The 11 km extension will branch off the existing West Midlands Metro line east of Wednesbury Great Western Street, creating a new route through Tipton and Dudley towards Brierley Hill. Delivered in two phases, the scheme will support improved public transport connectivity across the Black Country, while helping to attract investment and regeneration to Sandwell, Dudley and Brierley Hill.
For part of this project, PohlCon UK supplied FIBERNOX® V-ROD GRP reinforcement to MPB Structures Ltd for use within the switch area of the newly constructed junction. This location required a reinforcement solution that would not interfere with highly sensitive electrical and signalling equipment.
Manufactured from glass fibre-reinforced plastic, FIBERNOX® V-ROD GRP is both non-magnetic and non-conductive, making it ideally suited to applications where conventional steel reinforcement could cause interference. Its corrosion-resistant and alkali-resistant properties also support long-term durability, helping to reduce maintenance requirements over the life of the structure.
A total of 5,100 kg of straight and curved GRP reinforcement was supplied in a range of lengths and diameters, supporting the successful delivery of this technically demanding section of the scheme.
PohlCon UK is proud to have supported MPB Structures Ltd on this landmark infrastructure scheme, contributing specialist reinforcement technology to one of the UK’s most significant light rail projects.
The project also demonstrated the wider capabilities of the PohlCon Group, with PohlCon Germany supplying the required material and PohlCon UK providing local technical and commercial support throughout the project.