An economically-designed steel-framed leisure centre is set to provide the local
community in Bradford with modern sporting facilities.
12 NSC
Nov/Dec 18
One of the more active
construction sectors over the
past decade or so has been
leisure, spurred on by the fact
that numerous local authorities are either
upgrading their current facilities or building
new state-of-the-art swimming and sports
complexes.
Examples of this work recently covered in
New Steel Construction include new pools in
Coventry (NSC March 2018) and Rhyl (NSC
April 2018) as well as a leisure complex in
Littlehampton (NSC May 2018).
These projects are usually built using
a steel-framed solution, as economicallyconstructed
long, clear spans are needed to
accommodate facilities such as swimming
pools and indoor sports halls.
Constructional steelwork also offers a
relatively quick construction programme,
while flexibility can also be built into the
frame, whereby partition walls can be
removed to allow reconfiguration of rooms
and halls.
Another recent example from this sector
is the Sedbergh Sports and Leisure Facility
in Bradford, where Billington Structures,
working on behalf of ISG, has recently
completed the steel frame.
The scheme is part of an ongoing
investment programme by the council to
replace outdated and inefficient leisure
facilities, with modern, purpose-built
amenities that better serve local communities
and encourage greater participation in sports.
The new high-specification two-storey
leisure centre includes a 25m swimming
pool, 12.5m learner pool with moveable
floor, eight-court sports hall, 80-station
fitness suite, two dance studios, staff facilities
and café as well as outdoor pitches for both
football and rugby.
The rectangular-shaped building is
arranged with the two long span areas –
sports hall and pool hall - at either end. These
two zones are both single-storey elements,
reaching the full height of the structure, and
are separated by a two-storey spine that also
extends along the front elevation.
The two-storey area accommodates wet
and dry changing facilities, with the gym and
dance studios on the upper floor.
In front of the two-storey zone, the
building has a full-height reception area that
runs the full length of the building. Beyond
this, a series of feature 219mm-diameter CHS
columns supports an exterior canopy, which
creates a covered pedestrian walkway.
Overall, the steel frame is based around
an irregular grid pattern (varying between
4.7m and 5.7m spacings) as there are a
multitude of uses to be accommodated, all of
which require rooms and areas of differing
sizes. Cross bracing, located in the building’s
corners and within interior partitions,
provides the stability.
“Most of the bracing is out-of-view in
the completed scheme, however, we do have
some feature Macalloy cross bracing which
sits inside the gym’s large glazed wall that
overlooks the site’s sports pitches,” says ISG
Project Manager James Fryer.
Prior to the steelwork programme
commencing, ISG had already begun its
extensive groundworks, which included
digging up 50,000m3 of earth and then
distributing it around the site.
The plot was previously used as sports
fields that were poorly drained, and
frequently waterlogged. ISG is installing a
new drainage system throughout the site
Leisure
Yorkshire gets fitness boost
FACT FILE
Sedbergh Sports and
Leisure Facility,
Bradford
Main Client:
City of Bradford
Metropolitan District
Council
Architect: DarntonB3
Main contractor: ISG
Structural engineer:
Furness Partnership
Steelwork contractor:
Billington Structures
Steel tonnage: 450t
/Construction
/page_16.html
/page_15.html
/page_15.html
/page_23.html
/Leisure_buildings#Ease_and_speed_of_construction
/Leisure_buildings#Flexibility_and_adaptability
/Braced_frames
/Concept_design#Floor_grids
/Braced_frames#Vertical_bracing
/Concept_design#Structural_options_for_stability
/Steel-supported_glazed_facades_and_roofs