Residential
Steel at home Residential schemes
14 NSC
July/Aug 19
Liverpool has become something of a
byword for regeneration in the UK
as a myriad of projects have either
been completed or are currently
transforming the port city into a viable and
important economic centre.
One area that has been a focus for
redevelopment is the Baltic Triangle, which
occupies a pivotal location just south of
the city centre and is positioned between
a number of Liverpool’s other strategic
regeneration investments.
Historically, the area was used to
handle goods being transported via the
docks as well as being a thriving industrial
area. By the 1970s, with much of the port in
decline, many of its former warehouses had
become derelict, with some of them being
demolished and replaced with small scale
industrial units.
Since 2012, more than £128M has been
invested in new developments within the
Baltic Triangle, with a further £62M currently
on site.
Consequently, the area has been
transformed and now accommodates an
eclectic mix of indigenous businesses such as
car repair workshops, mechanics, welders and
tradespeople. These sit alongside the newer
creative businesses such as digital media
agencies, PR companies, architects, designers
and musicians which have arrived over the
last decade.
Major residential regeneration investments
are also now emerging due to the area’s high
profile location, distinctive rich heritage and
historic character.
One of these residential schemes is
currently being constructed by ISG and
consists of a nine-storey, 200-unit apartment
block with a project value of £24M.
Located on Blundell Street, the steelframed
structure also includes two levels of
basement car parking, with the uppermost of
these floors also accommodating an entrance
lobby, resident’s lounge and gym.
The project’s plot was previously used as a
surface car park and when ISG started work
on site last year minimal groundworks were
required before the steel erection began.
“Typical for a Liverpool site, there is
sandstone directly below the surface, which
has excellent load bearing qualities. This
meant we only needed to install a series of
1,200mm-deep pad foundations,” explains ISG
Project Manager Ross Sangster.
ISG has recently completed a similar
scheme near Liverpool’s Lime Street station
and a number of lessons learnt on that job
have been used on this scheme.
The most important of these lessons was
the off-setting of the steel frame from the site
boundary, which avoided complex temporary
works and prevented intrusive works on the
highways.
Favourable ground conditions along the
site boundaries allowed the project team to
utilise the rock and existing brick retaining
walls to keep the excavations for the basement
car park open and allow for the placement of
bases and the steel frame.
As Clancy Consulting Engineer Callum
Sale explains: “This meant none of the existing
walls needed to be demolished, which saved
valuable time on programme.
“Temporary propping was further limited
by utilising the steel frame to provide fixing
A residential scheme in Liverpool’s creative and digital
quarter is using a steel framing solution due to the material's
spanning qualities and ability to create complex details.
Martin Cooper reports.
are helping to
transform Liverpool's
Baltic Triangle
FACT FILE
Blundell Street
residential scheme,
Liverpool
Main client:
Brickland
Architect:
Tim Groom Architects
Main contractor:
ISG
Structural engineer:
Clancy Consulting
Steelwork contractor:
Walter Watson
Steel tonnage: 1,200t
Steel was chosen for
its spanning qualities
/Single_storey_industrial_buildings
/Residential_and_mixed-use_buildings
/Construction#Steel_erection