Project Brief
Adept were instructed by JLL in May 2024 to conduct RAAC inspections across the shopping centre estate built in the late 1960s. Our initial commission was to carry out inspections of the market hall’s roof area where RAAC had been identified. The scope of the survey work was subsequently extended to include the entire shopping centre.
Solution
We carried out initial desktop studies of the market hall, including reviewing existing ‘as-built’ information, followed by site surveys to produce detailed reports in line with IStructE guidance. Our findings led to recommendations and work to other areas including:
- Management suite – temporary propping design. The management suite roof is constructed from RAAC although was considered to be in reasonable condition. Given the nature and geometry of the office-style space, we recommended a temporary propping system be installed while the client assesses whether to replace the roof
- Gold corridor area – structural design of a timber/steel support grillage. The reasonable head height of this back-of-house area allowed us to recommend and design a more permanent solution of a timber/steel support grillage to the underside of the RAAC units
- Access ramp – while the above RAAC investigative work was being undertaken, the client asked us to survey the HGV access ramp. We investigated the structure and recommended that the delaminated soffit and corroded reinforcement be removed and replaced with a system of splicing bars and sacrificial annodes, followed by the installation of a waterproof membrane and resurfacing of the ramp deck
At the time of the initial surveys, the site was fully operational. Following the survey, the market hall area was closed to the general public and tenants. Within the wider shopping centre, we made use of vacant units wherever possible to minimise disruption to existing tenants. Where this was not feasible, we sought to carry out the surveys via back-of-house areas within the tenants’ demises to further reduce any impact.
