Description
Amey was engaged by Herefordshire Council to undertake the design and construction administration of a new Primary School providing accommodation for 630 pupils within Hereford. The project – to replace Hunderton Infant and Junior Schools an ageing and oversized school development on the same site, required the careful planning, phasing, and sequencing of works in order to ensure the continued provision of educational facilities during the construction period.
Innovation
- Natural ventilation and solar shading of classrooms through the integration of a passive stack principle and window overhangs within the Architectural design.
- Projecting Classbase wings identify year groups within the school and lead to pupils progressing through the building from Nursery, through Reception and Infant Classes to Junior teaching areas.
- Below ground drainage system incorporating measures to alleviate the risk of localised flooding.
Efficiency
Project Planning
Site Constraints
The Environment Agency had identified the proposed development to be within a Flood Zone 2 area. As such a full flood risk assessment was undertaken in order to ensure that the proposed design solution and any temporary accommodation required was at minimum risk. A specialist drainage consultant was engaged to develop a drainage design which incorporated flood attenuation measures in order to minimise any risk of local flooding.
Underlying Geology
Geotechnical investigations revealed the site to contain underlying strata made up of weak alluvial deposits leading to the adoption of a fully piled design to over half of the development.
Value Engineering
Having fully developed the brief with the client, subsequent budgetary constraints led to a value engineering exercise in order to reduce the overall project cost without compromising the useful floor area. In order to achieve some of the cost savings, blockwork internal partitions were replaced with structural metal stud with impact resistant board covering and a proposed rainwater harvesting system for the site was abandoned.
Construction
Mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) were taken account of in the design of the pre-cast floor, despite reluctance from the pre-cast floor supplier. However, the weight of MEWPs was not taken into consideration when specifying the floor finishes and underfloor insulation. Furthermore, a material change in the floor screed offered by the contractor as a time saving alternative led to a reduced thickness thereby further compounding the problem. To facilitate the use of MEWPs a method of laying double boarded ply sheets in order to spread the load was arrived at.
Major Issues
Due to the economic climate several sub-contractors and eventually the Principal Contractor went into Administration leaving the project idol and open to the elements for five winter months. Amey advised on the best way forward and administered the procurement of the new Principal Contractor to eventually complete the works to the Clients satisfaction. Amey also actively assisted with claims on behalf of and levied against the Client.
Outcome
The following aspects of Amey’s expertise were utilised on this project:
- Architecture
- Mechanical & Electrical Engineering
- Structural Engineering
- Construction Design Management
- Quantity Surveying
- Project Management
The following specialist services were provided:
- Drainage and Flood Alleviation
- Acoustic Design
- Flood Risk
- Building Energy Assessment and Compliance Testing
The existing Hunderton Infants and Junior Schools shared the same site. Maintaining the provision of classroom and ancillary accommodation was key to the success of the project as a whole. This required the careful planning and coordination of a phased sequence of demolition and building works in order to ensure the minimum disruption to the school’s normal operation. A separate planning application was submitted to erect a combination of new and re-used mobile units on the hard play of the existing school.