Capital & Operational Carbon - An assessment of the permanent dewatering solution at Stratford International Station

© The authors and ICE Publishing: All rights reserved, 2015. The cost and carbon implications of the link between design stage and operational performance are the subject of this piece. Stratford International station is located on the UK's only existing High Speed Rail line. The piezometric level in London has been rising since the 1960's as a result of the majority of the heavy industry relocating away from London. The long- Term groundwater levels are not known with certainty, affecting the design of foundations and underground structures in the area. The CTRL project was at a critical junction during this design period in 1996 and capital financial cost reductions were required to secure its existence. The permanent dewatering solution was selected based upon the £21.8million saving it afforded over a tension pile solution. This paper reviews the long- Term implications in terms of cost and carbon emissions, of a decision criterion revolving around capital cost alone. The long- Term impact becomes further complicated within the context of the unforeseen recent large-scale development of the Stratford area. Carbon is selected as a metric to assess the sustainability of the solution, in view of what lessons should be fed back from asset operation to design. Financial cost is also considered, comparing the capital financial decision to the operational cost of the asset.