MMC 52pp M10 WEB

article
Photography by Edward Moss
Offsite reaches new heights in Brum
A two-block 22 storey residential building topped out last month on the site of an old subterranean car park in Birmingham.
Joe Bradbury was in attendance at the event, which proved to be a milestone for Creagh Concrete and a testament to the true
power of offsite manufacture.
Standing on top of a 22 storey building in
the middle of a city I hold dear was
something I am unlikely to forget. As
Editor of MMC Magazine and regular
contributor to trade publications within the
construction industry, offsite construction is
something I get to write about on a regular
basis.
But to actually stand on top of a tower block that
was built using such practices brought with it a
profound sense of what we are capable of as an
industry when we set ourselves ambitious
targets and knuckle down to achieve them.
Project overview
The two blocks house 324 apartments and have
been built in a major contract by housing giant
Galliford Try. The £40m project is part of a buildto-rent
scheme for client Dandara Living, one
that is expected to significantly boost the
number of homes available in close proximity to
Birmingham’s city centre once completed.
Comprising two blocks of 17 and 22 storeys
linked by bridges at each level, the development
will feature studio, one-bed and two-bed
apartments with balconies across all elevations.
The towers are the tallest structure completed
by Creagh across their entire 43-year history;
and as a proud Midlander and lover of Brum, I
would pose the question: where better for such
a feat to proudly stand than beside the existing
42 MMC
Nov 2018 M10
Alpha Tower, a Grade II-listed office built in the
1970s, considered one of Birmingham’s most
well-known architectural landmarks?
Offsite manufacture
The decision to use precast concrete systems
for the bulk of the building’s structural frame,
cladding and balcony units was taken at an early
stage on the project. The brief demanded a
robust finish on the building, which would limit
the amount of ongoing maintenance required.
Precast concrete is the ideal material of choice
for frame construction and cladding. With this in
mind, the project team looked at various
different options for the structure and its
subcontractors, before settling on the team at
Creagh Concrete to deliver and install the frame
panels, cladding sections, balconies and floor
slab.
Galliford Try Project Director Aidan Smith said
“We knew we wanted the robustness that
precast concrete offers and spent a lot of time
researching our subcontractors. Creagh has the
capability and experience to deliver both the
hollowcore floor slab and the architectural
precast concrete that we wanted. The screed
that we place on top of the floor slab is there
just to iron out any changes in level. It gives us a
little wriggle room.”
The placing of each level is based on a
turnaround time of just 10 days. Prefabricated
bathroom pods, manufactured in Hull, are lifted
directly into position at each level as part of the
cycle time therefore it was important that these
were delivered between days five to seven – any
later runs the risk of disrupting the project
programme.
With a turnaround time of just 10 days to place
each level, the Galliford Try team is running the
internal following trades just three floors
behind.
In conclusion
The speed and efficiency of construction
displayed with this project creates a real sense
of momentum that I personally could feel when
walking up the tower and standing on the top.
Things are getting done fast and they’re getting
done right.
Creagh Director and Co-Founder Seamus
McKeague concluded “We are seeing strong
interest in our rapid build concrete systems
because developers now understand the true
value of slashing programme times.
“Investors not only benefit from revenue gained
by the early occupation of units but, also, from
the mobility of their capital resource. Quite
simply, shorter build times mean developers
can complete more projects with the same pot
of finance.”
www.creaghconcrete.co.uk