Steel_Spotlight-3.pdf

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23 February 2012www.cnplus.co.uk26 | 23February2012 www.cnplus.co.uk

Steel raises the gameExposed steelwork is the star player above theindoor pitch at the National Football Centrein Staffordshire,which is due to open soon

PROJECT REPORTRUBY KITCHING

Steel SpotlightProduced in association with

The Football Associations mainaim when it first came up with

the idea of a National FootballCentre was to create a place whereplayers and coaches would feelinspired to train and improvetheir game.Now just months awayfrom opening,the 73 millioncentre,also known as St GeorgesPark,is a dazzling spectacle in theStaffordshire countryside.

The centre is made up of asports block to the south and hoteland conference facilities to thenorth,as well as 11 outdoorpitches,including one replicaWembley stadium pitch.

A 75 mwide by 120 mlongstructure houses the fullsizedindoor artificial pitch.Its roof ismade up of curved steel trussesand clad in a gleaming white

tensile PVC fabric.All the steelwork is exposed,so

the highest quality finish hasbeen specified.Many of thecolumns are tapered forarchitectural reasons and theglazed side walls slope outward atthe eaves to add to the appeal ofthe building.

This was clearly the mostchallenging part of the job, saysArup associate structural engineerDavid Bloomfield.He explains

that the structure is a portalisedtruss,fixed at either end andsupported on columns made frombeams tapering from 800 mm atthe base to 1 m at the top.

Each portal frame is spaced at7.3 m centres and diagonal bracingis applied on all perimeter walls.The main columns sit on 3 m by10 m by 2 m deep pad foundationssupported off vibrocompactedground.

So much of the structure isvisible the trusses,columns,connections that we spent a lotof time with the architect makingsure everything was visually

appealing, says Mr Bloomfield.Arup and architect Redbox DesignGroup worked closely together onthe visual appearance of thebuilding,developing the schemeto include curved trusses at rafterlevel which taper at each end asthey meet the tapered columns.

The philosophy behind thedesign was to create a sense oflightness natural light throughthe PVC tensile roof,and lightnessin terms of the visual impact ofthe structure.Steel became theobvious material choice toachieve this.

Clever concealmentWe initially looked at circularhollow sections and square hollow

sections for the trusses,but thearchitect decided a columnsection turned on its side would bebetter for the bottom boom.Thisallowed the upper channel of theH section to be used as a cradle tocarry pipes and cables,conveniently concealed by thesteel section when viewed frombelow, Mr Bloomfield says.

During the design stage,everysteel section was scrutinised tocheck how its position,geometry

and section typecontributed tocreating an elegant,light steel frame.Meanwhile,Arupused inhousesoftware to model andanalyse the structure.

Steel cables were considered forthe diagonals in the trusses,butthe complexity of designing themfor a reversal of wind loads ruledthem out,so square or hollow

sections were preferred.The upperboom of the truss is a circularhollow section.

Keeping the roof trusses as slimas possible was a major designcriterion and resulted in thembeing 4.5 m deep in the centre ofthe span and 2.5 m deep at theends.Purlins on the top boomwhich support the tensile roofalso had to be curved to follow theprofile of the trusses.Themaximum height of the structure

is 13 m in thecentre whilecolumns at theperimeter are

only 9 m tall.Main contractor

Bowmer & Kirkland,with steelwork contractor

Billington Structures erected theroof.Columns were initiallyconnected via baseplates to pilecaps before the roof was erected.The trusses came in quarters,

recalls Bowmer and Kirklandproject manager Ian Woodall.Two 100tonne mobile craneslifted up the central two sectionsand a further two 50tonne mobilecranes put up the end sections.

All four sections were supportedby crane until bolted togetherand connected to columns.MrWoodall adds:We were able toinstall three trusses a week andthe whole structure was up injust six weeks.

The main truss structurecontinues past the translucentKallwall cladding to form acanopy frame around theperimeter of the building and acovered walkway.Propping thiscanopy are circular hollow sectioncolumns which are cigarshaped,tapered at their ends.

The indoor pitch building isconnected at its northern edge tothe sports science block.This is acomposite steel structure with

cellular steel beams allowingservices to run through theopenings,metal decking andconcrete slabs.

The threestorey building willinclude hydrotherapy pools atground level,offices,and a humanperformance laboratory whichwill monitor players performancein different conditions.

Integrating services around thehydrotherapy rooms at groundfloor was challenging due to the

different types of servicesrequired,including specialistheating and cooling equipment tosupport the pools,pumps andbackwash tanks as well as moreregular mechanical and electricalequipment for offices andlaboratories.The pool area alsohad to be sealed so that chlorinegas did not escape to other partsof the building.For this reason,above the pools,the steelwork hadto be polyester powdercoated to

make it more resilient to chlorineand a gas capture tank is locatedin the ceiling void.

