1899 – Building over GWR Tunnel, Carrs Lane, Birmingham

Proposal for building over a Great Western Railway tunnel showing the underpinning structure. Demolished in 1988 after structural failure.

We publish this week a drawing of a warehouse in Carr’s-lane, Birmingham, erected under most unusual, if not unique, circumstances. The site is traversed in the front by the Great Western Railway tunnel, which cuts into the frontage I ft. at one end and 2,’iit. at the other. The depth of the tunnel below the top of the street paving does not exceed 3ft. in any one part, and is generally considerably lees. The chief engineer of the Railway Company, Mr. James Inglis, would not permit any weight to rest upon the tunnel, and the depth precluded the use of cross girders. It became necessary, therefore, to devise a system of steel cantilevers, varying in depth downwards, with masses of concrete and anchor plates at the ends of the two largest of them.

The buildings were erected for Messrs. J. and J. Patton and Messrs. E. Holroyd and Co., of Birmingham, the builder being Mr. E. J. Charles, of Moseley, and the whole undertaking was carried out from the designs and under the superintendence of Mr. Ralph Heaton, architect, of Birmingham.
The Building News, September 22, 1899