concrete quarterly | winter 2011 | issue number 238

7/27/2019 Concrete Quarterly | winter 2011 | ISSUE NUMBER 238

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ConCrete Quarterly | winter 2011 | iSSue nuM

sky high thai

Bangkok’s award-winntower owes it all to tra

tropical housing

king of the hill

Te revamp o Shefeld’s Park Hillestate breathes new lie into a

20th-century concrete icon

power point

Behind the slender glass acade,London’s Shard is as tough as

they come



WELCOME

in this issuE

Te Concrete Centre is part o the Mineral Products Association,

the trade association or the aggregates, asphalt, cement,

concrete, lime, mortar and silica sand industries.

www.mineralproducts.org

nEWs rOund-up

On the cover: Te Shard at

London Bridge designed

by Renzo Piano Building

Workshop

4 toughened glassHow the innovative use o structural concrete – 72 storeyso it – is ensuring the Shard at London Bridge will be asmighty as it is high

8 (Far) higher educationManchester Metropolitan University’s new student blockis the ourth tallest building in the city, but its concrete-ramed towers are a surprisingly delicate presence

9 the outdoor liFeA 66-storey Bangkok tower has revolutionised high-riseliving by taking its cue rom traditional tropical housing

10 return oF the high street

Shefeld’s Park Hill estate has been impressivelymodernised, complete with iPod-style acades, but it haslost none o its imposing character

2 | CQ | winter 2011

onwards and upwards

ere s o aa of dsg ad cosuco ha,

ulk oh subdud scos, s sll aacg

vsm: h hgh-s. Almos lk a of

passage, cities wanting to raise their profle turn to

ladmak hgh-s buldgs, h glamou of hch

cous o lu copoa as ad sds.Coc plays a cal ol hgh-s dsg

ad cosuco. Fo h Shad, o og ov

Lodo, s bg usd ovavly as h fam

fo 30 sdal lvls od o povd b

soud sulao ad a dampg ffc fo h

entire structure. For RIBA Lubetkin Prize winner Te

M Bagkok, h hmal mass of h coc

sucu s pa of a gug passv vlao

soluo spd by opcal bugalos.

Te celebration o high-rise need not be restricted

to new buildings. Te regeneration o the multi-

storey Park Hill estate in Shefeld stripped

h buldg o s coc sklo ad h

vd o m h aspaos of mod

uba lvg, hl sll ackoldgg h ogalllgc of euop’s lags lsd buldg.

Hgh-s dsg ad cosuco pss s

o skyad challgs. Coc s mo ha

abl o s o m hm.

Guy ompson

Head of architecture and sustainability

e Concrete Centre

h w s PzTe Evelyn Grace Academy in London

by Zaha Hadd Achcs has o

the RIBA Stirling Prize 2011. Tis ish scod ya ug ha h

pacc has o h covd pz,

gadd as h mos psgous

Bsh achcu.

Amog h mos oabl faus

of h acadmy a h us of

xposd coc os ad a

sh coc chca, hch soops

ov ad aoud h acg

us hough h school, a

fol o h xpass of glazgy claddg.

Hadd’s 2010 also m

strong use o exposed concr

MAXXi Musum of 21s C

A rom has b hald

s “sucual pyochcs”

concrete being used to creat

y moolhc psc.

retro concrete: autuMn 2004Europe’s tallest residential building wins over the Swedes ... Saago

Calaava’s tug toso ally dvdd local opo Malmö. Bas

sculpu ha xplod h huma body moo, h sucu s m

nine oset concrete cubes, clad in white aluminium and glass. Te Sw

cy had v s ayhg lk hs sd 190m sdal o

h had h s of euop. Bu as os apdly ov h habou

a umb of ovaos coc cosuco, s 152 luxuy apa

bga p-sllg jus as fas.

arChivE

T M



COnCrEtE ELEganCE LECturE

Te aesthetic and perormance

poal of vsual coc s

xcg dsgs ad, casgly,

h cls. Hov, as dlgas

a h c Spcfyg Vsual

Coc cofc had, hs

poal ll oly b succssfully

achvd h ladshp fom

dsgs ad h aly volvm

of all mmbs of h pojc am.