Long spansA 50 m by 80 m multi-purposesports hall finishes off the sportsblock.This steel-framed hall ismade up of 50 m-long splicedtrusses spaced at 7.3 m centresthat support the roof andnorthlights glazing.Trusses aremore conventional here,being

straight and of constant depth.

The roof is clad with metaldecking.

The truth is,when you have todesign long spans,steel is the bestoption because its veryrare that you reach a spanwhich cannot be achieved,says Mr Bloomfield.

While the indoor pitch,sportsscience and multisports hall arephysically connected,the hotelcomplex is located 50 m to thenorth of the multipurpose sports

We spent a lotof time with thearchitect makingsure everythingwas visuallyappealingDAVIDBLOOMFIELD,ARUP

hall and will offer more than 2rooms,conference andbanqueting facilities,restauraand an 18 m long swimming pThe hotel complex is made up two bedroom wings,arecreational wing and a dininand conference wing,radiatinfrom a central reception area.

Precast concrete has been ufor the structure on all thebedroom floors and steel usedwhere longer spans are requir

This is typically at first floor leover longspan areas such asconference and banqueting suthe reception and swimmingpool.The roof is also steelframto accommodate plant.

Currently on budget andprogramme,the project hasinvolved careful coordinationbetween the design team andcontractors to ensure it isdelivered to such a high standin a short space of time.

3,500tonnes of steel

used for theproject

Project StGeorgesPark, National

FootballCentre,BurtonUponTrent

Mainclient TheFootballAssociation

Architect RedboxDesignGroup

Maincontractor Bowmer& Kirkland

Structuralengineer Arup

Steelworkcontractor

BillingtonStructures

Largesteeltrusses create

theopen columnspacefor

anindoor footballpitch


2/5


A focus on qualityThe new director general of the BritishConstructional Steelwork Associationis determined to promote the highstandards of work of its members

INTERVIEWRUBY KITCHING


Born to a British mother and

Australian father, Sarah McCann-

Bartlett grew up in Australia and

studied international politics and

economics at Melbourne University.

Her first job was with the

forerunner to the Woolmark

Company her initial role was to

analyse and forecast the demand

for Australian wool from China

and India.

Afterthreeyears,she wasposted

toIlkley,WestYorkshire.The

picturesque Victorian spa town had

been the centre of the wool trading

industry, so the predecessors of the

Woolmark Company had set up an

office there. Here, her focus was on

global marketing and research.

Following a three-year posting to

New York with Woolmark, she

retuned to Melbourne and began

working for the Building & Plumbing

Commissions, latterly as deputy

commissioner.

She worked on programmes to

get all professionals in the building

and plumbing industries registered

for quality assurance purposes and

helped introduce the first

sustainable building regulations

into house building in Victoria.

In2010,shereturnedtotheUKto

settlewithher husband,four-year-

oldsonand threedogs.In September

2011,shebecamedirectorgeneralof

theBCSA,spendinghertime

betweenLondonandYorkshire,as

wellasvisiting membersaroundthe

country.

MAKING HER MARK

With the country in recession andprivate and public sector projectsthin on the ground,the BCSA ishaving to work harder to ensure itsmembers are first in line to winwork when projects eventually getgoing.The BCSAs new directorgeneral Sarah McCann-Bartlettjoins the organisation at a toughtime,but says she looks forward tothe challenges that lie ahead.

The BCSA is the nationalorganisation for the steelconstruction industry.Its members

are companies that undertakedesign,fabrication and erection ofsteelwork,or are companiesassociated with these activities.

Id like to see BCSA memberswidely acknowledged as the beststeelwork contractors in the world,enthuses Ms McCannBartlett.Idalso like to see contracts awardedacross the public and privatesector on a level playing field,based on high standards ofquality assurance,health andsafety and sustainability.

It is not the first time theinternational executive has beeninvolved with supporting anindustry that needed to remind itssupply chain and clients of theimportance of using native high

quality contractors.She spent nearly ten years with

the Woolmark Company,anAustralian organisation thatdeveloped the widely recognisedmark of wool quality found ontextiles and clothing.

Woolmarks objective was toincrease the amount of Australianwool consumed against cotton andsynthetic products, says MsMcCannBartlett.We achievedthis by providing technical support

to wool processers,spinners,weavers and garmentmanufacturers,undertaking globalmarketing of wool as a fibre,andforming strategic partnershipswith other stakeholders.We alsoexplained to fashion houses,suchas Hugo Boss,the importance ofusing the Woolmark to guaranteequality of product.

