PCE’s HybriDfMA Frame System at Warwick University

In 2020 PCE Ltd was appointed by Main Contractor Willmott Dixon Construction Ltd to provide the structural precast concrete and steelwork frame for the new biomedical research building for the University of Warwick.

This exciting development brings together nearly 300 biomedical researchers from across the School of Life Sciences and Warwick Medical School to fight human diseases, and was designed by Architects Hawkins Brown, Consulting Engineers Peter Brett Associates, Project Manager Turner & Townsend and Cost Consultants MACE.

PCE has now produced a case study of their involvement with the project giving the design, offsite manufacture and on-site assembly strategies they employed, which can be seen below.

The project is an excellent example of PCE’s industrialised ambition to implement Modern Methods of Construction, utilising PCE’s HybriDfMA Frame System with the use of a specially designed ‘Kit of Parts’ approach that can be adapted for any project, adopting Smart techniques during the offsite manufacture and onsite assembly phases.

Throughout the project, PCE made use of its growing cognitive construction approach fully utilising digitisation wherever possible within the design, manufacture and assembly phases creating efficiencies and reducing risks. Two such efficiencies, compared to the original insitu concrete design, was a reduction in concrete usage for the structural frame of over 850 tonnes. This also resulted in over 100 less delivery vehicle movements to site during the structure’s assembly phase, both savings giving significant client value as well as dramatically reducing the projects carbon footprint.

The success of the overall project has been proven with the win of several significant awards:
2021 Construction News – Project of the Year Award
2021 Property Awards – Sustainability Award
2021 Offsite Awards – Best Use of Concrete Technology
2021 Green Project of the Year Award

Here at PCE Ltd we are very proud to have been involved in this best-in-class project which has been a great success!