The project was a return to the first roof box extension built by Ellmer in 2005, to further extend it to provide an additional 10,000 sq ft of sales floor and back of house storage space. The works had to be carried out within a live retail environment, and the contract was let on a Design & Build basis, in two phases as follows:
Enabling works: Commenced in February 2016, to carry out minor structural alterations to extend the area of plant platforms to facilitate the relocation of existing tenant plant and to clear the immediate footprint on which the new roof box extension was to be built. There was also a requirement to relocate existing services and remove redundant duct work from the roof. Surveys were carried out in this phase to ascertain the exact extent of strengthening works required to the existing steel frame, which were to be carried out under the main works phase.
Main Works: To carry out strengthening works to the existing steel frame, extend up the existing column heads with a combination of stub and full height columns, to form the new box floor with light weight concrete on metal profiled decking on new steel grillage. A 400 tonne crane with a 90m luffing jib was utilised at night to erect the main superstructure. This consisted of insulated Kingspan cladding panels on cladding rails to the steel frame and single ply roof membrane on insulation on roof decking on purlins to the main steel frame. There was also a requirement to extend existing smoke extract from lower units of other 3rd party tenants, through the new roof box zone as well as leaving aperture(s) in the structure for future tenant fit out. Basic shell and core works were carried out ahead of handover for tenant fit out. The project completed on time and to budget in November 2016.
The project was a return to the first roof box extension built by Ellmer in 2005.
The works had to be carried out within a live retail environment.