Constructive choicesSimilarities between the woolindustry and constructionalsteel can easily be drawn.Whileat the Woolmark Company shewas all too aware of eastern

manufacturing: Its lack of focuson human rights,particularlyhealth and safety,undercut localfirms which were focused ondoing the right thing.

For the constructional steelworkindustry,she believes being aBCSA member is the equivalent ofbeing branded with the Woolmarklogo and the association isworking to influence public sectorprocurement requirements to statethat only qualityassured,auditedsteelwork contractors shouldwin work.

Clearly we aim to put acrossthat being a BCSA member is thedifferentiator between a greatsteelwork contractor and a notsogreat one, she says,adding that

The Highways Agency procures itssteelwork contractors for bridgecontracts only from the Register ofQualified Steelwork Contractorsfor Bridgeworks Scheme,which isadministered by the BCSA.

We want to see Network Rail,local government authorities andother public sector clients alsochoosing from the RQSC for bridgesand coming to the BCSA forbuilding work, she says.BCSA isalso hearing reports that

contractual conditions arebecoming more onerous.

Alongside its SpecialistEngineering Contractors Groupcolleagues,BCSA is monitoring theuptake of the recent amendmentsto the Construction Act and thegovernments fair paymentinitiative,both of which shouldhave a real impact on paymentacross the whole constructionindustry.BCSA is also one of the

groups supporting theintroduction of the ConstructionContracts Bill in the Republic ofIreland,which will improvecontract conditions for its Irishmembers.

Popularity pointsWhile steels market share inconstruction is already high,staying ahead of the game relieson constantly developing the

Thesteelconstructionsectoris

lookingforwardto helpingdelive

thegovernmentsambitious

infrastructuregrowthplan, whic

includesanumberofmajorstruct

andsteelislikelytobethechoice

manyofthem.Buttheoptimismi

tingedwitha worrythatsomeclie

maylookfurtherafieldfor asolut

andsquandertheopportunityto

kickstarttheUKeconomy.

Themoneyisbeinginvestedb

thegovernmentfora specific

reason,sowe arehopingthat

authoritiesrememberthatduring

projectprocurement,research

showsthatforevery1spenton

construction,2.84iscreatedin

widereconomicimpact,says

SarahMcCann-Bartlett.

TheUKsteelconstruction

industryis aworldbenchmark,w

nothingtofear fromcompetition

alevelplaying field.Ourmember

havea modernbusinessoutlook

haveinvestedatremendous

amounttoensurethatwedeliver

thehigheststandardsofquality,

healthandsafety andsustainabClientsmustappreciatethat low

costis unlikelytodeliverbestvalu

Theassociationiscommittedt

qualityand competenceandit is

requirementofBCSA membersh

thatallsteelworkcontractorsare

auditedandclassified bythetype

ofworkandprojectsizethatthey

abletoundertake.

TheRegisterofQualified

SteelworkContractorsfor

BridgeworksSchemewasdevelo

bytheBCSA.Formanyyears,the

HighwaysAgencyhasrequiredits

steelworkcontractorsforall its

bridgecontractstobeontheregis

Allthenewinfrastructure

projectsshouldadopt theRQSC

schemeforbridgesandBCSA

membershipforotherstructuressaysMsMcCann-Bartlett.Both

taketheguessworkoutof

procurementandgivethe client

assurancethatthe steelwork

contractortheyemployisproper

equippedtocarry outthe work.

TheRQSCschemeisopentoal

steelworkcontractorswitha

fabricationfacilityin theEU,subj

totheirsuccessful completionof

assessmentprocess.

DELIVERING VALUE

We aim to putacross that being

a BCSA member isthe differentiator

between being agreat steelwork

contractor and anot-so-great one

product to suit market needs andmarketing its successes.

Steel has inherent advantageswhich help its popularity itshigh strengthtoweight ratiolends itself to efficient lightweightconstruction,it is aestheticallypleasing in bridges and buildings it can take your breath away andits sustainable,recyclable andreusable in its existing form.Youdont have to do anything with it

to reuse it, says Ms McCannBartlett.

Through a joint marketinginitiative with Tata Steel,theBCSA continues to work towardsmaintaining and,where possible,

increasing steels healthy marketshare.The singlestorey,shedmarket is almost 100 per cent andthe multistorey market averages70 per cent with some variationacross different building types.

We want to promote theefficiency of steel and thatbecause you use less of it,the selfweight of a building is less,so thefoundations are cheaper.

For constructional steel to stayat the top of its game,barriers toits uptake have to be addressed.For some,the sustainability ofsteel is its stumbling block,particularly around the energyof manufacture.

