Work on the £575 million project to extend the Manchester Metrolink tram system is well under way with the line to Chorlton expected to open "within weeks".

To help speed up the work on the Oldham-Rochdale section, a new hydraulic piling hammer has been developed for the electrification stanchions.

It has been designed by BSP International Foundations and built at its factory in Ipswich, Suffolk, as an attachment for road-rail hydraulic excavators.

The DX-RT hammer is being used by Terrawise Construction, a Crewe-based civil engineering company.

“Piling in a rail environment has one major drawback – restricted access to the worksite," said James Crossen, Terrawise Construction’s project director.

"So to help overcome this problem, we have been carrying out extensive research over the past two years in the development of piling equipment to drive steel tubular piles focusing on piling hammers that can easily attach and interchange with commonly used road rail excavators.

"As the company was unable to source suitable impact hammers on the world market, we decided to commission the design of a purpose-built hammer ourselves.

"Its full potential has recently been realised on the Manchester Metro project.”

According to Terrawise, with the combination of both side-grip vibratory and BSP hammers, the site crew is able to install an average of 11 piles in an eight-hour shift.

The Metrolink expansion project will cover nearly 20 miles and includes 26 stops.

The extension to Droylsden is expected to open next year, followed by Ashton the following year.

The Oldham-Rochdale town centre stations will open in 2014, followed by the extension to Manchester Airport.

More information from bspif