Concrete Today May 2010 - the Irish Concrete Federation

concrete today - precast schools solution
performance in terms of the durability of
the structure and the low-maintenance
requirements over the life-span of the
building. The solid, high density wall units,
which have only a small number of joints,
have greater air-tightness and therefore
greater thermal and sound reduction
properties.
Sammon Contracting have an impressive
track record in the current schools
programme and have recently completed
projects in Tullamore, Mornington,
Kinnegad, Drogheda, Middleton and
Gorey. Concast were selected to design,
manufacture and install the Precast
concrete frame at Flemington, Balbriggan.
The Concast Precast Group, were
appointed in December 2009, to provide
a complete Precast concrete frame.
Concast are focused on competitiveness
through quality, supported by their quality
management systems ISO 9001:2008.
The design team consisted of DBFL
Consulting Engineers and McCarthy
O’Hora Associates. The designers opted
for the Precast option for a variety of
reasons, not least the quality of finish,
speed on site and the reduction in the
number of follow on trades and wet
processes. The selection of an off-site,
factory production process was fortuitous
as it transpired that temperatures in early
January 2010 fell to as low as -10°C. A
construction process involving insitu
concrete would almost certainly have led to
a delay in the construction programme. In
the event, all Precast units were produced
in a quality controlled environment and
were delivered to site as per the building
programme.
The new Flemington school consists of
18 large open plan classrooms, with activity
areas, multi media rooms, and teachers
lounge. The design includes particular
focus on energy issues with the objective
of achieving energy performance levels
approaching ‘passive building’ standards.
The use of Precast concrete panels to form
attic spaces, with steel rafters connected
directly to the top of the sloping panels,
enhances security and provides greatly
improved internal fire compartmentation.
The incorporation of cast-in items, such
as recesses and Halfen channels, facilitates
follow on trades and reduces the need
for ladders and drilling on site, which
is desirable from a Health and Safety
perspective.
The Precast wall panels were installed
over a five week period, at a rate of 18
panels per day (i.e. averaging over 500sq/m
of wall panels per day). Concast’s justin-time
delivery capabilities and the
array of efficiencies inherent in Precast,
create a speed advantage throughout the
construction process, saving costs and
meeting deadlines.
T h e c o m p o n e n t s w h i c h w e r e
manufactured at Concast’s plant in
Newcastle West Dublin, include:
• both non load-bearing and load-bearing
precast concrete panels
• hollowcore and wideslab floor/ceiling
planks
• precast columns and beams
A total precast concrete system saves
money in many ways, both in the short and
long-term. When using precast structures,
several trades and materials are eliminated
from the construction process. The savings
include costs often hidden within overall
construction budgets and create advantages
that continue to save throughout the
building’s lifetime. These life-cycle savings
help control operational budgets, resulting
in lower construction costs today and a
reduced public tax burden in the longer
term.
The approach and quality of work
now being applied to projects such as
Flemington in Balbriggan, will ensure
that schoolchildren and teachers alike will
be provided with the best educational
environment in which to learn and work.
Project Team
ECAP, prefinished external insulation fixed to precast
cladding panel as supplied by Protherm
Client:
Department of Education & Skills
Project Managers:
KSN Project Management
Developer/Contractor:
Sammon Contracting
Architect:
McCarthy O’Hora Associates
Consulting Engineers:
DBFL
M&E Consultants:
Semple McKillop
Precast Structural Frame:
Concast Precast Group
Health & Safety:
Safety Solutions
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