Located within the Goitside Conservation Area, the listed building had been damaged by fire and stood derelict for many years, with plans for it to be demolished.

However, investment company Coverstone Ltd and Trident House Developments Ltd saw its potential, and appointed Vextrix for Project Management, Contract Administration, Quantity Surveying and Principal Designer Services and the Principal Contractor Mersey Engineering Construction Ltd to turn it from an empty seven-storey warehouse into 77 apartments.

Due to the fire, the building had become fragile and so needed façade support to ensure that the contractors could safely remove the existing internal structure and rebuild the structure to facilitate the new apartments, communal spaces, a gym, a spa and a cycle storage area.

The Challenge

One of the main challenges of the project were the restrictions that came with it being a listed building, which meant the team had to ensure that pre-existing doors, windows and columns were kept in their original state.

Another challenge that arose during this project was the condition of the building. This was mainly due to fire damage but also many years of remaining derelict. This complicated the planning stages of the project, as it meant that Altrad RMDK needed to provide a solution which was both robust and versatile to support the existing structure whilst also allowing for safe access during the construction of the new floors.

The Solution

Mersey Engineering Construction had previously worked with Altrad RMDK and were familiar with the capabilities of its equipment, and so sought the company’s expertise to advise on the best solution for the project.

Altrad RMDK engineers specified a bespoke temporary works solution to successfully support the structure, using a mix of Megashor and Superslim soldiers to secure the walls to enable the contractors to progress with rebuilding Galem House floor by floor.

It was essential there were no deviations from the original design, which involved avoiding the creation of extra holes or knocking down internal walls to accommodate the temporary works. Superslim soldiers were chosen as they are available in nine standard lengths of beams, which give an almost unlimited scope for façade retention. This meant that the contractors could fit them in tight spaces, without having to use any invasive techniques that would have compromised the original stature of the building.

Megashor, Altrad RMD Kwikform’s high-duty modular propping system, was also deployed. The legs are manufactured using close-tolerance jigs which ensure consistent and accurate fabrication, and excellent assembly alignment on-site, saving time, modifications and labour costs. This was especially useful when it came to timescales of the project as the customer was keen to enable the works as soon as possible which was beneficial due to the poor condition of the property.

Andy Beckett, Contracts Manager at Mersey Engineering Construction, said:

"Due to the structural damage within the building, we needed a solution that was designed quickly, delivered quickly, and which fulfilled our requirements to be able to progress the project. The specific challenges which we found throughout the design phase of the RMD proposal, cannot be understated, and these were only overcome through extensive collaboration across the whole team.

"Due to the complexity of the installation, MEC took on the installation directly and although very challenging, the simplicity of the system, as well as the ongoing support from RMD, made the whole process less daunting."