Durham University update 6 – offsite engineered sandwich panels

Fantastic offsite engineered Architectural façades at the Mount Oswald student accommodation project, Durham University

A large variation in Architectural precast concrete offsite engineered sandwich panels are being constructed on site by PCE Ltd’s multi-skilled workforce as part of their Design and Build HybriDfMA scheme for Main Contractor Interserve Construction.

The external leaves of the sandwich panels have a mix of high-quality architectural finishes including silver bricks and grey concrete brick patterns with some also having protruding diamond patterns.

Improved Health and Safety - less waste

The large preformed openings in some of the panels have been pre-glazed prior to delivery giving the enhanced benefits of the factory engineered offsite manufacture approach adopted by reducing following trades on site, the need for external scaffolding, improved quality and Health and Safety with reduced waste. Some of the Hybrid Architectural façade panels also included structural steel sections cast in facilitate the appearance of continuous glazing at the building corners. The design, co-ordination, manufacture and onsite erection has relied heavily on the application of the latest Digital Construction techniques to ensure that the Architect's perception has been turned into a high-quality realisation.

1) The concept: an architectural concept drawing of the John Snow Townhouse

2) PCE's design drawing of the proposed sandwich panels

3) One of PCE's brick faced sandwich panels arriving at Mount Oswald

4) PCE's offsite engineered sandwich panels in place

Durham University is working with partners Interserve Construction, Campus Living Villages and Equitix to deliver the project.