirer have more information about the bridges:
https://www.constructionenquirer.co...g-crisis-hits-five-national-highways-bridges/


They also claim these three completed bridges are affected:

There’s a typo in the article, the second bridge mentioned carries the Princes Risborough to Aylesbury line, not the chiltern main line. Depends what’s wrong of course, but it’s going to be pretty challenging to make any changes on those rail bridges.

That’s interesting, I wonder if it’s why the viaducts into Curzon St seem to be taking so long. The Lawley Middleway bridge has been sat there fully assembled for ages and the big steel piers for the canal section were definitely supposed to have some work done for the deck by now.

 

[swt_passenger]

Away from HS2 the new A1 road bridge over the ECML, (near the Team Valley in Gateshead), is being assessed for the same firm’s weld issues. All they’ve done so far is ban abnormal loads, but normal traffic is running. It might eventually need repairs over the live railway I suppose.

No doubt the impact on HS2 will draw the flack, but there’ll presumably be numerous other worksites using this fabricator, both recent and current?

 

[sturmey_archer]

There is discussion about 'defective welds', but this sounds more like a failure of quality control, rather than bad welds necessarily. Each weld should have been tested and certified as it was made, with any remedial works happening there and then, but clearly that process has broken down.
The steel producer now needs to test any welds where it has reason to doubt the quality control. The actual number and location of bad welds isn't known yet, although someone has made some educated guesses so that they can set aside enough money.
Or at least that is my reading of the various press-releases, but everyone is keeping details close to their chest.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Did the same contractor supply the steel for the new Irwell bridge, the main structure on the Ordsall Chord?
It's of vaguely similar style (weathered steel) to those on HS2.

 

[thecrofter]

From an extract on the Severfield issue as reported by Rail Magazine on 26/11/24 (behind paywall):

"Network Rail also confirmed it had been made aware of a construction issue with a new steel girder bridge on a freight only line in the Midlands."

That would presumably be bridge SAS13 on the Stechford - Aston line at Washwood Heath then.

 

[zwk500]

Did the same contractor supply the steel for the new Irwell bridge, the main structure on the Ordsall Chord?

The Ordsall Chord Viaduct

steelconstruction.info

Suggests it was indeed a Severfield job.

 

[edwin_m]

There is discussion about 'defective welds', but this sounds more like a failure of quality control, rather than bad welds necessarily. Each weld should have been tested and certified as it was made, with any remedial works happening there and then, but clearly that process has broken down.
The steel producer now needs to test any welds where it has reason to doubt the quality control. The actual number and location of bad welds isn't known yet, although someone has made some educated guesses so that they can set aside enough money.
Or at least that is my reading of the various press-releases, but everyone is keeping details close to their chest.

Not sure about that. “not in compliance with the client's weld specification requirements” (from the OP link) suggests the weld is not up to whatever standard has been specified, and the link in #11 says "five road bridges are now known to be suffering from defective welding in addition to the nine bridge structures impacted on HS2".

“exacerbated by limitations in the specified weld testing regime for these projects" (OP link again) suggest they are claiming they might have picked this up, except that the client didn't specify the right tests. I've have thought if a supplier is contracted to do a weld (or indeed anything else) to a particular specification then they should also be doing whatever is necessary to prove it is to spec. If the client is somehow preventing those tests being done then they need to go back to the client well before the affected items leave the factory.

 

[Pigeon]

Anyone called Bouch involved with this?

 

[D Williams]

Not sure about that. “not in compliance with the client's weld specification requirements” (from the OP link) suggests the weld is not up to whatever standard has been specified, and the link in #11 says "five road bridges are now known to be suffering from defective welding in addition to the nine bridge structures impacted on HS2".

“exacerbated by limitations in the specified weld testing regime for these projects" (OP link again) suggest they are claiming they might have picked this up, except that the client didn't specify the right tests. I've have thought if a supplier is contracted to do a weld (or indeed anything else) to a particular specification then they should also be doing whatever is necessary to prove it is to spec. If the client is somehow preventing those tests being done then they need to go back to the client well before the affected items leave the factory.

A very strange affair given that the steel fabrication company will be working to ISO 9001 with regard to quality control standards. The following has been published on the Construction Enquirer website. It doesn't look good. Corten steel has been around for a long time;


The full extent of the welding problems impacting both HS2 and National Highways bridges is emerging in the wake of steelwork contractor Severfield laying bare production problems.


The Enquirer can reveal five road bridges are now known to be suffering from defective welding in addition to the nine bridge structures impacted on HS2.

While both HS2 and National Highways are refusing to name the specific bridges and structures impacted, weight restrictions have been applied to several affected roads bridges while investigations and testing take place.

A National Highways spokesperson said: “We are carrying out targeted inspections on a small number of bridges to rule out any potential issues.

“These bridges remain safe to use. For any abnormal load movements, we have put restrictions in place as a precaution while we assess whether any further strengthening measures may be required.”



It is understood that the spotlight is on the integrity of client-specified full penetration butt welds on fabricated steelwork.

It is also believed the material impacted is weathering Corten steel which requires specialist welding wire or gas.

BBV is now understood to be seeking to employ a third-party firm to provide welding inspections for the both factory and onsite fabrication of key steel structures as part of the HS2 Curzon Approach Viaducts project moving forward.

The assets to be inspected going into construction are Saltley Canal Under Bridge, Lawley Middleway and Curzon 3 Tripods, supplied by Severfield UK and the Duddeston Junction Viaduct and Curzon 2 section to be supplied by Martifer.

So far Severfield has spent £7.1m on testing and remedial works and expects to incur a further £13.3m cost on eight of the projects.

Severfield added that it still needed to agree solutions on four of the remaining structures where weld testing is ongoing.

Yesterday Severfield said it would be pursuing all potential recoveries from third parties, including insurance.

 

[AndrewE]

Grind them out, turn up the amps and start again.

Surely it would be easier to weld strengthening patches over all the suspect welds? Or are the welds likely to be the fixing of strengthening ribs? (like https://www.google.com/maps/@53.078...try=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTEyNC4xIKXMDSoASAFQAw==)

 

[edwin_m]

A very strange affair given that the steel fabrication company will be working to ISO 9001 with regard to quality control standards.

ISO9001 means very little on its own - just that the company has the top-level process framework to enable quality. They also have to have the right technical processes in place and ensure that their people are actually following them.

I can see this costing someone a lot of money and some lawyers being considerably enriched.

 

[Narrowgauge725]

Just found out the problemFaulty welding

 

[JohnElliott]

ISO9001 means very little on its own - just that the company has the top-level process framework to enable quality.

As the Dilbert cartoon put it: "So you don't care how bad our processes are, as long as they're well-documented and used consistently?" "Yes." "Our documented process says I must now laugh in your face and double our price."