Beckton DLR Depot, Maintenance Facility Building (MFB)
Docklands Railway (DLR) is replacing its existing fleet of 28.8m long, B92 trains with new five-car, fixed-formation trains. Accommodating the upgraded trains required changes to the existing depot infrastructure.
Our Architects collaborated with Arcadis to deliver the detailed design of a three-story extension building for Approval for Construction Status, which achieved BREEAM Excellent certification.
The new structure accommodates four maintenance roads, including an underfloor train lifting system, offices, welfare facilities, plant rooms on the upper levels, and a high-level walkway to provide staff access to the northern sidings.
Key details
Project name
Beckton DLR Depot, Maintenance Facility Building (MFB)
Client
Arcadis / DLR
Location
London, UK
Services provided
- Architecture
Challenge
The design required careful consideration to minimise operational impact during construction, as the existing building was connected on a Wheel Lathe Road. The existing structure required modifications and adjustments to accommodate new elements, including introducing a new platform lift from the first floor level.
The interface wall between the two structures (existing and new building) was required to provide fire compartment separation. The two buildings needed to retain structural movement independence while carrying services on both sides.
Solution
The new extension building accommodates four maintenance roads, including an underfloor train lifting system, offices, welfare facilities and plant rooms at the upper levels, and a high-level walkway to provide staff access to the northern sidings.
We undertook a full review of the preliminary design inherited from a previous delivery team at the start of the project. A number of fundamental changes were agreed with the client to provide better operational functionality and a storage area for major components. We developed the amendments by working closely with the operator and our client to ensure we achieved the optimum design.
Carefully studying the provided point cloud survey and record drawings allowed us to build a precise existing 3D model. This helped develop accurate and detailed drawings for the interface between existing and new structures.
To minimise operational impact during the construction stage, the team required an in-depth understanding of the daily operations of the depot. Selecting products carefully and coordinating closely with each discipline supported putting together a feasible construction programme that allowed the depot to remain functional during construction. We worked closely with a contractor (Taylor Woodrow) appointed as part of the design team to ensure buildability issues were fully considered within the design.
Roof lights were provided over the workshop area to bring natural light into the building, minimising the need for artificial lighting during the day. As well as maximising photovoltaic panels on the southern side to also contribute to the building's energy requirements.
We adopted increased U-values in the building envelope, above Building Regulation notional value requirements, which helps further reduce heating and cooling requirements.
RPS continues to support DLR through the construction phase in dealing with technical queries and reviewing key contractor submissions.
