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By Category
Lifting & Bracing
Façade Support & Restraint
Formwork & Site Accessories
Structural Connections
Anchoring & Fixing
Industrial Technology
By Brand
Ancon
Halfen
Isedio
Thermomass
Connolly
Plaka
Moment
Aschwanden
Scaldex
Meadow Burke
Bringing together, for the first time, all six of the University’s previously scattered departments, the 17-storey building in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park was conceived as a ‘21st-century workshop’, inspired by the practical, unpretentious architecture of 19th Century industrial mill buildings. Designed by Allies and Morrison, the building is a masterpiece of concrete architecture with a robust gridded structural concrete frame and façade of vertical concrete cladding panels, broken by tall warehouse-style windows.
The concrete cladding panels, with their unusual, scalloped finish, are a defining feature of the new building, adding a distinctive character to the industrial rectilinear design. Precast offsite by architectural precasting specialist, Techrete, the heavy double-height panels, each weighing around 3 tonnes, had to be securely fixed to the main concrete structural frame. The challenge lay in finding a fixing solution that would safely support the weight of the panels, accommodate tolerances and allow for efficient installation on the 17-storey grid façade, all while maintaining the visual integrity of the design.
Having worked with Leviat on a similar project previously, Techrete again called in the company’s technical team to advise on a suitable solution. As high-grade stainless steel was essential to minimise the risk of corrosion in the concrete frame, the team drew up a full specification based on Halfen HUC high performance cast in sockets in combination with loadbearing stainless steel corbel brackets, specially designed for this demanding application. The sockets were cast into the concrete structural columns in the Techrete factory, enabling the special loadbearing brackets to be locked into position as the frame was erected. Special fixings in the precast cladding panels allowed them to be adjusted and securely fixed into position quickly and easily once the frame had been erected.
Specially designed for high load capacity, the Halfen HUC cast-in sockets and adjustable brackets provided reliable support for the heavy cladding panels, safely delivering performance at height and enabling the construction team to achieve the architects award-winning industrial-inspired aesthetic safely and efficiently.
