Cambridge Street Manchester
Metsec provides framing solution to Manchester Cambridge Street project
Light gauge structural steel specialist, voestalpine Metsec plc, has supported the development of the Cambridge Street regeneration project in Manchester, providing SFS infill walling for the construction of 29 and 21 storey new build apartment buildings, comprising a total of 282 one, two and three bedroom residences.
The project, which is expected to run into 2016, is the next phase of on-going regeneration at the location, fitting alongside architect Terry Farrell’s 2001 master plan for the area. The architect’s plan entails the conversion of two listed mills and the construction of two new residential towers marking a southern gateway, with an additional urban landmark along a new street named River Street, linking the mixed-use development to the city.
One additional requirement on the project was working around the use of heavier brick-finish cladding, Corium, which was utilised by the architect to ensure that the construction maintained characteristics synonymous with the geographical area. Using its in-house design expertise, Metsec was able to ensure the steel framing solution was as efficient as possible when supporting the heavier cladding which enabled a reduction in the cost of cladding brackets.
The construction of the two towers, which are especially tall for a project outside the capital, specified Metsec’s infill walling, which allows for a quick speed of installation on the project. Also, by utilising Revit (BIM), it allowed Metsec to produce drawings of the project, which allowed clashes to be detected and floor-by-floor material lists to be produced. These lists enabled the phased ordering of materials, ensuring that no excess products were requested and wasted, whilst the materials arrived on site to suit the build programme, meaning on-site storage was kept to a minimum.
Mike Leonard, Contracts Manager at Astley Facades commented:
“The Cambridge Street project has been a great development to work on, as it’s been in planning for a long time. We’re very happy with the SFS infill walling provided by Metsec, and how they were able to provide design expertise, which had a real benefit to the project. This expertise allowed us to achieve the most cost effective outcome, as Metsec was able to ensure the solution we used was exactly what the project required, whilst the use of BIM meant we could phase the arrival of materials to suit the build programme, meaning storage was greatly reduced. We’re now eager to see the project complete in the summer of 2016.”
Sales Director of Metsec Framing, commented:
“The redevelopment of the area surrounding Cambridge Street has been in full effect since the master plan was conceived in 2001. We’re thrilled to have been able to be a part of the Cambridge Street Project, and our work on the project truly demonstrates the additional value that BIM can bring to construction projects. Our expertise in using BIM on a project has really shone through on Cambridge Street, as it has allowed us to design effective solutions to the challenges presented by the project, such as supporting heavy cladding on the construction.”