The most significant work undertaken at the V&A museum for over 100 years, this development’s centrepiece provides a large column-free underground exhibition gallery.

As the SSDA awards celebrate their 50th year of recognising the best of what the UK steel construction industry can achieve, we celebrate that 77% of the projects feature STRUMIS customers. In this post we will be celebrating Bourne Steel Ltd.’s involvement in the V&A’s Exhibition Road Quarter project.

Photo: © Paul Carstairs/Arup

V&A’s Exhibition Road Quarter, London

Architect: AL_A

Structural Engineer: Arup

Steelwork Contractors: Bourne Steel Ltd

Main Contractor: Wates Construction

Client: Trustees of the V&A

This development at the V&A’s South Kensington campus provides not just a large column-free underground exhibition gallery with an oculus to allow the influx of natural daylight, but also an open courtyard and a significantly improved street level entrance from Exhibition Road into the museum.

Known as the Sainsbury Gallery, the new 1,100m² column-free space is one of the largest temporary exhibition spaces in the UK and allows the V&A to significantly improve the way it designs and presents its world-class exhibition programme.

Following an international competition, AL_A, working with Arup, were appointed as the designers of this scheme. Key to their success in the competition was the use of structural steelwork for the concept design of the folded plate roof. This consists of a system of 13 triangular secondary steel trusses, which span from one large 45m-long primary truss across the gallery, supporting the courtyard, cafe, and crucially allowing the changes of existing ground levels to be fully exploited to fit in a mezzanine floor.

Early engagement by Arup with steelwork contractor Bourne Steel during the design process meant that the design moved from one needing extensive temporary support, to one where the trusses were self-stable, making the erection process much easier.

“Steel was the obvious choice for this development as it could easily form the shape the client demanded,” says Bourne Steel Project Manager Craig Galway. “In addition, it allowed the long spans to be created, while prefabrication of many elements minimised our on-site programme.”

Bourne Steel was responsible for the connection design, fabrication and erection of the steelwork, including the 13 triangular trusses, which each measure up to 25m in length and weighing up to 14t.

To read the full article visit the NSC website https://bit.ly/2ARpDNm

The Ordsall Chord Viaduct includes the first network arch bridge to be built in the UK, and the first asymmetric (tapering) network arch anywhere in the world.

As the SSDA awards celebrate their 50th year of recognising the best of what the UK steel construction industry can achieve, we celebrate that 77% of the projects feature STRUMIS customers. In this post we will be celebrating Severfield’s involvement in the The Ordsall Chord Viaduct project.

Photo © Matthew Nichol Photography

The Ordsall Chord Viaduct

Architect: BDP

Structural Engineers: AECOM Mott MacDonald JV

Specialist Designer: Knight Architects

Steelwork Contractors: Severfield

Main Contractor: Skanska BAM JV

Client: Network Rail

The Ordsall Chord Viaduct is the iconic centrepiece of the new elevated railway that connects Manchester’s three main railway stations for the first time.

It carries a new two-track railway across both the River Irwell and Trinity Way dual carriageway. It sits next to major heritage structures, part of the historic 1830 Liverpool to Manchester Railway, the world’s first inter-city railway.

The context required a design which was of the highest architectural quality, with a structure which would act as a landmark without dominating surrounding buildings.

An 89m span network arch structure was chosen for the main river span, combining great strength and stiffness with a relatively low profile. A 100m long twin girder bridge was selected for the spans over the roadway.

All parts of the viaduct are integrated visually to appear like a single ribbon of weathering steel, tapering at both ends, and sized to suit the specific structural requirements on the individual spans.

“From the early stages of design, weathering steel was considered to be the ideal surface finish for the structures. It provides an honest expression of the material in terms of its function, colour and texture, echoing the historic masonry that sits alongside,” explains BDP Architect Director Peter Jenkins.

The preliminary design concept illustrated box girder structures throughout the length of the viaduct. The design was modified during the design-and-build phase, adopting box girders for the arch ribs but stiffened plate I-girders for the spans over the highway. This reduced construction cost and simplified future maintenance requirements.

Steel was the most cost-effective solution to satisfy the client’s structural performance requirements and also the desire for an elegant, iconic structure. Steel was ideal for the offsite manufacture of a highly geometrically complex structure, and allowed an efficient construction methodology to be developed.

To read the full article visit the NSC website https://bit.ly/2PAEfJ9

By partnering with one of the UK’s leading IT and software finance specialists, Genesis Capital, we can now offer our clients a range of simple, flexible finance packages that allow you to choose the STRUMIS solution that is the perfect fit for your business, whilst spreading the cost of your investment.

STRUMIS has long been the “go-to” Management Information System for steel fabricators around the world with STRUMIS users in 60 countries receiving benefits such as:

• Increased productivity
• Improved efficiency
• Reduced environmental impact
• Total traceability
• Employee & process time recording
• Achieving BIM, ISO & CE Marking compliance
• Maximised raw material use
• Ultimately leading to improved profitability

Up to recently, investing in STRUMIS meant finding the cash funds from within the business, however, by partnering with one of the UK’s leading IT and software finance specialists, Genesis Capital, we can now offer our clients a range of simple, flexible finance packages that allow you to choose the STRUMIS solution that is the perfect fit for your business, whilst spreading the cost of your investment.

There is no longer any reason for cash-flow and other resourcing issues to delay investment in the best system in the world – STRUMIS – at the time you want it.

STRUMIS Options has a range of flexible finance plans which makes it easier than ever to purchase STRUMIS, enabling you to see a rapid return on your investment in the most cost-effective way – with predictable, affordable monthly or quarterly payments. What’s more, using these facilities can actually make acquiring your STRUMIS solution cost less than using cash due to the beneficial tax treatment that leasing may offer.

