Designing in hyTower®
Fulton and Fifth is an impressive urban renewal project in Wembley’s exciting new growth community. Property developers, Regal London, have once again appointed PCE as specialist design and build contractor. Using the hyTower® HybriDfMA system (design for manufacture and assembly), PCE will bring heightened predictability, efficiency, and quality to the delivery of the five-tower mixed-use development.
A key benefit of the hyTower® system is the way that components seamlessly interface with each other, ensuring they connect with consistent precision. Fabrication and specification information for each component is created by the hyTower® design specialists. This ensures complete control of how structural components are manufactured and integrated within the system. Simplified interchangeability of components is then achieved through common connection principles, creating flexibility of material section and construction methodology.
The hyTower® system offers the same level of design flexibility as traditional reinforced concrete frames and can be efficiently configured to suit almost any floor plate arrangement. Structures can be configured as a series of columns, providing an open, flexible floor plate, or as a series of shear walls to divide the residential plots.
The success of Building Information Modelling (BIM) Implementation
Together with project developers, Regal London, and architects Ryder, PCE are at the heart of providing an integrated BIM system for Fulton and Fifth. The hyTower® design is coordinated with the architecture and M&E in Revit with every component and its interfaces fully detailed within the 3D model. This elemental model allows every interface to be interrogated prior to sign off of the design, ensuring all tolerances and structural connections are fully coordinated.
Following the BIM execution plan set out and agreed at the start of the project, the PCE design team have successfully co-ordinated a variety of such requirements within the 3D environment. This ranges from minor pipework through walls and risers, to major architectural features.
To ensure a comprehensive digital strategy, PCE’s BIM is supported by intelligent integration with its structured Common Data Environment (CDE). The CDE houses key information, including references to documentation about the design of the component, weights, and a full history of the component's life from design to installation. Integrating BIM with PCE’s CDE platform in turn significantly enhances design tracking. It ensures all the design and construction-related data is available in a centralised location. This makes it easier for everyone involved in the project to access the information they need, whenever they need it.
Design Thinking Ahead – Temporary Works
Safety is of paramount importance. In line with its core values, PCE places significant emphasis on ensuring the design process and modelling comprehensively assess risk during the manufacturing and on-site assembly phases. Its forward-thinking design process ensures thorough consideration of all temporary works requirements, including access needs, handrail systems, and propping points. The design and delivery teams meticulously refine and review these aspects months in advance of manufacture and on-site assembly, mitigating risk and delivering the safest build solution for the client.
Design Process Initiates Asset Tracking
PCE’s digital capabilities ensures highly effective coordination and collaboration across all phases of project delivery. The use of the comprehensive digital asset tracking system, Ynomia, takes predictability to even greater heights. With real-time design, manufacturing, and construction data fed into an interactive 3D colour-coded digital twin visualisation, the Fulton and Fifth team have full, accurate, and up-to-date insight. This includes quality assurance information, component tolerances and dimensions, real-time status, as well as an overview of historic movements. This information is readily accessible to those who need it in a secure, digital format.
Implementing the Ynomia system on the Fulton and Fifth project allows PCE to comprehensively track and monitor the design progress. Live reporting has allowed the design team to track the status of all the different individual components of the project, from their engineering calculations to unit drawings within a full Revit model. This transparency creates an open platform which helps highlight and overcome technical and design programme issues through a greater level of collaboration, as early as possible.
