Trent makes stunning European debut
When the first residents arrive at the Tradewinds Marina apartments in Gibraltar they will be greeted by a breathtakingly white complex that glimmers in the sunshine.
The secret behind the dazzling design is one of the unsung heroes of modern construction, reconstructed stone cladding from industry leaders Trent Concrete.
Although the Nottingham-based company is renowned throughout the UK and Ireland, Tradewinds marks its first foray into Europe.
From the beginning of the multi-million project, Trent Concrete worked in close partnership with McCusker Storey McIntosh Architects, Developer Taylor Woodrow and General Contractor the PCG Group to create the ideal bespoke solution.
The three tower blocks at Tradewinds form an ‘S' shape and are built with a pos-tensioned reinforced concrete structure.
Under its £900,000 contract, Trent is supplying almost 3,000 square metres of white reconstructed stone cladding in 520 individual units. The storey-high panels are close to 2.995m tall, in varying lengths between 2.13 and 2.47 metres.
They will form seven basic types, ranging from plain flat flank wall panels to ‘C' shaped window panels and slab fascia units.
As well providing visual ‘weight' and quality to the appearance of the building's main elevations, the panels are also produced at the company's factory using the latest, ultra efficient precast techniques.
They are cast in a mix of Derbyshire Limestone aggregates and white cement with an acid etch finish, resembling the look and texture of natural stone.
The Gibraltar project has also given Trent a chance to enhance its production techniques by using architectural self-compacting concrete (SCC). Through the addition of a superplasticiser/accelerator and a stabiliser, SCC is self-levelling and produces a more consistent fill and better compaction than that achieved with traditional methods.
David Walker, Managing Director of Trent Concrete, said: "This revolutionary technique results in an ex-mould finish of the highest quality, making it ideal for major projects such as Tradewinds.
"This project represents a fantastic opportunity for us to expand into Europe and our success in Gibraltar has already led to a number of high profile sales leads."
All the completed panels are being exported directly to Gibraltar on a just in time basis, to enable quick erection at the tight marina site that will cause minimum disruption.
When completed, Tradewinds will offer 81 luxury apartments at Marina Bay, Gibraltar. Trent has undertaken several previous export projects in the Republic of Ireland, but this will be the furthest point overseas to which Trent has ever supplied cladding.
The final panels are due to be delivered to Gibraltar in the next few weeks.
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For further information, please contact Colin Felton at CFA Marketing Communications on:
Telephone: 01622 754295
Fax: 01622 758484
Email: colin@cfapr.com
Notes to Editors
Trent Concrete is a specialist precast concrete contractor, producing high quality bespoke architectural cladding and structures. Providing a complete solution from detailed design development through skills-based manufacture to on-site erection using its own teams, Trent Concrete partners with leading developers and specifiers to ensure that their projects gain maximum benefit from prefabrication. Trent Concrete's precast solutions make a major contribution to improved quality, certainty, sustainability, safety and efficiency in the UK construction industry today.
The company has worked on some of the most prestigious projects of recent years, including The Scottish Office and the Toyota GB Plc and Thames Water headquarters buildings, and the quality of its work is consistently recognised in the form of industry awards. Trent Concrete was founded in 1917 and is based in Nottingham, where it employs more than 200 people.