This needs to be weighed upwith the fact that the material has

a long life and is endle sslyrecyclable, says Ms McCannBartlett.Were now looking atwhole lifecycle analysis of steel asa structural material and this iswhere steel comes into its own.

The whole pictureSimplified lifecycle analyses lookat the carbon footprint of amaterial from cradle to gate thatis,from its point of manufactureto when it leaves the factory.In

this situation,natural materialssuch as timber score well.But if awhole-life cradle-to-gravescenario is considered thecarbon footprint frommanufacture until the material

must be disposed of othermaterials may score better.

Were now talking aboutcradletocradle timescales andare working in partnership withTata Steel to understand thisbetter, she says.Steel can bereused if a building is carefullydismantled rather thandemolished. This sustainabilitystory is explored in the reportTarget Zero,which considersthe factors affecting zerocarbonconstruction.

While the debate continues asto how a zerocarbon buildingshould be assessed,the paceof building itself in the publicand private sector has sloweddown considerably.Ms McCann

Bartlett argues that the wayout lies in public infrastructurespending.

We strongly support thegovernments infrastructurespending plan as well as thenuclear programme.However,weare pressing government toensure projects get started quickerand that a forward programme ofprojects be published so that theindustry can feel bold enough toplan ahead.


3/5

StrandS

tre

etA

5026

Hanove

rSt

Live

rSt

AlbertDock

LiverpoolJamesStreetRail

FleetStSeelStDukeSt

GilbertS

Liverpool CentralLoop Line

New

PremierInn

Siteslopesdowninthis direction

0 200M

LOCATION OF NEW PREMIER INN


HOTELRUBY KITCHING


Liverpool One is a 153,000 sq m

shopping and leisure district justeast of Albert Dock.It opened forbusiness in 2008,providing a 1billion investment for the city.

With more visitors,moreaccommodation is required andbudget hotel operator Premier Innis now building its third hotel inthe city,on the edge of LiverpoolOne.Costing 12 million,it is thelargest selfbuild project parentcompany Whitbread Hotels &Restaurants has undertaken inthe UK.The steelframed structurewill also include three retail unitsand four restaurants at groundfloor level.

Setting this hotel apart fromothers in the area is the attentionto detail put into the design and

construction of the glazed cornerentrance foyer,which rises fromfirst floor level to abovethe roof parapet.Theprismshapedstructurecantilevers overthe pavement andtapers out withheight.Planningofficials were keento ensure that itexpressed how the

hotel related to the area this is

provided in the nautical and ropemakingthemed artwork which isapplied onto 18 panes of glazing inthe foyer see box.

Steelwork for the main hoteland retail units has already beenerected,with the trickier elementssupporting the foyer glazing goingup in the next few weeks.A singletower crane and mobile craneserect the steelwork,cladding andmasonry elements of the project.

Hotel locationThe development is situated on adiamond-shaped plot of landsurrounded by Hanover Street tothe north-west,Fleet Street to thenorth-east,Seel Street to thesouth-west and a car park to the

south east.A new service roadcalled David Lewis Road will be

built between the car parkand new hotel,linking

Seel Street with FleetStreet.The sitenaturally slopesdown to its lowestedge along HanoverStreet.

Retail units andstores occupy floors up

to level two and four

storeys of hotel accommodation sit

on the streetside retail units.Thedevelopment takes the shape ofsomething like a squared doughnutfrom second floor level,with plantand drainage located at the centreon the second floor flat roof.

Liverpool was bombedextensively during World War II,so an unexploded ordnancespecialist had been appointed toadvise on specific project risksprior to site investigation,excavation and groundwork.

Through investigation of thesite,consultant Curtins identifiedpoor ground conditions thatmeant the ground floor wouldneed to be suspended and piledfoundations installed.Butexcavating,screening,crushing

and recompacting 12,000 sq m ofmade ground as part of thedemolition contract improved itsproperties so that pad foundationsonto sandstone bedrock and agroundbearing slab need only bebuilt.

Crushed and screeneddemolition rubble from a 1960smultistorey carpark on the sitealso helped provide material tocreate two levelled areas on a site,half of which Hanover Street side

is about one storey lower.Excavation to about 2 m to 2.5 mbelow ground level ensuredobstructions in the ground were

also removed at this stage and aretaining wall was built halfwayacross the site to support thechange in ground level.

Level bestGround level is assumed to bealong Hanover Street,with thelowest floor on the opposite side ofthe site starting at level one.Sincethe hotel floors all begin at leveltwo on the streetside elevations,double-height units can be

accommodated on the HanoverStreet side,while only single-storey height units can beaccommodated on the otherhalf of the site.

