Prefabricated brickwork delivers construction efficiency
Trent Concrete is experiencing increased interest from specifiers in brick-faced precast concrete cladding and structural elements. The brick facing provides a traditional, un-panelised appearance, whilst the efficiency gains afforded by the prefabrication process deliver additional advantages.
Trent has produced prefabricated brickwork for several recent contracts, including the new headquarters for Portman Building Society in Bournemouth and an office development in Edinburgh. Most recently, Trent was awarded the cladding contract for a prestigious office development at No.1 Colmore Square in Birmingham, as illustrated above. Here, storey-high twin punched window panels measure 4.2m high and are typically 6m long.
The key construction efficiency benefits that brick-faced precast enables are:
* Panels are erected on a just-in-time basis with a single lift from the delivery vehicle into their final position on the building.
* No scaffolding is required.
* Production and fixing is not affected by inclement weather.
* The speed of construction of the façade is exceptionally fast.
* Early enclosure of a weatherproof envelope allows follow-on trades to commence sooner.
* The standard of workmanship is very high as units are produced under carefully-controlled factory conditions, and gun-pointing at the works results in a high quality, consistent finish.
* The shortage of skilled on site labour can be addressed.
* The need for wet trades on site is reduced, helping to maintain a clean and tidy site.
* Insulation to areas which are difficult to access on site (e.g. in front of stanchions) can be factory fixed.
* There is the opportunity to fix window frames and glazing in factory, enabling further efficiencies.
Trent’s £1.7m cladding contract for Richardson Barberry’s office development at No.1 Colmore Square, covers the design, manufacture and erection of 3500 square metres of Jura limestone-faced spandrel and mullion units, and 1600 square metres of Ibstock brick-faced, storey-high punched window panels. Trent starts on site in October.
For high resolution digital images of the above photos, please email: Linda Mason on lmason@trentconcrete.co.uk
Credits for No.1 Colmore Square: Client: Richardson Barberry;
Contractor: Kier Build; Architect: The Fairhursts Design Group;
Engineer: Curtins Consulting Engineers
Notes
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 employs more than 200 people.
Editorial contact: David Walker
Tel: 0115 987 9747
Email: lmason@trentconcrete.co.uk
Trent Concrete Limited - e-mail: quality@trentconcrete.co.uk