Phases one and two
NSC 17
Mar 20
meetings, using the steelwork contractor’s
frame model to resolve potential clashes and
fix the frame design including all secondary
support for the cladding at an early stage.
This has enabled us to meet the programme
and get accurate coordinated information
produced quickly,” says HB Architects’
David Coles.
“The hotel’s design was changed after a
value engineering exercise as a steel frame
was deemed to be a quicker and more
economical solution,” adds H.H Smith &
Sons Contracts Manager Mike Smith.
Speed of construction is always
important on projects, and this job was no
exception. The majority of the steel frame
was erected by BD Structures in a five-week
programme, with the first handover after
eight working days. This then allowed the
many follow-on trades to get started as soon
as possible.
“Getting the other trades started is
important, but on this job we have a second
phase of steelwork, which could not be
started until large areas of the cladding had
been completed,” adds Mr Smith.
The second phase of steelwork consists
of two single-storey elements which
are positioned along the front and back
elevations
of the hotel. If
these areas had been erected
along with the main steelwork,
they would have hindered the later
cladding installation of the main
facades.
The single storey part at
the front of the hotel will accommodate
conference and meeting facilities, while
along the back elevation the one-level
structure will house a kitchen and plant
room. The conference facilities contain
the project’s longest pieces of steelwork, as
12m-long beams will be installed to create a
column-free area.
Located adjacent to the surfing lagoon
and on the opposite bank to the park’s
other main facilities, the hotel’s plot had
already been cleared and made ready for the
construction work a few months earlier.
Prior to the steelwork erection
beginning, H.H Smith & Sons installed a
series of driven piles and these are mostly
18m-deep. However, in some areas they had
to be installed to a depth of 55m, as parts of
the site are made up of soft riverbed strata.
Working on a design and build
contract, the steel frame was designed by
BD Structures and consists of composite
downstand floor beams that support metal
decked flooring for the structure’s upper
levels. Along with the steelwork, precast
staircases were also installed, by BD
Structures, who completed the work using a
solitary 80t-capacity mobile crane.
The steelwork for the three upper floors
is arranged in a regular column pattern
with typical spans of 6.5m and just two
rows of internal columns, which are
strategically positioned to coordinate
with corridors and riser shafts.
The ground floor is slightly different and
has a higher floor-to-ceiling height as well
as incorporating larger 8.5m-long spans,
needed for the bar and reception areas. This
floor is topped with a series of 1.5t transfer
beams, that support the different column
spacings of the floors above.
There is no ground floor slab for the
hotel, as the floor is formed with a series of
precast planks, that span between the steel
columns and ground beams. This method,
as opposed to a more traditional groundbearing
slab was chosen as the planks create
a void, which was required to accommodate
a gas membrane as part of the site’s
decontamination programme.
The Hilton Garden Inn Snowdonia is
expecting to welcome its first guests at the
end of the year.
Leisure
The entire Adventure Parc Snowdonia is built on
the site of a former aluminium rolling and casting
works, which closed in 2007. Before construction of
the first phase of works could begin, an extensive
clear-up programme was completed on the previously
contaminated site.
As well as the construction of a surfing lagoon, the first
phase included three steel-framed structures, erected by
locally-based EvadX. These consisted of a utility building,
a storage hub for wetsuits and surfboards etc., and a
restaurant/bar structure.
Phase two included the steel-framed Adrenaline Indoors
building that opened last year. The structure required 140t
of steel, was designed by Rigby & Partners, and fabricated
and erected by BD Structures.
“Delivery of the Adrenaline Indoors steelwork was done
during an emergency bridge closure south of Conwy,
whereby we had to re-load our 24t steel lots into smaller
packages to use a second bridge. No delay was caused
to the project through some quick reorganising and reloading
of trailers,” comments BD Structures Managing
Director Chris Heys.
One end of the
building has an
angular feature tip
Model showing the
main four-storey
building and its two
low level extensions
The first
steel bay
goes up
The hotel
overlooks the
surfing lagoon
/Building_envelopes
/The_case_for_steel#Speed_of_construction
/Construction#Steel_erection
/Building_envelopes#Building_envelope_installation
/Construction
/Single_storey_industrial_buildings#Design_.26_Build
/Composite_construction#Downstand_beams
/Composite_construction#Downstand_beams
/Construction#Mobile_cranes
/Concept_design#Floor_grids
/Floor_systems#Precast_units