With a tight 15monthprogramme,steel framedconstruction with compositemetal floors was deemed both thequickest and most costeffectiveway to build the hotel.

We looked at timberframedsolutions and modular forms ofconstruction,but we arrived at

this solution as the best from acost and programme point ofview, says Curtins Consultingassociate John Kelly.

The faade is quite complex incorporating a mixture ofmasonry,cladding and glazing.Some framing systems,particularly modular,would not beable to accommodate all thedifferent sorts of connectionsrequired,but steel was more thancapable of doing so.

Streetfacing elevations areacoustically drylined to ensurehotel residents are not disturbedby street noise and fresh air forventilation is drawn from thehollow in the centre of thedoughnutshaped building,ratherthan from the street.The projectalso includes traditionally builtbathrooms,rather than pods,giving the client flexibility indesign.

The majority of the steel frameis based around a regular column

grid pattern of 7.2 m by 7.7 m.Witha central corridor and equalsizedrooms either side,the designrequired three lines of columnsincluding the perimeter members,with a central row positioned inthe corridor.Transfer beams atsecond floor level helpeddistribute the more dense hotelstructure on to fewer columns inthe retail units.

This has meant that thecolumns at ground floor are fairly

heavily loaded.Coupled with thefact that the buildings footprintcovers most of the site,there aresome locations next to theboundary where a full perimeterbaseplate cannot beaccommodated.Here,thebaseplates have had to be tied toadjacent column baseplates usingsteel struts. The solution meantthat load is shared betweencolumns and that deepfoundations are not required.

Structural stability is derivedfrom extra bracing in lift shafts,stairways and partition walls.Each side of the building has hadto be designed discretely with itsown stability system due to lack ofcontinuity across the depth of thebuilding.

Clear thinkingClear spans were required for theretail units,with mezzanine levelshung from the underside of thesecond floor steelwork so thatcolumns did not break up thespace at ground floor.

The ground floor retail areasneeded to be large and open,sosteel worked well,but it also suitedthe more regular and repetitive

frame which was needed abovelevel two, explains Curtins projectengineer Dave Jones.

He adds that the scheme wasmodelled using 3D modellingsoftware,which helped visualisethe structure,particularly itslevel changes.

The model was also usefulwhen it came to coordinatinginterfaces with cladding,glazing,internal blockwork and externalbrickwork as well as services and

The specification was very high

the [foyer] steelwork because th

architect wanted to make the st

members part of the feature,

explains EvadX project manage

Steve Morris. Connections are

mostly hidden, requiring onsite

welding and grinding, removal o

weld spatter and craters to be fi

in for aesthetic reasons or are hig

expressed bolted connections.

Curtins project engineer Dave

Jones recalls that full-scale

prototypes were produced with

EvadX during the design

development period to provide

high quality, visually aesthetic

exposed steelwork connections

EvadX used computer software

Strucad, to help the design team

understand the details which we

then agreed upon by the archite

He adds: The result is that

connections are bespoke, discre

and create a very elegant frame

The foyer steelwork also

includes a 22 m-long and a 19 m

tubular column which were bot

too long to be lifted in wholepieces by the tower crane. Inste

both columns arrived on site in

halves and were site-welded.

Pre-welded connections on the

end of each tube helped locate

the two halves.

The foyer steelwork is being

lifted into position using the tow

crane, with operatives assisting

mobile elevated working

platforms. Since this corner is

located in a pedestrianised area

the hoarding has been extended

around the extra plant to allow

safe erection.

GRAND ENTRANCE

Project PremierInn,Liverpool

Mainclient WhitbreadHotels

&Restaurants

Architect AllisonPike

Maincontractor WatkinJones

Structuralengineer

CurtinsConsulting

Steelworkcontractor EvadX

Steel is the premiersolution for the innThe steel frame of a new budget hotel in central Liverpool has beenable to connect a complex faade of masonry,cladding and glazing

We arrived at thissolution as thebest from a costand programmepoint of viewJOHNKELLY,CURTINS CONSULTING

15months of

programme

construction issues on site.3Dmodelling gave us the ability tcheck and crosscheck the

structure.It took time andresources to build,but when thproject started on site,it reallyhelped with coordination issuand meant the building could up, adds Mr Jones.

Steelwork contractor EvadXalso installed the precast stairusing the onsite tower crane,which has a 2.8t capacity.

Despite high winds and snothe project remains on target fcompletion in autumn.

