Multi-million pound blast resistant headquarters completes

Chemical giants INEOS Olefins & Polymers’ new steel-framed Grangemouth headquarters building has been completed by BAM Construction.

Utilising 950t of structural steelwork supplied and erected by BHC, the 6,500m2 building provides high quality open-plan office space over four floors and includes meeting rooms, conference facilities and kitchens located on the ground floor.

Located within the company’s Grangemouth petrochemical works, the office block had to be designed to withstand any potential accidental blast or explosion.

Kenneth Irvine of structural engineer Woolgar Hunter said: “The design had to take into account any blast loadings and so the steel frame has to be flexible.

“We worked closely with Michael Laird Architects to develop a solution for the steel frame and cladding, which addressed the loading issue but still provided an elegant and economic building.”

The requirement for the frame to be ductile in the event of a blast lead the design team to choose steel-framed cores for the building instead of the more rigid concrete versions.

All of the structure’s cross bracing comprises 250mm x 12mm flat sections which were chosen as this steelwork offers more flexibility.

The only areas where flexibility is not required are the connections between the cross bracing and the main frame’s columns. Here large stiffened connections were designed to hold firm against blast loads.

INEOS operates 65 petrochemical plants worldwide and Grangemouth is its largest facility. The new building forms part of INEOS’ grand vision for the site as it plans to turn it into a manufacturing hub for the whole of the Central Belt of Scotland.

The company said the new headquarters is just one part of the innovative redevelopment plans for Grangemouth. Old manufacturing plants and vacant buildings will make way for brownfield plots that will be made available to new businesses attracting investment into the area. These businesses will be able to benefit from the raw materials, existing power stream, logistics and other services provided by INEOS.