Tight site constraints including being in the city centre, one edge of the site abutting a river, and the footprint of the structure being close to all the site boundaries meant that PCE had to consider carefully the best choice of frame components to minimise deliveries and any potential road and site congestion.
The resultant design led to the extensive use of the PCE GT flooring system, with 877 GT units being used providing 21,757m² of the suspended floor area.
GT units are wet cast 400mm deep with the final floor finish being formed during casting as they require no insitu concrete structural topping, giving significant savings with regards total weight of concrete used, reduced site deliveries and programme savings.
PCE Contiframe concepts were used in the design of the structure including the casting of pairs of columns and the beam supported by them as single unit portals, with 133 of these being used. This has again significantly reduced the erection programme.
