The first section of the concrete super-structure of Everton’s new stadium has been erected at Bramley-Moore Dock, rounding off a year of progress at the site of the Club’s future home.
The giant pre-cast concrete panels and pillars installed this week, just prior to the enabling and construction works breaking for Christmas, are the first structural elements of the North West core, which will incorporate the entrance turnstiles to the North Stand and create support for the entry and exit stairs up to the concourse areas.
Three twin-wall sections and one structural column, delivered from the contractor Laing O’Rourke’s pioneering off-site manufacturing facility, have been meticulously housed on one of the first completed foundations on the north quayside of the waterfront development.
The Club and contractor has made steady progress since securing planning permission from Liverpool City Council in late February 2021, with enabling works beginning in the summer after the Club took control of the site.
The dock, which is now infilled with approximately 480,000 cubic meters of sand, will also see the completion of the sand compaction process this week.
Colin Chong, Director of Stadium Development at Everton Football Club, said:
“We are ecstatic to see the first signs of the stadium appear above ground level before Christmas.
“This is a symbol of the progress we have made to date and is very much a statement of intent for the future. Less than six months ago we were still infilling the dock and now that process is complete.
“We have also been able to bring forward an important milestone of building above ground for the first time as the section of stadium’s North Stand core structure is in place.
“We are looking forward to 2022 where we’ll continue piling, putting in place the foundations for our new home, while also continuing to erect the stadium structure in the North and eventually the Southern wharfs.”
After tests have been done to confirm the completion of the sand-compacting process, a new 450 – 600mm deep temporary roadway – made up of reclaimed materials – will be laid on the solid sand base in the new year. This will allow for heavy machinery to begin the piling process on the east and west elevations.
A total of 2,500 piles will be drilled across the site, each one around 16-20m deep, which will eventually be capped to form the sub-structure for the stadium to take shape during 2022.
Everton’s new home at Bramley-Moore Dock is recognised as the largest single-site private sector development in the country contributing an estimated £1.3bn to the UK economy, creating more than 15,000 jobs and attracting 1.4m visitors to the city of Liverpool.
Once complete, the scheme will have acted as a catalyst for more than £650m worth of accelerated regeneration directly benefiting the nearby Ten Streets development.