The facility run by the Skanska Costain STRABAG joint venture (SCS JV) will make 92,000 rebar couplers needed to construct the Copthall tunnel.

The team constructing the tunnel were faced with delays due to a shortfall of available prefabricated fatigue rated rebar couplers, after suppliers had exited the market.

A team of 14 will now work at the facility six days a week, eight hours a day for three years to meet the supply needs for the tunnel.

The process to get the facility up and running took 20 weeks in total, with the team gaining CARES certification for the work and securing the required equipment from Sheffield based company, Leviat.

The team purchase stock rebar and then complete processing operations on site, before taking it through the four-step threading process and delivering it to the Copthall tunnel construction area.

Ray Moloney, Senior Project Manager for SCS JV, said: “Uncertainties in the market and the need to meet the requirements of the HS2 construction programme meant that we had to look at an innovative solution for supplying fatigue rated mechanical reinforcement connections.

“In mid-2022 we started engaging with partners including Leviat and CARES to develop an on-site processing scheme and within 20 weeks, we were processing our first order.

“The solution has created new jobs, offered new training opportunities for engineers and means that we can remove the risk of any delays in construction due to supply shortages.”

As well as supplying the Copthall tunnel works, the facility has also been able to provide fatigue rated couplers to other HS2 works being delivered by SCS JV to support overall delivery and de-risk supply chain delays.