Theelevationalongone

streetincorporatesastepinthegroundfloorlevelto

take-inthesitesslope


4/5


CHOOSING A CONTRACTORRUBY KITCHING


Its well known that changesmade to a building or bridgesdesign when it is onsite have hugeimplications on the success of aproject.Many sorry tales havebeen told about jobs which shouldbe remembered as technicallyexciting and visually stunning,but became entrenched in badfeeling because of changes that

resulted in claims.According toBCSA president Ivor Roberts,Building Information Modelling(BIM) could be the thing thatirons out the details of a designbefore it gets onsite,while riddingthe industry of the claimsculture.Assurance of designwould also make fabricating amuch more straightforwardoperation,he adds.

Good steelwork contractors arevery flexible and quick to respond

to challenges.They workefficiently and have a quickturnaround between jobs.But if aclient says,can you change this?or can you add that?,it becomesvery complicated particularlywhen the finish date of a projectis difficult to shift.

We back BIM because there isso much information up front,which means that changes areless likely to happen further downthe line.Everything should havebeen thought through evendown to where lighting bracketsshould be located.With BIM,there

is a level of confidence that theinformation is final and correct.On receiving a design,a goodsteelwork contractor can cutdown the fabrication programm e.

With construction programmesalready tight,it pays to have agood or competent steelworkcontractor on board.

BCSA members are steelworkcontractors involved in buildingand bridge work,who are regularlyaudited for the type and size of jobthey can undertake.The BCSA alsoassesses firms quality assurance,technical capabilities,health andsafety and sustainability practicessee box,far right.

Crucially,track records anddetails of referees are also

included on the register,soformer clients such as localauthorities,consultants and maincontractors may be contacted foran unbiased recommendation,adds Mr Roberts.

He advises clients to visit theworkshop to get a better feel for acontractors capabilities becausethere is a huge range from asingle building workshop withlimited handling facilities,to oneswith multiple large buildings

The BCSA was one of the first

organisations to establish a

Sustainability Charter for its

members. The Steel Constructio

Sustainability Charter scheme h

been running since 2005 and he

identify companies which pract

sustainable steel construction.

Members are assessed against 1

criteria and can apply for differe

levels of recognition. To become

member six of the criteria need t

be satisfied, silver membership

needs nine, and gold needs all 12

The 12 criteria for sustainabcharter membership

1A published sustainability poli

(mandatory).

2Progress towards sustainabilit

monitored using specific

management targets.

3Involvement with the local

community on social issues and

with the steel construction

community generally.

4An accredited health and safe

management system to BS OHS18001, or health and safety

management as an integral part

a quality management system

accredited to BS EN ISO 9001.

5Investors in People accreditat

or a structured programme for

personnel training, developmen

and communication.

6A published equal

opportunities policy.

7A published ethical trading pol

8An accredited environmental

management system to BS EN

ISO 14001.

9Use of environmental impact

assessment for process

improvement.

10A policy to manage energy an

vehicle fuel usage in the busines

11A policy to question whethersuppliers have published

sustainability policies.

12An accredited quality

management system to BS EN

ISO 9001.

SUSTAINABILITYCHARTERSelection process

key to successChoosing the right steelwork contractor for the job could make thedifference between a really successful project and one that is not so good

Prequalifyingsteelwork contractors

fortenderscanbeeasilydone

usingthemembershiplistofthe

BCSA,ortheRegisterofQualified

SteelworkContractorsScheme for

Bridgeworks(RQSC).

Approximately100steelwork

contractorsare BCSAmembers. Each

areassessedbytheBCSAagainst

theircapabilitiesin14 categoriesof

buildingsteelworkand eightsub-categoriesofbridge

construction.Thecategories give

guidanceonwhattypeofsteelwork

activitiesthecompanyiscompetent

toundertake,whichrelatestothe

companysworkfacilities, itstrack

recordanditstechnicaland

managementexperience. Cross-

checkingthese categoriesagainst

specificprojectrequirementsisan

easywayofshortlistingcontractors.

The listing also classifies each

company by suggesting the size of

steelwork contract that the

company has the financial and

management resources to

undertake.

Bridgework contractors can be

found specifically on the RQSC for

bridges, which is administered by

the BCSA and is open to any

competent steelwork contractor

with a fabrication facility in the EU.

It was developed to fulfil the needs

of the Highways Agency. All the

agencys contracts involving

structural steelwork require a

contractor to be on this register.

To select a suitable steelworkcontractor for type and scale of

work; visit www.steelconstruction.

org/directories or use the new

Find a steelwork contractor App

for smartphones which will shortly

be available for download at

www.steelconstruction.org.

Both of these options have

search functions where various

criteria, such as sustainability,

can be selected.

USING THE BCSA TO FIND A COMPETENT STEELWORK CONTRACTOR

The BCSA is preparing for CE

marking (CEM) of structural

steelwork to be mandatory

across all member EU states in

July 2014 (including the UK and

Republic of Ireland).

