Led by John Sisk & Sons for the Silvertown Partnership, which includes Lendlease, PCE’s innovative Hybrid Frame system was central to the success of Silvertown Plot 6. This phase features three six-story, mixed-use blocks with affordable housing above commercial spaces and parking. As the first phase of Silvertown’s transformation, Plot 6 sets a high standard for sustainable, efficient urban construction.
PCE's Hybrid Frame DfMA system, incorporating over 2,300 offsite engineered components, combined precast concrete and recycled steel to optimise performance and sustainability. A key feature was the seamless integration of steel and precast concrete, with traditional steel transfer beams framing the ground floor, aligned with precast concrete cores. Achieving precise concrete tolerances alongside steel is often a challenge, but PCE’s expertise ensured seamless coordination between design and manufacturing, ultimately adding value across assembly. Offsite manufactured components included internal walls, 6m double height twin walls, beams, floors, stairs, and columns, creating a ‘kit of parts’ comprised of 75-80% ‘commodity’ products. Repetitive use of proven methods in design, connections, fabrication, and installation help provide certainty of outcome, speed, and safety across assembly.
With a team of 25 multi-skilled workers, PCE completed each building level, comprising over 380 structural components and three cores, in circa 10 days. Design collaboration with Consulting Engineer Bryden Wood enabled the successful value-engineering of the roof. Replacing the steel intensive components with polypropylene fibre concrete not only reduced comparable embodied carbon by 50%, it meant the installation of the roof was far less labour intensive, reducing programme time by 1 week. The precast stair cores were kept as exposed concrete. This again helped reduced embodied carbon through using less material, and generating less waste, whilst also further speeding up assembly as no additional finishing was required.
The certainty of outcome achieved through PCE’s systemised build philosophy enabled the installation scheduling for Plot 6 to influence the casting of its kit-of-part components. this enabled a just-in-time strategy with components cast just days before installation. Hollowcore components, for example, are cast 10 days before installation, with twin wall cast just four days before. This quick and calculated turnaround from fabrication to installation mirrors the efficiency gains found in modern day manufacturing, ensuring both quality and control across project delivery. PCE’s use of digital twin track-and-trace technology allowed the site team to monitor the entire lifecycle of each component, creating a clockwork-like construction process that reduced site storage needs and minimised deliveries by up to 80%.
Proactive measures were taken to ensure safety during assembly. Pre-designed channels and posts for handrails allowed other contractors to safely fit Plot 6's façade without additional modifications. Handrails for stairs were also pre-installed offsite, streamlining the on-site process. PCE’s approach to temporary works was equally efficient. Minimising the need for props on walls and beams created an open workspace, helping facilitate better access for follow-on trades and faster construction.
Located in London’s Royal Victoria Docks, Plot 6 posed several logistical challenges. The site was tightly constrained, with the perimeter bordering residential gardens. PCE's expertise in minimising disruption ensured the project proceeded without impacting local residents. The team used an electric LR 1160 crawler crane to reduce noise, while offsite construction reduced on-site activity, limiting noise, dust, and deliveries (up to 80% less). Further complicating the project, Plot 6 is adjacent to the DLR and lies just 500 meters from the City of London’s flight path, restricting typical crane operations. Despite these challenges, PCE’s systemised DfMA solutions allowed for efficient, precise, and sustainable construction.
PCE’s work on Silvertown Plot 6 exemplifies how modern, innovative construction methods can overcome complex urban challenges while delivering faster, more sustainable, and higher-quality outcomes.