Te conerence heard rom a

umb of ladg achcs ho

shad h appcao of coc.Alx wagh of Alls ad Moso

dscbd as “h Bay wh of

cosuco maals. i has al

soul ad s ppually fuky h

lashgs of dsco glamou”.

Bu as o all abou good

looks. Te conerence discussed how

xposd vsual coc ca a s

kp by casg hmal mass ad

dcasg h d fo addoal

cladding and fnishes. Exposed

coc hlps o mms o v

ga hag ad a-codog

qums, ducg a buldg’s

log-m vomal mpac.

Opaoal cabo doxd mssos

a fa hgh ha hos cad

dug cosuco, so hs ca

make a signifcant improvement to a

buldg’s ovall mpac.

Troughout the conerence, there

may fcs o h d

fo achcs o ak ladshp.

ealy volvm of h spcals

coc coaco ad fullcollaboao b h pojc

am also fl o b of pacula

mpoac.

Te range o buildings examined

by h cofc povd ha h

coms o vsual coc h oly

lmao s magao.

A guidance document, “How to Achieve

Visual Concrete”, was launched at the

conference and is now available to

buy from www.concretecentre.com/

publications

cf w

v ’ f

stEp ChangEs

Softs and staircases will be the ocus o the next Concrete Elegance

lecture, to be held in December at Te Building Centre in London.

Alred Munkenbeck o Munkenbeck + Partners will discuss 55 Gee St

an ofce and apartment building in the heart o Clerkenwell. Te buildhas a xpmal a-mxg vlao sysm, combd h x

concrete softs or thermal mass. A perorated brick acade allows or

cross-ventilation, which means the ofce space should not require co

o hag.

nx, tom Holbook of 5h Sudo ll dscb ho h pacc

a Georgian house in Kensington Church Street that had been clumsily

paod o h pops h md-1980s. i-su coc

maal of choc fo h calvd sacas, ad 5h Sudo ok

h Sam Pc of Pc & Mys o ca a subsaal y dlca s

Concrete Elegance takes place at the Building Centre, Store Street, Londo

on Tuesday 6 December from 6.30pm. For further information and to regi

go to www.concretecentre.com/events

55 Gee Street’s perorated acade works with a concrete rame to provide an energy-efcie

‘Real soul’: Exposed concrete at Bennetts Associates’ Potterrow Inormatics Faculty Building at

the University o Edinburgh (above), and Laarge Agilia coloured concrete at David Chipperfeld’s

Hepworth Gallery in Wakefeld (below)

P h o t o : K e i t h H u n t e r

P h o t o : J a a p O e p k e s , c o u r t e s y o f R a m b o l l




FEATURE | THE SHARD

toughened glassTe Shard may look like an impossibly slender glass pyramid, but at its core is72 storeys o concrete – and or 30 foors its structure is made o nothing else.It’s a solution that has required innovation, ingenuity, and one extremelypowerul pump, as Tony Whitehead discovered

P h o t o : S e l l a r



Between the 41st and 70th foors

concrete is used or all columns

and foor slabs

e Shad, ha 310m “vcal cy” o

complo a Lodo Bdg, s a xao

sgh, ad o jus bcaus of s hgh. C

h fac ha ll b asly h alls bu

h UK, bag h Caay whaf o by

dos gv a massv psc. Bu s

– a mpossbly all, gula pyamd of g

ha cosaly das h y ad fasca

You mgh hk ha such a buldg ca

hav b mad possbl by a alchmy ofcompu dsg ad slok, bu ha s

paly u. i fac, h Shad has a hghly

hybd sucu: pdomaly sl fam

lvl 40, bu h chagg o coc u

70, where it reverts to steel or the fnal 22

So hy s hs cdbl buldg bul h

s? Joh Pak, chcal dco h

Shad’s sucual g, wSP, xplas

combao of facos dov h dcso

a hybrid rame. e frst 40 oors are supp

slok spag fom a cal coc

sl colums. As h Shad ss, ad spa

so h umb of o colums ducs

From the 41st oor, all columns switch to

reinorced in-situ concrete and the oors acad fom pos-sod (Pt) coc

hch, bg ds ha compos pal

absorb more sound. ey also oer excelle

poco. “Abov 40, h Shad comps

ad luxuy sdcs hch d lss sv

ad b acousc spaao – so coc

to make more sense,” Parker says. “e PT s

also lgh ha oday focd coc

spa fuh, ad ca also b h. Us

enabled us to ft another two oors into th

of h Shad.”

