Excellence in precast concrete

Bell & Webster

The University of East London relocated to the

Docklands site as part of their consolidation and

expansion. The £110million programme of expansion

and renewal has created a world class learning

environment that is attractive, accessible and

welcoming, open 24hrs a day, seven days a week.

The student residences project commenced by HBG

Construction Limited in September 2005 and was

completed in March 2007.

UEL Student Residences Accommodation

The development for the University of East London’s

campus at Royal Albert Docks, provides 788 student

bed spaces and ancillary facilities on a previously

vacant site adjacent to the University’s existing

Docklands campus. The site is opposite London City

Airport, is bounded by the Royal Albert Dock, a

publicly accessible dock edge path to the south, the

Docklands Light Railway, Gallions Reach Roundabout,

University Way to the north and Woolwich Manor

Way to the east. The building was constructed

using precast concrete in the main because of its

robust nature, acoustic and thermal properties, the

elimination of wet trades saving time and money and

the speed of erection.

The design was in close liaison with London Borough of Newham

Planners, the Mayor’s Architecture and Urbanism Unit and also

passed detailed scrutiny by CABE’s Design Review Panel. Detailed

geotechnical studies were conducted to mitigate the impact of

the scheme, which also involved close consultation with the

Royal Docks Management Authority to meet the requirements

of spectators during rowing events, and with the City Airport

to negate impact on radar and physical safeguarding as well

as meeting the requirements of Docklands Light Railway which

bounds the site to the north. The five, seven-storey blocks have

been orientated to open up the site to the south where they

face the docks and to allow for as many windows as possible to

enjoy a view of the water.

The Design and Appearance

The rooms are arranged in five, seven-storey rendered blocks

orientated north-south and three, three-storey timber clad blocks

connected east-west. The accommodation in the seven-storey

blocks is predominantly single study bedrooms, each of which have

an en-suite shower room, grouped in flats of between four and

seven sharing a communal kitchen-dining room. In the three-storey

blocks the accommodation is individual self-contained studios.

In addition twelve wheelchair accessible bedrooms are provided.

The buildings are in harmony with the other rendered buildings

in the vicinity, using bright colours with clean lines.

speed of constructionconstruction

The blocks are generally constructed from precast concrete panel

walls, floors and roof. The ensuite shower rooms are precast

concrete pods chosen by HBG Construction Limited and supplied

by Sterchele. The bar and the ground floor of Longbridge House

have been constructed in insitu reinforced concrete.

External finishes have been selected to complement the existing

campus building and the new campus, and also for their

robustness and compliance with the thermal and acoustic

performance requirements for the development. The seven-storey

blocks are finished with a through-coloured insulated render.

Windows have high performance UPVC frames finished externally

with a grey foil with low E, argon filled double glazed units for

very high thermal and acoustic performance.

Between the windows, recessed panels of insulated render are

designed to visually link the windows into horizontal bands.

Curtain walling to the central circulation cores, communal kitchens

and bar is a thermal break curtain walling system with polyester

powder coated aluminium clad coloured Spandrel panels in the

south elevations facing the dock.

The roof finish on the seven-storey blocks is standing-seam

aluminium, with circular roof top plant rooms clad in uninsulated

Alcuabond panels. The roof finish for the three-storey blocks is a

Hydrotech bituminous waterproofing system finished with brown

roof biodiversity rubble as part of the ecology strategy for the

site; provision of a habitat for the very rare Black Redstart bird,

which colonises parts of the urban derelict landscape bordering

the lower reaches of the River Thames.

elimination of wet tradeswet trades

Gabion walling has been used to create a base to the blocks along

University Way where there is a significant level change and also

to clad the powerhouse at the Gallions Reach entrance to the site.

Internally, the precast concrete walls and ceilings are painted with

drylining only to the lightweight internal partitions in the central

core areas and sections of the Metsec in corresponding external

wall structure.

Particular attention has been paid to creating vibrant facades

that advertise the presence of the University and complement the

existing campus buildings.

Innovative Use of Concrete and Integration of Services

The Bell & Webster’s RoomSolutions® Concrete precast frame

provided a fair faced finish to both walls and ceilings, negating

the need for plasterboard or plaster skim. The Bell & Webster

frame also incorporated all internal and external walls into the

structure (excluding pod riser wall) omitting the need for the

internal drylined walls and external metal framed walls.

This system also provided the acoustic rating required for the

external envelope along with the insulated render increasing the

dB rating further and complying with the building regulations

for internal party walls and party floors with no other surface

treatments being necessary. These attributes of the system helped

reduce the overall cost and programme of the project.

excellent insulationinsulation

! Fair faced finish to walls and ceiling minimised the need for drylining or suspended ceilings and wet trades

! Conduit cast into slabs not walls

! Good acoustic rating

! Speed of construction

! Following trades can commence on the lower floors as the upper floors are being erected

! Toilet pods installed as frame erected

! Safe access at all times

! Designed to avoid progressive collapse

The Benefits

A member of the Eleco Group plc

Bell & Webster Concrete Limited, Alma Park Road, Grantham, Lincs. NG31 9SETel: (01476) 562277 Fax: (01476) 562944 Email: bellandwebster@eleco.com

Web: www.bellandwebster.co.uk Cad: cad.bellandwebster@eleco.com

Our range of products is constantly under review. Data relating to new products will be issued when available. We reserve the right to amend our specifications. September 2011

Bell & Webster’s precast concrete RoomSolutionsTM

enabled the University of East London’s Docklands

Campus to be completed on time and on budget.

Bell & Webster