Rising impressively in the City of London, The Heron – part of London’s Milton Court development – is now emerging to take its place as one of the capital’s most iconic and impressive landmarks. Its 36 floors will ultimately house 285 high quality apartments alongside other facilities – not least a theatre and concert hall for the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
Just as the design impresses, the method of construction – particularly given the central London location – has presented a number of key challenges, all of which are being successfully addressed by main contractor Sir Robert McAlpine Limited. This has included the question of material and personnel movement, with the need to move some 300 construction workers and a vast range of construction materials repeatedly each day, to an eventual height of 115 metres above ground level.
The solution has been to construct what is understood to be the highest freestanding scaffold in the UK. Built using the Layher Allround® scaffolding system, a hoist tower has been erected by scaffolding contractor Connect Scaffolding to provide anchoring points for the double passenger and goods hoists mechanism and to create access to each floor. Installed on the eastern-facing side of the building, the selection of the Layher equipment and its method of erection are making a significant contribution to the day-to-day running of the build programme.
Sean Pike, Managing Director of Layher Ltd explains:–
“We were delighted that Sir Robert McAlpine selected our Allround® scaffolding system for the access and hoist tower construction, with the leg loading to height equation for a building of this height a key factor,” he says. “Following a tender process, Connect Scaffolding is now undertaking the ongoing erection work of the tower which is growing with the building to optimise material and manpower movement and providing wide access at each level.”
The scaffold structure sees conventional Layher ties fixed to the concrete core at each level, with the hoist tower itself tied to the scaffolding at 12 metre intervals and with the Layher decking system used also adding structural strength. The highly versatile Allround® system, with its wide bay design, offers clear access between the support scaffold and both the passenger and goods hoist platforms and the building itself.
“Sir Robert McAlpine also developed an innovative ‘Steel Tie Beam’, which helps to integrate the hoist system with the Allround® tower,” comments Connect Scaffolding’s Managing Director, Oliver Cave. “The use of the hoist on such a high structure generates significant loadings, so the tie-in bracket was developed specifically for the hoist design to enhance the inherent strength of the Layher Allround® system.”
The speed with which Layher Allround® scaffolding can be installed is also a key factor, while its need for less material than conventional tube and fitting clearly has a beneficial impact on material handling, structural weight and installation simplicity. It avoids, for example, the need for significant cross bracing.
“Further key benefits of the Allround® design are in-built safety features such as the integral locking mechanism that is central to the system’s versatile rosette coupler design,” adds Sean Pike at Layher. “This helps to minimise the number of components required at the site.”
With a façade that will be clad in a clear, black and grey glass mosaic and featuring fully glazed corners, The Heron is set not only to house some of the most prestigious and sought-after accommodation in the City of London, but to do so in a structure that will become a landmark in the capital. The Layher hoist access tower, the design of which contributed directly to its ease of construction, has helped Sir Robert McAlpine to fulfil its commitment to optimising construction methods and is offering tangible day-to-day advantages at the site.