CEM is a way of ensuring a product

meets the minimum requirement for

health and safety. All steel sections

and structural bolts are assessed

against a harmonised standard.

This standard is the same across all

member states.

The standards list the

performance characteristics for the

product, the values for which are

declared by the manufacturer on

CE marking, says BCSA director of

engineering David Moore.

It is really about health andsafety because the performance

characteristics identify how the

product performs in fires, how

strong and durable it is and how the

product is made, amongst others.

For non-standard or proprietary

products, which fall outside the

scope of the harmonised standard, a

European Technical Assessment

may be developed and used to

assess and CE mark the product.

The main harmonised standards

for the constructional steel industry

are as follows:

nBS EN 10025-1 Steel open

sections, I , H channels

nBS EN 10210-1 hot finished

tube sections

nBS EN 10219 cold formed tubes

nBS EN 1090-1 fabricated steel

nBS EN 14399-1 preloadable bolts

nBS EN 15048-1 non-preloadable

bolts

To satisfy the requirements on

CEM for fabricated steel, steelwork

contractors need to have in place a

certified Factory Production Control

(FPA) system. This may require

them to put in place a Welding

Quality Management (WQM)

system that is in line with BS ENISO 3834.

The most difficult and

challenging aspect related to the

introduction of CEM is the

requirement for a knowledgeable

and competent responsible welding

co-ordinator, adds Moore.

The BCSA provides members with

the necessary technical support and

guidance to setup and implement

CEM, FPC and WQM systems.

BCSA GETS READY FOR CE MARKING

with stateoftheart technologyfor sawing and drilling.

He believes contractors whichare BCSA members are also betterplaced to understand the impactof new trends,such as BIM,ornew legislation which can imposedifferent ways of working.UnderEuropean Union legislation forexample,CE marking will becomemandatory in July 2014 see box,left.The legislation requires

manufacturers to make anexplicit declaration that theirproducts are safe,alwaysrequiring another organisation tovalidate it.

In contrast,if you choose asteelwork contractor which is nota BCSA member or on the Registerof Qualified Steelwork ContractorsScheme for Bridgeworks,then yourisk not knowing whether theyare technically and financiallysound, adds Mr Roberts.

Qualitysteelworkisassured

fromBCSAmembers workshops


5/5


Steel tothe rescueGloucestershires four new fire stations arebeing built using steel frames to ensurethey are ready for action as soon as possible

PROJECT REPORTRUBY KITCHING


ProjectCheltenhamEastFireStation,KeynshamRoad,

Cheltenham,Gloucestershire

Mainclient GloucestershireFire

andRescueService

ArchitectCalderPeel

Maincontractor KierMoss

Structuralengineer WYG

Steelworkcontractor

AdstoneConstruction

The modern fire station is very

different to the buildings which

were erected in the 1950s and 60s.

Gone are the firemans pole and drilltowers, to be replaced by a lift and

more sophisticated and appropriate

training facilities. Emergency

scenarios which can be recreated by

the Gloucestershire fire and rescue

teams at Gloucester South stations

life skills centre include pulling a car

out of a ditch or rescuing people

from road traffic or rail incidents.

The centre is equipped with

vehicles and railway track, street

furniture and traffic lights, and even

a four-bedroomed house. This is

housed under a 23 m spanning

monopitch roof made up of

610 mm-deep beam sections.

The centre is used to train fire

fighters, but also to educate the

public on fire risks and other

emergency situations which canarise, such as flooding. The new

stations recognise the fact the fire

service deals with many emergency

situations, other than fires.

Gloucester North station will also

include a state-of-the-art road

traffic collision training area for fire

fighters to test their operational

skills. Cheltenham West will have a

purpose-built training building that

will provide a range of practical

scenarios, such as ladder work,

breathing apparatus search and

rescue, basement firefighting and

flooding to test firefighters

operational skills.

NEW TRAINING FACILITIES

Gloucestershire Fire & RescueService is overseeing constructionof four new fire stations to replacetwo older stations which dateback to the 1950s and 60s.Theproject has been procured undera 25-year,40 million PFI contractwith consortium Blue 3,whichincludes contractor Kier Moss.

The new stations have been

located strategically aroundGloucestershire to ensure thatincident response times in thecounty can be reduced to eightminutes,in line with theambulance service.All four are ofsteelframed construction,withcomposite steel floors.Thesteelwork contractor is AdstoneConstruction.

One,Cheltenham East firestation,will be located on the siteof the former Cheltenham firestation at the junction ofKeynsham Road and College BathRoad.During construction,fireservice operations have beentemporarily shifted to a nearbyfactory building.

