BSF News

What’s been going on

Steel decking has now been installed to Section 1 of the new building, and foundations completed to allow steel erection to progress on Section 2 next week.

As you can see the metal decking, provides a very fast method of covering the gaps between the steel beams so that the raised concrete floors can be cast.

The floor slabs have been designed to work compositely with the steel beams. This means that, once the concrete has been cast and gainedstrength, the concrete deck works with the beam below to resist the forces imposed on the slab.

As explained in an earlier bulletin concrete is very strong with respect to compressive forces but comparatively weak at resisting tensile (pulling) forces. When the beams try to bend under the weight of the loads imposed on to the floor slab, the concrete slab resists the compressive load in the top of the steel beam, whilst the beam below the slab resists the tension created.

To allow the structure to behave in this composite manner shear studs are welded to the beams, when these are encased in the concrete slab they fix the slab to the beams making them behave as one structure to resist load. Stud welding will start to the Section 1 decks from Wednesday next week.

In the photograph you can see the safety nets that were erected to protect the operatives laying the metal decking from the risk of falling.

All foundations will be completed this week with only the drainage works ongoing for our ground works contractor.

The drainage works will continue for the next month, including the installation of the drainage beneath the ground floor slabs following completion of steel erection to section 3, the Science, technology & humanities classrooms.

All waterproofing works to the cut edges of the existing building have been completed. The last works were re-painting the outside walls with exterior paint and installing bracing to the large blockwork panel to room 5 to ensure that there is no risk it could be damaged by high winds.

UU have also returned this week to reinstate the area they excavated previously outside the sub-station to install mains power to the temporary classrooms.

The tarmac should be reinstated next week so that all the car park and bin storage area can be returned to the College.

Coming soon

• Drainage

  Works will continue for the rest of the month. Over the half term holiday our ground worker will be improving the walkway to the sports pitches from the sports hall and excavating for a foundation for the new maintenance access stairs to the rear of the sports hall.

• Erection of Structural Steelwork

  Structural Steel erection will continue. The last part of Section 3 closest to our site cabins will be completed by the end of June.

• Metal decking to the upper floor slabs.

  The decking to Section 3 – the Science, Humanities and Design & Technology Classrooms, will start at the end of June after the completion of examinations.

• Concrete to the upper floor slabs.

  Over half term Section 1 Slabs will be prepared and at least one slab poured. We will then plan in a second pour to avoid examinations and complete this section. Section 3 slabs will be prepared and cast during July.

Regards,
John England – Carillion Project Manager