Bi-Steel, a Tata Steel patented high performance steel concrete composite material, is now in situ protecting important areas of the UK’s capital against hostile vehicle attack.
A ceremony to formally mark the completion of the Whitehall Streetscape Project took place in Westminster in December with the contribution Tata Steel made to the success of the scheme recognised.
The Whitehall Streetscape Project scheme was a £30m project aimed at upgrading this important part of the capital to make it safer and more pleasant environment to visit, live and work in.
The project was a partnership between the Cabinet Office who lead the initiative on behalf of central government, the City of Westminster and West One Infrastructure Services, the Council’s construction services provider. The scheme involved the creation of better public spaces, improved traffic management, easier access for public and private vehicles, enhanced pedestrian facilities, and, importantly, more effective measures to protect against the threat of an attack by a hostile vehicle.
This later aspect of the scheme is where Bi-Steel came in. Recognising the location – the centre of UK Government and home to many iconic and historic sites – Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) measures were required to be of the highest integrity. A key part of the scheme has been the construction of new walls, both solid and balustrade, clad in traditional Portland stone (the material that dominates this part of the capital), to protect key Government buildings. However, beneath the Portland stone is hidden a Bi-Steel structure that has been tested to withstand a terrorist bomb attack. A high strength Bi-Steel bollard system is also a key element of the scheme. Above ground this looks like a row of traditional Westminster bollards, but they are fixed within high performance Bi-Steel foundations, fully tested to resist an attack by a vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED). In total 2200 linear metres of Bi-Steel were used in the construction of these HVM measures.
In 2008 the scheme won the Institute of Highways and Transportation’s ‘Security in the Public Realm Award’. In making the award, the judges recognised the scheme as one that was “a unique project where urban design and security skills are blended carefully, to design an effective scheme in an aesthetically challenging area”.
Guests at the project ‘topping out’ ceremony included Sir Gus O’Donnell, the Cabinet Secretary and Councillor Robert Davis, Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London. Also present, was Jurek Tolloczko, General Manager for Bi-Steel, Tata Steel Projects – who spent many long hours designing and specifying the Bi-Steel bollard and wall scheme. Commenting on the success of the Bi-Steel element of the project Jurek said, “The Whitehall Streetscape Project presented our team with quite significant technical, manufacturing and logistical challenges which we met with vigour and enthusiasm. Everyone involved played an essential role and our efforts have been gratefully appreciated by all connected with this hugely important project.”
An interview with Dr Tolloczko was in our May 2006 issue. Other sites with Bi-Steel include New Scotland Yard, the G20 summit in London in 2009 and the G8 summit at Gleneagles in Scotland in 2005; and a middle eastern embassy.
