Project Brief
To support the Mabgate Campus redevelopment, we provided civil and structural engineering design services for the partial demolition of existing buildings fronting onto Mabgate, and the construction of two educational buildings: a new five-storey campus building for University Centre Leeds, and a new ESOL building for Leeds City College. We also designed strengthening works to refurbish Studio 24, a retained arts and events space within an historic industrial building
Solution
At the UCL building, we advised on party wall propping and strengthening, and investigated risks concerning made ground, buried obstructions, basements, relic foundations, historic fuel/waste tanks, and potential ’Black Bed’ coal seam workings. The Leeds City College building involved advising on the adjustment of a critical basement retaining wall to maintain its integrity during demolition works, and make space for new foundations and supporting piles.
Modelling in Revit, we designed the superstructure for both new buildings comprising a reinforced concrete frame using post-tensioned flat slab floor plates to create a thin structural floor zone, minimising building height whilst meeting fire and acoustic criteria. The flat soffits provide flexibility for services at ceiling height and future room remodelling. Due to the depth of competent strata, we designed CFA piled foundations with some cantilevered foundations adjacent party/boundary walls. We included allowance for future extensions. The new atrium cafeteria hub has a glulam-framed structure with timber SIPS panels.
Once asbestos was removed from Studio 24, we completed a structural condition survey of the building and retaining walls to enable remedial works for damp and significant structural cracking, including Disproportionate Collapse requirements. It contained unusual ‘jack arch’ floors made from timber joists and segmental vaults, and the boundary wall required isolating from adjacent demolition. We designed the façade retention system, and internal steel support frame with mini-piled foundations.
