Perega and Severfield at Old Oak Common: roof steelwork design notes for engineers
Reviewed by Tom Sullivan
First reported on The Construction Index
30 Second Briefing
Perega has secured its first HS2 commission, providing secondary steelwork design for Severfield on the T‑shaped Old Oak Common station roof, covering purlins, roof and soffit supports, edge details, walkways and brackets for guttering and rainwater chutes. With no penetrations allowed in the primary steel, all fixings must pick up welded tabs and connections on primary members, while blast loading criteria require connections to be weaker than the supporting members, driving highly robust yet sacrificial detailing. Perega is using extensive 3D modelling and IDEA StatiCa, and has redesigned brackets to eliminate box sections, cutting steel tonnage and simplifying maintenance.
Technical Brief
- T-shaped roof geometry means visually similar bays demand unique secondary steel connection layouts and checks.
- End bays require bespoke detailing rather than repeating central bay solutions, complicating sequencing and design freeze.
- Severfield is leading steelwork modelling, with Perega feeding connection design into a coordinated 3D environment.
- IDEA StatiCa is being used at unprecedented scale for Perega, enabling non-standard, tab-based connection verification.
- Removal of enclosed box-section brackets improves inspection access and reduces corrosion risk in service.
Our Take
Severfield’s role at Old Oak Common follows its steelwork on the Baker Viaduct for the Transpennine Route Upgrade, signalling that it is becoming a go‑to fabricator for complex UK rail infrastructure packages.
Recent industrial action at Severfield’s Lostock plant, which also supplies major clients like HS2 and National Highways, suggests delivery risk on labour-intensive elements of the Old Oak Common roof will need close programme and contingency planning.
Perega’s parallel push into healthcare projects, including the structurally demanding endoscopy centre at Princess Royal University Hospital, indicates it is building a portfolio of high-spec public sector work that may support its credentials for future UK rail and station bids beyond Old Oak Common.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
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