FP McCann Offsite Precast Concrete Structural And Architectural Frame Solution Specified On Distinctive Buckinghamshire Housing Development

FP McCann has completed a unique supply and build project consisting of 64 luxury apartments in Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire. The high-end development is set on 200 acres of historic private gated grounds offering new-build houses and apartments next to a grand Grade II listed Georgian era mansion house. 

Newland Park is a development by London based Comer Homes. The collection of new apartments and houses sits within the modern country estate and is set to become one of the area’s most desirable residential locations. The apartments are located in 4 individual blocks, each on three levels with undercroft car parking beneath each building. FP McCann were approached by Comer Homes at design stage with consideration of the superstructure above the parking being a precast concrete frame as opposed to a traditional block and brick construction.

The Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) precast concrete frame solution has been designed, manufactured and installed by FP McCann, a Tier 2, BIM Level 2 certified supplier. 

As on all such contracts undertaken by FP McCann, BIM Execution Plans (BEP) were prepared for the Comer Homes development, demonstrating FP McCann’s proposed approach, capabilities, capacity and competence to meet stringent Employer’s Information Requirements (EIR). 

The subterranean car park construction consists of precast retaining perimeter walls, internal columns and cross beams, topped off with prestressed hollowcore planks. Access from ground floor level is via a precast concrete staircase. Above the car park, the FP McCann precast structural frame comprises internal crosswalls, prestressed hollowcore flooring planks and precast stair cores and stair landings. Integral to the structural frame itself, are the architectural brick-faced insulated sandwich wall and gable ridge panels, offering the attractive external finish to each building from the ground floor up. 

Another feature of the build are the black acid-etched balconies to levels two and three. Many other MMC features include the factory installation of windows and balcony doors and the fair face finish to internal walls, allowing for follow-on trades to complete their works in a timely and efficient manner. 

The accelerated construction time typically seen in such offsite precast concrete structural frame builds, saw the Newland Park project completed in just 36 working weeks. Commenting on the Chalfont St Giles residential development, David Donnellan, Senior Design Engineer for Comer Homes says, “Reducing construction times by 40%-60% compared to traditional build methods has to be factored into addressing the demand for new housing, whether luxury or affordable. 

Traditional construction methods, while tried and tested, are increasingly less efficient to meet the increasing call for quality and environmentally sustainable housing. The Newland Park apartment development is a clear demonstration that offsite construction and MMC in any location lays the groundwork for a more efficient and sustainable home building industry. By embracing these methods, we can build faster, reduce our environmental impact and provide both high-end and affordable living space.”  www.fpmccann.co.uk

Marmox Multiboard Used By NE Renovation Specialist To Tackle Damp And Cold

A highly experienced contractor, specialising in energy upgrade refurbishments, underfloor heating and heating installations, has cited ease of installation, as well as the waterproofing and high insulation values of Marmox Multiboard, for his practice of using the coated XPS boards for all of his bathroom fit-outs and many other projects.

Richard Percy, a former firefighter, who has been carrying out challenging contracts across the country for the past 15 years and trading as RDP Solutions, recounts: “I work across the North-East and the country as a whole, for underfloor heating and greywater recycling and I have made it my speciality to take on refurbishments which other people say can’t be done!  In the case of the very old building where I am currently working in Mitford, Northumberland, the place had been very badly rebuilt in the past, with poor installation to the vaulted ceiling, no cavity closers and all of the pipework run under the floors. In addition, chipboard flooring had been laid over battens on out-of-level concrete."

"This required a full strip out to enable the installation of underfloor heating. Overlapping layers of Kingspan were installed in the roof-space and different thicknesses of Marmox Multiboard installed across the walls and floors in all the rooms. For example, I uprated all the window reveals using 12.5 mm Multiboard.” 

During the rebuild, all of the pipework for the plumbing was relocated within the studwork, to allow the Uponor minitec underfloor heating system to be laid across a 40 mm thickness of Multiboards. This ensured the maximum amount of heat was delivered to the occupied room above, creating much improved comfort levels for the occupants.  Interestingly, as a proponent of hydronic underfloor heating, he has also adopted the practice of extending it beneath the actual shower tray: in this case, one of Marmox’s own linear wetroom trays.  Other products from the Marmox range employed on the contract include the jointing tape, 360 adhesive and special washers for installation of the different thicknesses of Multiboard. Richard concludes:

“I use Multiboard for all my bathrooms – virtually every job I do – primarily for their waterproofing performance, but also because they significantly reduce heat loss and are very straightforward to cut and fit.  A lot of people go for a cement-based product in bathrooms, but Multiboard is better and easier to install and in new-build situations it also meets the NHBC guidance.”

Marmox Multiboards are manufactured from extruded polystyrene or XPS encapsulated in reinforced polymer concrete, produced in a range of thicknesses up to 60mm and offer a variety of positive physical characteristics in addition to being fully waterproof.  They are both light to handle and easy to cut, while still being able to sustain substantial loadings if required, such as for flooring applications. They further offer good thermal insulation performance, helping to cut condensation risk. Full packs of Multiboard and the ancillary products from the Marmox range were all purchased through the local branch of MKM Building Supplies.  

www.marmox.co.uk

FP McCann ‘L’ Walls Form Construction Aggregate Stock Bays At Bristol Based Recycling Facility

FP McCann has recently supplied and installed its precast concrete ‘L’ Wall system on behalf  of Heidelberg Materials owned Bristol & Avon Transport and Recycling Ltd, who are extending their Hallen based operation with the formation of a new recycling plant with associated works for the washing and processing of construction, demolition and excavation waste to produce recovered aggregates.

Included in the construction works is the erection of product storage bays and concrete push walls along with perimeter concrete walls. Following a review of the stock bay and push wall options, the construction team at Heidelberg Materials opted for the FP McCann steel reinforced precast concrete ‘L’ Wall system.

This method of walling using an off-site manufactured precast unit, is a simple and fast process, eliminating the need for shuttering, steel foundation formwork and the pouring of wet concrete. FP McCann were approached by Heidelberg Materials to provide a quotation to supply and fix their 3.0 metre high ‘L’ Wall unit, following which an order was placed for the installation of 273 individual sections, comprising 255 straight units and 9 ‘L’ Wall corner (2 piece) units.

The stock bay walling supplied from FP McCann’s Lydney depot in Gloucestershire, has been set out on an in-situ concrete base slab. Each individual ‘L’ Wall unit has been dowelled into the slab using steel dowel rods to secure via the holes cored in their toe sections. A construction strength grout has been pumped into each dowel hole for added stability. The key considerations to the Heidelberg Materials team selecting the ‘L’ Walls, were the ease and speed of installation, accelerating the construction time and the tried and tested load resisting durability this precast walling system offers.

A further added benefit of the ‘L’ Wall system is that no propping is required during construction. Speaking on behalf of Heidelberg Materials, Project and Engineering Manager for Heidelberg Materials Miguel Valdés Menéndez says, “This FP McCann precast concrete walling system designed to withstand high loading forces generated by heavy plant, is ideal for this new materials stock bay project. It was evident that the FP McCann fixing team were well versed in the lifting, levelling and anchoring method and as a result, we are confident that the ‘L’ Walls installed will offer a long-term, low maintenance material holding solution.” Applications for the FP McCann ‘L’ Wall unit include:- Perimeter and Boundary Walls; Earth Retaining Walls; Stock Bays and Push Walls; Dividing Walls. www.fpmccann.co.uk