Since the new stations are

required to serve the communityas soon as possible,a costeffectiveand speedy form of constructionwas required.The Cheltenhamfire service is working from atemporary facility,so they want tobe in the new station as soon aspossible, says consultant WYGtechnical director Jim Seagar.Itwas a nobrainer,really,usingsteelframed construction,because it meant that thestructure could be up quickly in

less than six weeks.Each fire station,including the

Cheltenham East station,is madeup of a single-storey appliance baythat houses the fire engines,and athree-storey main office block.

Flexibility firstThe 30 m-long by 15 m-deepappliance bay structure atCheltenham East is formed fromsteel portal frames spanning 15 mand spaced at 5 m centres toaccommodate six fire engines.There is also a 15 m-deepcantilevering canopy attached tothe appliance bay which issupported along its length by a30 m-long steel truss.

Again,with future flexibility inmind,these canopies can later beused as part of a permanent roof,should the appliance bay need tobe extended to accommodatemore fire engines.Clear spanswere also essential in thisbuilding to provide the engineswith room to manoeuvre.

The main office block is of steelframed construction withcomposite floors.At ground floor,rooms are used to store fire

fighting equipment and provide

cleaning and drying areas,changing rooms and offices forthe station manager and otherpersonnel.Accommodation,including dining and recreationalareas,is located on the first floorand plant is located on the second.

The new buildings are alsosteelframed for future flexibility,explains Mr Seagar.Thestructure is built off a primarygrid,but partition walls can bemoved about to suit future needs.

We dont know what a modern

fire service will look like in thefuture,so flexibility androbustness had to be built in atthe outset.

For example,there is no longera firemans pole connecting theliving accommodation andappliance bay.Instead,stairs anda lift do the job.

The few internal columnswhich remain within the depthof the building in the main blockhave been carefully positioned

within internal walls,so that theydo not encroach on clear spans.Stability will be provided to eachstructure through horizontal andvertical bracing systemsincorporated into the structuralframe.The location of posts andcolumn bracing were agreed withthe architect to avoid conflictswith windows and doors.Mostinternal walls are nonloadbearing so they can be removed orrepositioned to accommodatefuture modifications.

The firstfloor steel beams ofthe main block and communityblock have been designedcompositely,with the metaldecking and reinforced concrete

slab using shear studs.This hasensured that beam depths andtherefore floor depths are kept to aminimum,allowingroom for asuspended ceilingthat willaccommodateservices in theceiling void.Thedesign team felt this,as opposed to feeding

services through openings indeeper section beams,wouldmake it easier to carry outalterations in the future.

The curved community block isalso a steelframed structure andhas function rooms at groundfloor level,which can be hired outby the public.A fitness suiteoccupies the first floor.Its curvedelevation allows the adjacentlisted building to be viewed moreprominently and was a key part ofthe buildings planning consent,since the previous stationobscured this view.

Steel lent itself to the curvedtwostorey building,because itcould form the curve effortlessly,

says Mr Seagar.He adds that thecommunity buildings on the

other two sites use glulambeams,but have

orthogonal elevationsand are only singlestorey.Connectingthe main andcommunity blocksis a covered

walkway,createdusing glulam rafters

and glazing.

The stations were modelledusing threedimensional softwareto help designers understand theinteraction between the three

main blocks that make up thenew station.

BIM winDrawings were easier and quickerto reproduce for construction,explains Mr Seagar,becausedesign changes only had to bemade once on the model,and allthe drawings would beautomatically updated.This ispart of the move towards BuildingInformation Modelling and a way

CheltenhamEastFireStation:

steelframeconstructiongavethe

clientconfidencethatthe design

couldbeadapted forfuture needs

We dont knowwhat a modern fireservice will look likein the future, soflexibility androbustness hadto be built in atthe outsetJIMSEAGAR,WYG

of making us work moreefficiently, he adds.

Demolition of the existing fistation at Keynsham Road wacarried out last April,followed site clearance and constructiopad foundations.The main blowas the first to be erected.TheCheltenham East site is almosentirely occupied by thebuildings footprint,so there ilimited space for materialsstorage during construction.Tmeant steel sections weredelivered in relatively smallbundles,so could be erectedalmost immediately

Everything is delivered justtime,and weve put a lot of effo

into going through the buildprogramme and understandinthe structural requirements ahof ordering deliveries, explainKier Moss senior site agent PauIngram.This saw steel erectioncarried out using mobile liftinplant rather than a static towecrane,due to the lack of space.

But,even with a tightprogramme and a tight site,Cheltenham East fire station istill due to open in April.

30 msteel truss

supports featurecanopy

Documents

Steel_Spotlight-3.pdf