Construction

The construction of guided busways is discussed in detail in Britpave's publication Guided Busway Construction Handbook, these web pages give an insight into the contents of that publication.

Visit the Britpave Shop to purchase Guided Busway Construction Handbook as a hard copy (free to Britpave members)

This Guided busway construction handbook has been developed as a follow-up to Britpave’s Guided busway design handbook which concentrates on kerb-guided buses after discussion of other guidance systems. The design handbook briefly covered pavements, surfaces and construction; this handbook supersedes the previous information as it is based on the latest research and experience throughout industry.

This guide presents experience and knowledge from a variety of highway and busway schemes constructed in slip-formed in-situ concrete, with the aim of setting out best practice to ensure the future construction of high quality guided busways in the UK. A variety of construction methods are covered, but this handbook focuses on construction requirements for slip-formed in-situ concrete guideways. Many of the aspects discussed, such as the need for good control and an accurate survey, are applicable to all forms of construction.

This guide gives recommendations and advice on design aspects influenced by construction techniques, concrete production and supply, site access requirements, surface texture and smoothness, control, interfaces and the construction process itself.

Topics covered in detail by the handbook are:

• Ten key recommendations for successful guideway slipforming.
• Design: CRCP, URC & JRC, particular requirements for slipforming, integral kerbs, Precast elements.
• The slipform construction process: the slipform paver, the slipform process, typical paving outputs, construction tolerances.
• Tolerances: gauge, horizontal and vertical alignment, surface regularity.
• Concrete production and supply: materials supplier, concrete mix design, reinforcement, supply of concrete to slipform operations.
• Access: logistics, working space.
• Surface texture and smoothness: surface macrotexture, application of surface texture, smoothness and surface regularity.
• Interfaces: start and end of run, discontinuities in the guideway, services and utilities, drainage, bridges.
• Construction control: 3D surface model format, known point set-up method, free station method, establishing control points, total station standard deviations, as-built surveys.