The opportunity

We were asked to supply and erect structural steelwork, metal decking and off/on-site intumescent coatings for a 7-storey office block with an adjacent 35-storey student accommodation building. The top three floors of one end were to be a glazed steel frame, called the Sky Lounge. While circular structural support columns were required from basement to third floor, to form a spacious entrance foyer.

The operation

The 35-storey student accommodation building is currently under construction and we're due to return to site in September 2009 to install the Sky Lounge, cradle support steel and perimeter upstands. Consequently, detailed pre-planning is currently under way for the Sky Lounge structure to simplify the installation process and reduce risks associated with working at such height. To reduce the number of crane lifts, reduce risk to the programme and simplify installation of the structure, many of the steel components are being constructed as pre-fabricated assemblies and have had their connections designed to access from within the footprint of the building to avoid the need for external access at such height.

The result

Due to the complex nature of certain elements of the work, we've used our own in-house erection department for the entire project while our sister company, Bourne Engineering, are responsible for the steel-to-steel connections.