Bentley > Case Studies > WSP's Innovative Approach to Constructing the Principal Tower Amidst Challenges

WSP's Innovative Approach to Constructing the Principal Tower Amidst Challenges

Technology Category

Analytics & Modeling - Computer Vision Software
Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Event-Driven Application

Applicable Industries

Buildings
Cement

Applicable Functions

Product Research & Development

Use Cases

Construction Management
Construction Site Monitoring

Services

Training

About The Customer

The customer in this case is WSP, a global management and consultancy services company. WSP was commissioned to design and construct the Principal Tower, a 50-story, mixed-use building adjacent to London's financial district. The tower is part of the wider Principal Place development, which includes smaller mixed-use buildings and Amazon's new London headquarters. WSP's challenge was to deliver the owner's vision for the tower within the constraints of a small construction footprint, while also ensuring that construction did not interfere with rail operations or damage existing masonry tunnels. The company needed to convince the project owners that they could fully realize their vision and build an economically viable tower within the available footprint.

The Challenge

WSP, a global management and consultancy services company, was tasked with designing and constructing the 50-story Principal Tower in London, a project valued at GBP 200 million. The challenge was to build this tower on a small footprint, adjacent to the city's financial district and the third-busiest train station in the country, Liverpool Street station. The design had to ensure that construction did not interfere with rail operations or damage the Victorian-era masonry tunnels. The tower's design also had to accommodate a six-track railway and a protected corridor for future development of two additional tracks. The project required a design that would not only fit into the limited space but also meet the owner's aesthetic and logistic specifications. Furthermore, the design had to account for frequent vibrations caused by the railway and minimize soil displacement.

The Solution

To overcome these challenges, WSP turned to Bentley applications, specifically RAM Concept and PLAXIS. PLAXIS was used to analyze multiple potential designs and model soil movement during excavation, construction, and the building lifecycle. The analysis indicated that constructing the ground floor slab first would provide lateral support to protect the masonry tunnels during underground construction. The software also predicted the lateral forces exerted by the tunnel arches, which helped optimize the slab design and construction. RAM Concept was used for all stages of foundation and basement design, from early concepts to final detailing. It provided a more accurate model of the foundation's behavior and reaction to train vibrations and helped ensure that the design was acoustically isolated, eliminating noise from nearby trains. The software also helped design other complex elements of the building, such as a hanging swimming pool.

Operational Impact

The use of Bentley applications, PLAXIS and RAM Concept, enabled WSP to successfully complete the design and analysis of the complex design elements of the Principal Tower. The detailed analysis of soil movement and the design of the ground floor slab demonstrated to Network Rail that the development would not harm the underground tunnels or affect operations, leading to the approval of the project. The optimized design also reduced the use of reinforcement materials by 60% and lowered the amount of temporary works needed during construction, leading to cost savings in both material and labor. The successful completion of this project underscores the importance of innovative software solutions in tackling complex engineering challenges.

Quantitative Benefit