Construction

Construction on the site is underway and on target, on the Butts site in Worcester. Visit the live webcam link, and read the processes that have happened so far:

Piling process – Feb-March 2010

In a nutshell:
-Acts as “legs” for the building to stand on
-Over 400 piles, each 8-metres long or more, driven into the ground
-Environmentally aware within the process

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One of the first stages in construction is the piling process. Piles act as the foundation for the building by transferring the weight of the building deep into the site.

Galliford Try has inserted over 400 reinforced-concrete piles, all of which are over 8-metres long, with some up to 15m in length, and 450mm in diameter, into the ground.

These piles act like supporting legs for the building to stand on, something which is extremely important for a heavy building such as WLHC. The building, when complete, will pan across five floor levels, with the lowest floor containing sensitive archives which are protected in waterproof concrete chambers. These chambers add to the weight of the building but their mass is an essential part of the projects low energy design for long term storage of archive material.

The piling process uses machinery to drill the core out of the ground. Concrete is then pumped in, forming a solid foundation for the building to be placed on. Foundations of this type mean that there is little or no disturbance to the flow of water through the soil to the river.

Galliford Try has been using significantly less cement in the concrete mix for the piles, instead replacing this with recycled mineral material. By doing so, this reduces the environmental impact of the process. To find out how the project is reducing its environmental impact in other ways, please visit the Design & Environment page.

To view the progress of the build as it transforms from a barren canvas into what will be the core building, visit the live webcam link.

Setting out such a complex building as this is done with great care. During the piling process, Galliford Try needs to anticipate where drainage holes and other features will lie, and avoid these when arranging the piling. The piling system has been also been designed to ensure that the known archaeology on site, such as the Roman well, is protected and left undamaged.

Piling process on site