Benefits of lease/purchase can include:

• Immediate return on investment
• Great tax savings potentially available
• Improve your cash flow
• Get the system that fully meets your needs
• A fixed cost for your whole business solution
• Simple and quick to arrange
• Low, competitive rates

To find out more about STRUMIS Options and discuss your individual requirements please email sales@strumis.com

London Bridge Station has undergone a stunning transformation that has delivered a better connection between London’s Home Counties and an increase in passenger capacity by two-thirds.

As the SSDA awards celebrate their 50th year of recognising the best of what the UK steel construction industry can achieve, we celebrate that 77% of the projects feature STRUMIS customers. In this post we will be celebrating Cleveland Bridge UK Ltd and Severfield’s involvement in the London Bridge Station project.

Photo © Rick Roxburgh

London Bridge Station

Architect: Grimshaw

Structural Engineers: Arcadis WSP JV

Steelwork Contractors: Cleveland Bridge UK Ltd and Severfield

Main Contractor: Costain

Client: Network Rail

The wholesale transformation of London Bridge Station includes an enlarged street level concourse underneath the tracks, integrated new entrances and new platforms for more trains, with three of its nine previously terminating platforms converted to accept through trains.

All of the station’s 15 platforms have been rebuilt and are now covered by an undulating canopy of steel and aluminium, fabricated and installed by Severfield.

The eye-catching canopy roof is modularised using open sections where each module is approximately 9m deep by 3m wide. There are 1,200 prefabricated steel cassettes, with each one a bespoke unit due to the changing rooftop geometry.

Cleveland Bridge UK Ltd fabricated, supplied and erected the steelwork for the rail bridge decks that span the new concourse.

The concourse bridge decks are made up of three to four spans of simply supported decks for each rail line. Each bridge deck comprises six main girders braced together and tied at the ends with trimmer beams, which were delivered and erected as pairs.

For the installation of the decks and canopy, the project was split into six phases between October 2013 and May 2017. Close co-ordination between Cleveland Bridge and the main contractor Costain was essential to ensure the steelwork could be delivered efficiently to site and erected using either cranes or Self-Propelled Modular Transport (SPMT) systems. Each stage of installation was carefully planned to ensure follow-on trades were not hampered.

To read the full article visit the NSC website https://bit.ly/2Qe12aq

Knostrop Foot and Cycle Bridge serves to reconnect the Trans Pennine Trail, following the removal of a section of island between the River Aire and the Aire and Calder Navigation.

As the SSDA awards celebrate their 50th year of recognising the best of what the UK steel construction industry can achieve, we celebrate that 77% of the projects feature STRUMIS customers. In this post we will be celebrating S H Structures involvement in the Knostrop Weir Foot and Cycle Bridge project.

Photo © Paul White

Knostrop Weir Foot and Cycle Bridge

Architect: Knight Architects

Structural Engineer: Mott MacDonald

Steelwork Contractor: S H Structures Ltd

Main Contractor: BAM Nuttall

Clients: Leeds City Council and Environment Agency

The Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme (FAS) is led by Leeds City Council in partnership with the Environment Agency. It will provide the city centre and over 3,000 homes and 500 businesses with protection against flood events from the River Aire.

Despite the apparent complexity of the final design’s appearance, it only requires a single curvature in the fabrication of the steel plate elements. This served to simplify fabrication and enabled the bridge to be delivered within budget and programme.

A curved soffit combines with the changing deck width to translate the varying plan width into a rippling deck edge detail, producing a dynamic ‘sinuous’ quality, which is said to mirror the noise and movement of the falling water beneath.

Another unique feature of the design is that in elevation the piers are only 50mm thick and almost invisible in long views, creating the illusion of a floating deck.

Steel was the obvious material of choice to achieve the required aesthetic and minimise the significant construction challenges of working over water. The 70m long bridge was fabricated in S H Structures’ facility which is situated just 17 miles from the Knostrop site and treated at a local facility, minimising the environmental impact of the works.

To read the full article visit the NSC website https://bit.ly/2qmpSK0

Bloomberg’s new European headquarters achieved a BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ rating, which is the highest design-stage score ever achieved by any major office development in the UK.

As the SSDA awards celebrate their 50^th year of recognising the best of what the UK steel construction industry can achieve, we celebrate that 77% of the projects feature STRUMIS customers. In this post we will be celebrating William Hares involvement in the Bloomberg London project.

Photo © Aaron Hargreaves/Foster + Partners

Bloomberg London

Architect: Foster + Partners

Structural Engineer: AKT II

Steelwork Contractor: William Hare

Main Contractor: Sir Robert McAlpine

Client: Bloomberg

Featuring a design that was dictated by the site being surrounded by roads, Bloomberg London consists of two adjacent 10-storey buildings with a pedestrian access path cutting diagonally through the middle.

Steel frames with composite concrete floors are clad with sandstone and metal fins to produce a solid, understated elegance.

Compared to a typical office building, the new Bloomberg building’s environmental strategies deliver a 73% saving in water consumption and a 35% saving in energy consumption.

Norman Foster, Founder and Executive Chairman of architect Foster + Partners, says: “In some of our first discussions on the project, Mike Bloomberg and I arrived at a ‘meeting of minds’ on how the design of the new Bloomberg headquarters should incorporate the highest standards of sustainability. The project evolved from thereon into a building that is one of the most sustainable in the world”.

To read the full article visit the NSC website https://bit.ly/2ynf6Yg