Retail options get a boost in Edinburgh

One of the largest retail develop- ments to be constructed in Edinburgh in the past ten years is under way close to Murrayfield, Scotland’s national Rugby Union stadium.

Atlas Ward Structures, working on behalf of main contractor Bowmer & Kirkland and developer Forrest Developments, is fabricating, supplying and erecting 600t of structural steelwork for a Sainsbury’s superstore and adjacent non-food retail units on the city’s Westfield Road.

The predominantly two-storey development will offer approximately 32,000m2 of floorspace, while outside there will be 350 car parking spaces.

Neil Hall, Atlas Ward Project Manager, said: “The job required long spans and architectural roof steelwork.

“As a feature element we’ve used SHS lattice work trusses instead of traditional rafters, as they will be visible once the project is completed, some of them are up to 26m long.”

The majority of the retail development will be clad in a feature load-bearing material called Tremo which required Atlas Ward to undertake additional fabrication to the columns.

“These steel members are more complex than we would normally use due to the quantity of welded angle plates required to support this cladding,” explained Mr Hall.

Steel erection for the project was completed in August and the scheme is set to open in November.