After a number of years in the
doldrums, the construction sector
in the Republic of Ireland is
showing signs of an upturn and
Dublin’s skyline is once again awash with
tower cranes.
One of the most prestigious schemes
currently being undertaken is the 1-6 Sir
John Rogerson’s Quay project. Situated on
the south bank of the River Liffey, a few
hundred metres from the city centre, the
project forms an important element in the
regeneration of an area once dominated by
dockside warehouses.
The main part of the project consists of
a steel-framed six-storey office building
with ground floor retail units and a large
basement containing car parking and bicycle
storage facilities.
The building will offer approximately
10,200m2 of commercial floor space and
500m2 of ground floor retail space, all
housed within a building featuring long
clear spans and only two internal columns.
“This is a modern prestigious inner city
development and choosing a steel-framed
solution was the easiest way of creating the
desired open-plan design,” explains John
Paul Construction Project Manager Eddie
Cogan.
With one centrally positioned concrete
core, the steel frame radiates outwards with
maximum clear spans of up to 15m being
achieved on three sides. The exception is
the southern rear elevation, where due
to the length of the spans, the structure’s
only two internal columns have been
installed creating two spans of 11m and 8m
respectively.
Cellular beams, measuring 740mm-deep
and with 500mm holes, have been used
throughout the project for a cost-effective
method of accommodating the building’s
services. The beams support a composite
metal deck flooring solution throughout.
“Steelwork was also chosen for its
flexibility,” explains Casey O’Rourke
Engineer John McMenamin.
“Strengthening of the frame has occurred
on the fourth and fifth floors where the
building has step-backs accommodating
outdoor terraces.
“Here a series of larger than normal
14m-long × 740mm-deep plate girders, each
weighing nearly 7t, has been installed to
accommodate the extra loadings.”
Kloeckner Westok provided design
support throughout the project as Westok’s
Design Team Manager John Callanan
explains, “In the Dublin commercial office
sector, we have certainly seen a shift away
from traditional concrete frames to clear
span steel-framed cellular beam solutions.
It is great to see Irish developers and
Commercial
Riverside
development
Overlooking the River Liffey, Dublin’s
latest prestigious commercial
scheme is a highly-engineered steelframed
project incorporating two
historic structures. Martin Cooper
reports.
FACT FILE
1-6 Sir John Rogerson’s
Quay, Dublin
Main client:
Hibernia Reit
Architect:
Henry J. Lyons
Architects
Main contractor:
John Paul Construction
Structural engineer:
Casey O’Rourke
Steelwork contractor:
Kiernan Structural Steel
Steel tonnage: 1,000t
The completed
building will use a
retained entrance
16 NSC
February 18
/Construction
/Construction#Tower_cranes
/Multi-storey_office_buildings
/Braced_frames
/Concept_design#Concrete_or_steel_cores
/Steel_construction_products#Cellular_beams
/Multi-storey_office_buildings#Flexibility_and_adaptability
/Steel_construction_products#Plate_girders