Walker / Harrison Hughes Restructuring
– University of Liverpool

Our Enabling Works contract on this project included the design and installation of temporary works to form major new openings through the walls and floors of the buildings.

We were also responsible for supply and installation of the permanent structural steelwork associated with these openings.

The following photos show the stages in the formation of a major new opening in the 700mm thick west wall of the Walker building.

The opening was to be carried by a new reinforced concrete beam approximately 8 metres above ground floor level. These works were complicated by the presence of a railway tunnel passing directly below the opening, which precluded the use of traditional needling and shoring methods. Instead, we designed and installed a bespoke system that eliminated the need for external support, as follows:

  • Existing wall openings at the new beam level were first made good.
  • A series of steel ‘skeleton’ frames were installed in pockets formed at intervals along the line of the beam, then jacked up to take up the dead load of the structure above.
  • The remaining walling between the frames was then removed and reinforcement installed for the new RC beam, passing around the frames.
  • The new beam was cast, leaving the frames in place.
  • Once the concrete had cured, the frame jacks were removed and the walling beneath cut out.

The photos below show how an existing girder providing partial support to the building roof was strengthened to allow removal of the supporting wall below.

The final photos show:

  • a new steel column, replacing the walls which previously supported the beams above.
  • steelwork reframing two floors to accommodate installation of a new staircase.

This project was undertaken as part of the University of Liverpool Engineering Restructuring Project, a major redevelopment of the existing university facilities.

The overall project was undertaken by Messrs BAM Construction, for whom we were the the strip out, temporary works/structural alteration and demolition partner. Our works included:

Accreditations