This 15-storey building has a feature atrium, forming a glass "window" facing westwards. The section of building above the "window" is, in fact, a series of truss frames which house the cooling towers. The atrium beneath made the erection of such a substantial structure particularly difficult. CWC developed a scheme to assemble the frame at the base of the atrium, and strand jack it into position. The columns at each side of the atrium were rotated during design development, and the heads fitted with strand jack support frames. The main building was erected conventionally, and the truss assembly started upon completion of the level 4 floor. By the time the structure had reached roof level, the pre-assembled frame had been completed, including stud and deck.
The whole bridge section – forming the top of the window – was then strand jacked up to roof level and connected to the completed roof structure. The main truss weighed in at 510 tonnes including temporary works and was raised 25 metres into position in just two hours.
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