10 years on… as good as new. PCE deliver quality that lasts.
10 years ago, PCE designed and built a 14 split level multi-storey car park (MSCP) as part of Stafford’s town centre redevelopment, with over 1,000 car parking spaces across a total suspended floor area of 27,700m². The project was delivered using the latest offsite engineered structural solutions and expert in-house developed systems. Project architects were THP Architects.
In a bid to reduce environmental impact through a reduction in material use, PCE created the GT flooring system, a carbon-reducing concept designed and installed without the need for any insitu concrete structural topping. The sustainability-driven design resulted in a concrete material saving of up to 3.5 tonnes per car parking space when compared to other systems. The significant weight reductions resulted in large programme savings, benefitting overall project performance. It also meant far less deliveries to site were required, an important consideration given the logistical complexities that came with the inner-town site location. Across the Stafford MSCP, the use of GT floor units led to a saving in concrete use of approximately 3,500 tonnes compared to other precast long span flooring options, and is testament to PCE’s long-established proactivity in sustainable operation and innovation.
Looking like it was built yesterday, the high quality offsite manufactured surface finishes require minimal decoration. With low maintenance, defect-free longevity, and enduring robustness, Stafford MSCP demonstrates the advantages of PCE’s innovation-led HybriDfMA offsite solution. It is testament to PCE’s quality and expertise in Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) and modular delivery, which has continued to innovate, evolve, and excel.
In the 10 years since, PCE has dramatically enhanced its MMC offering. A continued and evolving embrace of digital has taken project control to a new level. The development and implementation of Ynomia, a comprehensive digital asset tracking system giving status, quality, and engineering information through fast, accurate, real-time intelligence. With significantly more control, clarity, and data-driven insight, construction has never been more predictable.
PCE continues in its drive to make construction more sustainable, too. It continues to innovate and collaborate with industry and government, exploring new ways to build in a more responsible, environmentally friendly way. Progress has been promising; the government funded Decarbonising Precast Concrete report, of which PCE was a key partner, identified new designs and methodologies across design, manufacture, logistics and assembly that can reduced embodied carbon by up to 40% against the ICE benchmark. It is testament to the positive progress PCE continues to make in transforming construction.
First Image: MSCP when built in 2013
Second Image: MSCP today in 2023
