The Commercial Sector:

Brindley Place Structural Strengthening

Project case study for Brindley Place

structural strengthening of slabs, beams & columns

Restek UK were proud to partner with CBRE Global Investors and Main Contractor Willmott Dixon Interiors on the £40 million refurbishment of 10 Brindley Place in Birmingham City Centre. We have completed all of the strengthening/reinforcement works to 58No beams using Carbon Fibre Plates/Wraps. The design, specification and installation for this change of use scheme, was undertaken completely in house by Restek. The resulting design provided by Restek, required a combination of HPC(Concrete Jacketing), Structural Toppings together with Carbon Fibre Plates/Wraps to provide a cost effective solution.

As part of this project, a new state of the art Smart Spaces system will be introduced making it one of the most technologically advanced, market leading workplaces in the country. The system will offer contactless access through speed lanes and QR codes, the ability to remotely book services, and control building functions such as heating, lighting and air quality monitoring.

The project brief for Brindley Place was to bring the whole building up to modern CAT-A building standards. The building required additional structural strengthening to allow buildings 10 and 8 Brindley Place, to be combined in to 212,000 square foot of open office space. Due to combining the two buildings and the inclusion of a new open plan reception area, 58 beams and columns required additional flexural & shear strengthening. The challenge was to deliver a strengthening strategy that met technical, budget and programme requirements.

To achieve the strengthening strategy, Restek specified the combined use of both CFRP & HPC designed solutions.

Carbon Fibre Reinforced Laminates & Wraps (FRP) 

The key advantages of specifying CFRP products are principally its ease of application and speed of installation due to the products lightweight performance, so heavy lifting gear and support equipment was not required. CFRP products can be utilised in a wide variety of applications, including areas that are difficult to access.

Incorporating the use of carbon fibre reinforced polymer products for structural strengthening and load bearing in change of use schemes, adds value by providing a reduction in unnecessary volume and weight, therefore increasing free space. CFRP products are non-bulky, meaning minimal loss of head height, low visible impact and are cost effective due to the speed & ease of application.

High Performance Concrete (HPC) and FRP Solutions 

The value engineered structural strengthening of Brindley Place required a combination of products to be specified, to achieve the desired value and performance. HPC is a High Performance Concrete that can be mixed with a range of fibres to enhance flexural, shear & axial structural strengthening.

HPC and CFRP were specified together for Brindley Place as their structural strengthening properties compliment each other, allowing for a belt and brace approach as well as design flexibility resulting in increased performance.

For example, HPC jackets were applied to the bottom of columns to allow CFPR wraps to be applied to the top of the columns. CFRP laminates were used to strengthen the underside of the beams to ensure the project design requirements were met on time and within budget.

Restek’s Unique Approach 

Restek’s approach of designing tailored solutions together with our value engineering capabilities for projects ensure every part of the scheme brief from client’s expectations through to budget and programme requirements are met.

We are unique in our whole project approach as we look to engage with clients and main contractor very early (ECI) allowing Restek to value engineer a specific project solution using a variety of products and application techniques, to not only meet but exceed the client’s requirements.