Winners of Best Use of Concrete Technology - Offsite Awards 2023

PCE are delighted to announce it has won Best Use of Concrete Technology at the Offsite Awards 2023!

Featuring the eye-catching Assembly C project, a 14-storey hybrid structure designed, manufactured, and assembled by PCE using it’s HybriDfMA Frame System. The structure showcases exposed concrete in its raw, unadorned form, a feat that required meticulous design considerations to ensure the building blends harmoniously with the iconic Bristol skyline.

Manufactured offsite, the precast concrete's smooth finish underlines the highest material standards and precise delivery techniques. This exemplifies the level of detail achievable through offsite solutions, allowing the project to meet the high specifications and architectural vision. The exposed concrete also eliminated the need for additional finishes and linings, significantly reducing on-site activities and carbon emissions through reduced materials.

It was not just the striking visuals of the exposed concrete that distinguished Assembly C. The whole process, from meticulous design and just-in-time logistical planning, to the high-performance properties of the highly-crafted concrete, ensured the project stood out.

This comprehensive Hybrid DfMA (Design for Manufacture and Assembly) approach not only minimized waste and substantially reduced on-site deliveries, but also facilitated a lean workforce—each level completed within a swift 13 days with a mere team of 12 operatives. Use of PCE’s HybriDfMA Frame system eliminated the necessity for back propping and falsework, streamlined activities, reduced trades involved, and minimised material usage. The seamlessly coordinated delivery not only led to efficiency but also significantly curtailed carbon emissions, enhancing predictability and control across the project.

The success of the project couldn’t have been achieved without the contribution and collaboration of consultant team, including Structural Engineers Arup, Architectural Designers AHMM, Main Contractor Galliford Try. A special thanks also to the suppliers who manufactured the products that met and surpassed PCE’s high quality standards including Peikko, Creagh, Explore, SWP Precast, and Acast.

Another winner on the night was Kier, who received the BIM/Digital Construction award for the component tracking in complex supply chains across HMP Millsike.

PCE Ltd were appointed superstructure and façade delivery partner for the category C prison, as part of the government’s New Prison Programme.

Integral to the development of the intelligent and innovative digital tracking system, PCE collaboratd closely with developers Ynomia, offering construction knowledge, insight, and expertise to elevate the system to new heights. PCE worked in seamless synergy with Ynomia to provide development suggestions, real-world testing, analysis on functionality and rigorous feedback. Building on Ynomia’s digital tracking system, PCE incorporated its vast data sets across its common data environment platforms and Revit models to augment their already digital intelligent system. With a clear vision of what the ideal digital tracking solution would need to offer, PCE provided their design and build expertise to Ynomia, creating an end solution covering significantly more data and detail on each individual structural component.

Other notable mentions include architects Hawkins Brown for winning Private Housing Project of the Year for the Portlands Place project in Startford, London. Portlands Place is a 524 apartment residential structure across two high-rise towers, standing at 26 and 30 storeys tall. PCE provided pre-construction expertise, detail design, planning, off-site and on-site assembly with its directly employed, multi-skilled construction teams. Working alongside Mace and Oranmore Precast, PCE helped develop an innovative off-site engineered Hybrid construction approach knows as HRS (Hight Rise System). The system was used to deliver the superstructure, façade, bathrooms and primary M&E services for the two high-rise towers at East Village, N06.