PCE Ltd were appointed by Kier, on behalf of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), as superstructure and façade deliver specialists for HMP Millsike, based in York.
HMP Millsike, a category C prison, will provide around 1,500 places for male prisoners when it opens in 2025. It will be the UK’s first all-electric powered prison, and will focus on rehabilitation initiatives in a bid to support the reduction of reoffending. It is the third new prison to be built under the New Prisons Programme (NPP), which is part of Government’s commitment to deliver an additional 20,000 prison places across the estate.
The success of HMP Millsike follows PCE’s successful delivery of HMP Five Wells, and HMP Fosse Way. It proves once more that PCE’s repeatable, predictable, fast, and safe HybriDfMA delivery is the blueprint for high quality prison build.
PCE
•
• INTERNAL WALLS
• SQUARE AND CIRCULAR COLUMNS
• GROUND BEAMS
• COMPOSITE STEEL BEAMS
• FLOOR UNITS
• STAIR AND LANDING UNITS
PCE CONTRACT VALUE - £44M
DESIGN - INTERNAL
- Prison Solution
For the delivery of HMP Millsike, PCE implemented its innovative HybriDfMA Frame and Secure Prison systems. Designed for quality and compliance, the Secure Prison system adheres to NOMS and the latest edition of the MoJ Design Guide.
With a track record of delivering over 10,000 secure cells across prison and custody suite projects, PCE’s Secure Prison system has undergone continuous refinement. This refinement has resulted in a highly reliable solution that streamlines processes while minimising ambiguity and risk.
Predictability, scalability, and efficiency are at the centre of PCE’s offering. As such, its platform solution to secure and modern prison delivery ensured substantial benefits across design, manufacture, and installation. PCE’s carbon conscious expertise and modular solution also supports the MoJ’s net zero carbon ambitions. It ensures a solution that is not just fast, predictable, and efficient, but more sustainable, too.
Project
Features
Composed of a variety of different materials, HMP Millsike is a true hybrid project. The superstructure is comprised of reinforced concrete and prefabricated steel. This includes sandwich panels, internal walls, circular and square columns, floor units, parapet walls, ground beams, stair units, and landings. The entrance building is clad in brick-clad sandwich panel, with supporting steel composite beams and hollowcores. Structural steel work can be found on the entrance building and houseblock roofs. In a testament to the high quality of PCE product and the sustainability of the company’s solutions, the majority of concrete finishes are produced to accept a directly painted finish. This means additional material such as plasterboard are not essential in order to achieve a standout finish.
In order to achieve such high-quality, reliable, and robust components, bespoke moulds were created for the duct walls, corridor walls, and cell floor units. PCE’s offsite solution also saw the casting in of nearly 55,000 M&E, security, and utility integrations. This includes windows, door frames, underfloor heating mats, casting conduits, Halfen channels, shower heads, and shower gullies. During the assembly process, M&E riser modules were fitted through a rooftop opening, extending vertically through all four floors of the building. These prefabricated riser modules seamlessly incorporate essential services on each floor in a space-efficient, modular design. Components were pre-assembled and coordinated to align with the riser modules for wider service distribution. This comprehensive approach not only ensures accuracy, but streamlines installation by transferring operations offsite, rather than conducting them onsite. In addition, PCE installed secure visa grills throughout assembly. These were placed on every level via the risers in each building.
• Average workforce of 70 multi-disciplined operatives
• Nearly 13,000 offsite manufactured PCE products with a total of over 50,000 tonnes
• 9 offsite supply chain specialists
• Nearly 60,000 square footage of floorplate and façade
• 55,000 M&E, security, and utility cast in components
• Up to circa 96/480 units installed daily/weekly
• Installation in just 45 weeks, 25% faster than the target programme
• Site team achieved approx 200,000 RIDDOR free hours
Collaborating with 9 expert manufacturers across its supply chain, PCE oversaw the offsite manufacture of nearly 13,000 hybrid PCE components, totalling over 50,000 tonnes. In total, the project saw nearly 60,000 square footage of floor plate and façade. This covered 6 modern and secure houseblocks, 1 entrance building, a Care and Separation Unit (CASU), and additional ancillary buildings.
Due to the repeatability and predictability of its platform solution, a streamlined workforce of around 70 operatives ensured safe and reliable installation in just 45 weeks. This is 25% faster than the target programme. Benefitting from extensive experience in the custodial sector, coupled with the repeatability benefits, each houseblock was manufactured in around 11-12 weeks.
The speed at which this superstructure was delivered was no detriment to the rigours standards to health and safety. The on-site team, including Release on Temporary Licence prisoners, achieved approx 200,000 RIDDOR free hours. This commitment to speed, quality, safety, and value saw PCE recognised by Kier as Project Subcontractors of the Year.
To create further certainty throughout project delivery, the utilisation of Ynomia, an intelligent digital twin and asset tracking solution, significantly aided the coordination and predictable delivery of such a large-scale project. Its real-time status tracking for every component, shown in an interactive 3D digital twin, facilitated an efficient just-in-time logistics strategy. An on-site holding yard was implemented to provide the flexibility to adjust installation strategies, should it be required.
