New Building News

General

Cranes & Fork Lifts:- Tower Crane TC2 is being used to secure the reconstituted stone fins. The south block is served with tower crane TC1 and will be supplemented occasionally with a small “city crane” and a roof “spider” crane . Internal materials are largely served by a fork lift and with use of the tower crane when required.

Sample Rooms:- Three “early” office rooms are now virtually complete with carpet and finals being the last items installed.

Future works for December

Architectural Metalwork:- Three basement staircases are due by the end of the month and the entrance feature stair is targeted for 3/12/2012.

Blockwork:- Largely finished with a number of walls to service rooms to complete.

Waterproofing & Flat Roof:- Now that the perimeter to roofs are complete, the next areas will be the core 1 roof followed by 3rd level main roof works.

Cladding:- Corner units continue to be installed on the north block. All elevations to the south block have commenced. The bulk of units will be installed by Christmas.

Glass Atrium Roofs:- The north atrium roof is expected to be enclosed by 7/12/2012. The south minor atrium main support beams are installed and is ready for glass to be installed. South major atrium will continue to install main support beams.

Reconstituted Stone:- The Stone contractor Techrete are progressing on the north block with the stone fins that surround the windows.

Lifts:- The lift contractor Thyssen have completed the first car lift in the north. The passenger lift in the north is expected to be complete by early December. The passenger lift to the south has commenced and is expected to be complete in early January.

Mechanical & Electrical:- The majority of plant has been delivered except the generator which is due mid December. Services contractor Crownhouse continue with internal drainage, sprinklers, ductwork, pipework and containment at the basement & mezzanine.

Internal Fitout:- Under floor services are ongoing generally 1 week ahead of programme on the north block. On the South block the first zones E&F have commenced on 12/11/2012 in line with programme.

Joinery:- Carcass works for balustrading within the North Atrium have commenced.

Smoke Curtains:- Carcass works for smoke curtains are expected in mid December. A smoke curtain, when deployed in the event of a fire, will direct smoke away from escape routes.

Recent Site Photos

General

Cranes & Hoist:- Cladding units on the north block and will continue with reconstituted stone fins using tower crane TC2. The south block will be served with tower crane TC1 and will be supplemented with a small “city crane”.

Sample Rooms:- Three “early” office rooms have had the walls skimmed with plaster, the raised floor installed and under floor activities started.

Future works for October

Architectural Metalwork:- The steel frame balustrade to the south major atrium is now largely installed and is continuing in the south minor atrium.

Blockwork:- Largely finished with a number of walls to service rooms to complete.

Waterproofing & Flat Roof:- The perimeter to roofs on the north block are complete. Stair core roofs and ground floor waterproofing will continue through to Christmas.

Cladding:- The units on the north block are targeted to be substantially complete by w.c. 5/112012 and have most of the corners etc complete by w.c. 12/11/2012. The south block after a slow start has made good progress and is on programme for the planned start for the fitout of areas E&F on 14/11/2012.

Glass Atrium Roofs:- The north atrium gridwork for glass installation is in progress and is targeting to be substantially complete by w.c.12/11/2012. The south block is continuing with scaffolding to the south major atrium. Early November will see the start of steel installation.

Reconstituted Stone:- Techrete commenced on site on 30/10/2012 with the south flank walls and will follow with installing the stone fins that surround the windows on the north.

Lifts:- The lift contractor Thyssen have completed the first car lift in the north. The passenger lift in the north is expected to be complete by early December. The passenger lift to the south has the safety gates installed ready to progress.

Mechanical & Electrical:- Services contractor Crownhouse continue with internal drainage, sprinklers, ductwork, pipework and containment at the basement & mezzanine. The ground source heat pump contractor have returned to carry out plantroom installations. Transformers and switchgear have been positioned as well as pipe racks to the basement.

Internal Fitout:- The second side of the plasterboard to the walls has commenced ahead of programme following the services within the walls. The raised floor is due to commence on 12/11/2012 to the first area of the north block.

Studwork and plasterboard walls have commenced on the large lecture theatre.

