Member Article

Top marks for collaborative engineering approach

A Leeds-based engineering firm is working on its fourth consecutive contract in the education sector following the success of its collaborative approach on three other school projects. Leeds-based Adept Civil and Structural Consulting Engineers has been appointed by construction services company ISG, to carry out feasibility studies for a new North Yorkshire primary school, having worked on three other school projects with ISG. The architect on the projects is Watson Batty. Two of the projects - Hunslet Moor Primary School in Leeds and The Stephen Longfellow Academy in Morley - have completed and the third, Wynyard Primary School in Billingham, County Durham is on schedule to complete this month.
Matthew Ramsden, a director at Adept, said: “At Wynyard we have carried out the construction engineering work for the foundations, steel frame, floors and retaining walls of a new two-storey building, which is partially set into a hillside, so there is a semi-basement element which we have incorporated into the re-furbished design. “At Hunslet we have again completed the structural engineering and foundation elements of a major extension, with re-enforced concrete flooring and a steel frame. It’s been a partial refurbishment of an existing school alongside a new-build element. We came on board at a later stage with this project and have been able to make a range of efficiencies, whilst delivering the engineering solutions for the two-storey building.” ISG was awarded the contract for Hunslet Moor Primary School under the YORbuild2 framework. Ramsden continued: “At The Stephen Longfellow Academy, we have been working on one floor of the three-storey refurbishment project, whilst also helping to improve the load bearing capacity and settlement characteristics of the grounds for the new Sports Hall, by using innovative Vibro Stone columns underground, which offer an economical and sustainable alternative to piling and deep foundations, to add strength. “What all three of these projects have in common is the collaborative approach we have taken. As with all schemes like these, architects, engineers and construction firms are all involved, and it’s essential that everyone works closely from the start to ensure the right solution is delivered. This creates a coordinated approach with Building Information Modelling (BIM) at the core. Tight deadlines have therefore been met and cost-efficiencies produced.”
Adept is also currently working on, and tendering for, a number of other public sector projects. Adept is one of only a handful of civil and structural consulting engineering firms in the country to hold the coveted Building Research Establishment (BRE) Building Information Modelling (BIM) Level 2 Business Systems Certification. The engineering firm is therefore recognised as successfully being able to implement and utilise advanced 3D modelling tools in strict compliance with the Government’s strategy.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Emma Mortimer .