Curve Appeal

The £44 million project undertaken by Network Rail to redevelop and transform Manchester Victoria station includes a state-of-the-art roof which has been constructed around 15 curved steel ribs, all of which are unique in both size and curvature.

The task of producing the curved structure for this project was awarded to expert tube and metal profile bending company Barnshaws, which conveniently has one of its production facilities located in the city.

For the main contractor tasked with delivering the project, precision and timing were key to the overall success of the refurbishment.

From the start, the design of the new roof was going to pose some tough challenges for the fabricators, Severfield (UK).

Each rib has a unique design, not only in length but also in width, depth and curvature, so the actual manufacturing of the ribs required a high level of precision.

In addition, the ribs had to be made in sections up to 20 meters in length and then transported to the site before final assembly and installation.

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