Recent Site Photos

General

Cranes & Hoist:- Now that the structure is complete the cranes will predominantly be utilised for the installation of cladding panels. The remaining service units will also be lowered to the basement and mezzanine levels through holes left in the concrete slabs by the cranes. The hoist has been removed now that the bulk of the blockwork is complete.

Future works for October

Steel Bridge, Stair & Columns:- All stairs and bridges above ground level are now installed. The steel frame balustrade to the north block is virtually complete, while the south major atrium has steel frame balustrade to the 1st floor.

Blockwork:- Largely finished with a number of walls to service rooms to complete.

Structure:- The last major concrete pour was carried out on 20/9/2012. Tables have now been struck following the concreting of the roof upstands.

Waterproofing & Flat Roof:- The ground floor perimeter of the building has been largely waterproofed, with insulation and firm topping laid on the north block on the south side. The area on the south block south side is also in preparation for cladding to start.

Cladding:- The units on the north block have been erected adjacent to the Woodstock Road and are largely complete to the north elevation. The south has commenced with the installation of brackets adjacent to Somerville College.

Glass Atrium Roofs:- The North atrium steelwork is progressing which will shortly be followed by the glass installation. The south atriums are now ready to receive a high level scaffold before steelwork operations begin.

Ceiling insulation:- Plasterboard contractor CG Reynolds are completing the basement ceiling insulation in the north and south buildings, and are progressing on the 1st and 2nd floors with metal studwork.

Lifts:- The lift contractor Thyssen have completed the first car lift in the north. The passenger lift in the north commenced on 5/10/2012.

Mechanical & Electrical:- Services contractor Crownhouse continue with internal drainage, sprinklers and ductwork at the basement and are commenced drainage and sprinklers on the mezzanine level. Service modules are largely installed now that the ceiling insulation has been fixed into place. (A service module comprises of a light steel frame to which mainly pipework and containment have been fixed in the factory. These are then joined on site with connecting pieces). Conduits which will contain wiring for lights and switches are being fixed to the stair cores.

Recent Site Photos

General

Cranes & Hoist:- The service modules (pre-assembled pipes, ducts and wire trays on a metal frame) continue to be delivered, before carefully being lowered by crane through an access hole into the lower floors. This will be followed by plant deliveries.

Visits:- On 31st August 2012 the University / building teams celebrated the last concrete to be placed on the north block with a Topping Out Ceremony. This involved concreting in to the roof a small piece of yew.

Future works for September

Steel Bridge, Stair & Columns:- Now that the steel staircases in north have been installed in the atrium the scaffold mounted on a rail system is being erected. The majority of steel bridges have been fixed into position in the south minor and south major atriums. The remaining 3rd floor bridge will be installed shortly together with staircases.

Blockwork:- Perimeter walls in the basement are complete and mezzanine will continue until mid September.

3rd Floor:- The remaining pour 34B on the south was concreted on 24/8/2012. These slabs consist of a set of precast concrete planks (temporary supported) with an insitu concrete topping with strands (steels within tubes) which are stressed (tightened at the ends) after the concrete has set hard.

4th Floor:- The remaining pour on the south is expected to be concreted on 7/9/2012.

5th Level Roof:- The roof is expected to be complete towards the end of September.

Waterproofing & Flat Roof:- Rock have almost waterproofed the ground floor perimeter of the building, allowing the insulation and firm topping to commence on the north block.

Cladding:- The first units have been erected adjacent to the Woodstock Road. The initial works have concentrated on the bracketry but will now focus on unit installation along two elevations.

Ceiling insulation:- Plasterboard contractor CG Reynolds have continued with basement ceiling insulation in the north and south buildings, and will now continue with walls installation.

Lifts:- The lift contractor Thyssen continues with the car lift in the north being the first installation. The passseger lift in the north is expected to start by October.

Mechanical & Electrical:- Services contractor Crownhouse continue with internal drainage at the basement level. Ductwork & sprinklers have also commenced in the north and service modules continue to be lifted and fixed in the ceiling of the basement. (a service module comprises of a light steel frame to which mainly pipework and containment have been fixed in the factory. These are then joined on site with connecting pieces).

Recent Site Photos