Kingston University update 12 – the first colonnade terrace unit and the HybriDfma advantage

Why the 16.3 tonne precast concrete unit was cast upside down

PCE Ltd has commenced erection of the terrace units that form part of the colonnade at the Kingston University Town House project, for which they are the specialist Design and Build Contractor and Willmott Dixon is the Main Contractor.

The precast concrete unit shown being craned into place and installed (above) weighs 16.3 tonnes and has been cast incorporating recesses for drainage channels, falls and cross falls to the upper surface which has also been manufactured with a surface retarded finish.

Image shows the top face of the finished cage with retarded soffit (left) and the slab’s drainage gully.

PCE’s precast coordinator, Paul Silker, had a major input into the production methodology for these units.

“We decided to cast the unit upside down thus enabling a high degree of accuracy to be achieved with the various falls required and control of the surface retardation. The large units on being demoulded were then turned with an electric belt turner.”

Turning the offsite engineered 16.3 tonne precast concrete unit

Nickie Brown, PCE’s Managing Director, remarked

“Once again the PCE team has accomplished the provision of another high quality complex precast concrete unit type for this prestigious project: designed for manufacture and assembly, the HybriDfma approach enables the achievement of all architectural and engineering requirements”.