Building Details

The building was designed to provide world class scientific and research facilities with a stringent requirement to minimize vibrational effects when in use due to the very sensitive scientific equipment installed.

The superstructure which has a 5 metre deep basement and is 7 storeys’ high from ground level, is recti-liner in form with 6.4m grids longitudinally and with transverse non-symmetrical grids ranging between 5.5m and 8.5m.

Using the latest Building Information Modelling techniques during the design stage, PCE developed a structural solution for the building that enabled the integration of an extremely complex services strategy, including the pre installation of the main service routes and associated plant, as well as the integration of a precast concrete façade panel solution with glazing installed at the panel manufacturing factory.

The exceptionally low vibration requirement led the design to a deeper suspended floor depth of 600mm than would otherwise be required for just structural purposes. The final structural frame design philosophy adopted was generally precast concrete columns with a combination of precast concrete edge beams and composite structural steel/ reinforced concrete spine beams, supporting the composite floor construction formed from 300mm deep prestressed concrete hollowcore units and a 200mm reinforced in situ structural concrete topping.

To prove the exceptionally low vibration requirements had been met, a full-scale test of the dynamic properties of one of the floors after construction was carried out using an array of shakers and accelerometers coupled with specialist software. The results showed that the PCE HybriDfMA Frames System solution adopted gave a much stiffer floor plate than predicted using typical conservative design assumptions.