is clearly has a big impact on the econ

h dvlopm. Lss obvously, also h

the building’s stability. “e concrete has a

dampg ffc,“ says Pak. “As h d h buldg movs, ad h sucu abso

ca amou of gy. essally all co

has mcoscopc cacks, ad al fco

d gy o ha hch abls o a

mo gy ha oh maals.”

ivably, h such a all ladmak bul

9/11 ll hav b h mds of h ac

ad sucual g. i fac, h os

bg bul o h wold tad C s

dsgd h vy obus coc cos

them to withstand extreme damage and f

off a pocd mas of scap.

e core is something o a marvel. Using

slpfom cosuco, ad lauchd fom l

(Basm) 2, h co g by a ypcal 15per hour. “e sliporm was raised in tiny ju

abou 10-20mm vy 10 mus o so,” s

PRojEcT TEAm

Developer Slla Goup

Architect rzo Pao Buldg wokshop

Principal contractor Mac

Structural engineer wSP

Groundworks contractor S

Concrete contractor By Bos

Concrete supplier Lodo Coc




FEATURE | THE SHARD

LEFT

Despite its depth o up to 6m,

the oundation slab was cast

in one pour

June 2010 Start of glass installation.

Over 11,000 panes, or 56,000m2, to beinstalled in total

December 2010 Concretereaching the 72nd floor (2becomes tallest building

Cosuco ml

February 2009 Startof piling work. Morethan 12km of piles to beinstalled in total

March 2009 Fullsite possession

November2009 Top-downconstructioncommences

January 2010 Start of construction of concrete core

2009 2010 2

As one might expect, thegroundworks and foundationsto Europe’s tallest building are

considerable and complex. Top-down construction was used sothat work could start on the corebefore the lower basement levelswere constructed.

To achieve this, secant pileswere first installed around theperimeter, and bearing pileswithin the basement footprint. Acapping beam was then cast tolink together the secant piles, andthe ground-floor slab was cast,leaving an opening for the core.

e slab was supported onthe capping beam and plunge

columns. In the centre these hadto be positioned very accurately,between piles left over from theprevious building, in order toprovide a stable base from whichthe core could be launched.

e basement was thenexcavated to level B2, and thecore slipform launched from this

level. Next, the B2 slab was cast,supported on the secant wall,plunge columns and the core, and

the ground floor central openingwas infilled.Excavation then continued to

level B3 and the B3 (foundationraft) slab was cast. Core wallswere completed from B3 to B2.Finally, the B1 slab was cast.

Despite its size (up to 6m deepand never less than 1.5m), thefoundation slab was cast in onepour. “We didn’t have to do it inone go,” says Houston. “But a keyfactor was that there was so muchreinforcement, we would have hadto put a stop in through seven

layers of steel at the bottom andfive at the top. Heat gain was alsoan issue, but by adjusting the mixthroughout the pour we kept thisto a minimum.”

Some 5,500m3, or 700truckloads, of concrete werepoured over 36 hours – the largestpour London has ever seen.

e top-down approach

Houso, pojc dco h coc co

By Bos. “w dog couous 24

pours or fve-and-a-hal days at a time. Ea

day ould pou aoud 400m3 ad go u

abou 3m.”

A h bas, h co s cagula o pl

masug 22m x 20m h alls som 80

hck, hough hs ducs sval spslevels as the oor area serviced by the cor

to buld a co lk hs succssfully, says

Houso, s ssal o g h coc

xacly gh. “You d hgh aly sg

amd fo 30 nos 24 hous, hch

says Houso. “Ad o avod dag o h fo

also needs to be uid and not stick.”

to achv hs, By Bos chos fom 3

avalabl mxs suppld fom h local b

plants. “e sliporm lasted a year so we w

subjc o vy mpau ad d co

ko o ma,” says Houso. “w had o

h mx dpdg o amb codos

of pogss ad ha could s happ

h coc. w ould g up h supplll hm o sch fom, say, mx 10 o m

qud clos laso, bu okd vy

Gg coc up o such hgh lvls (

core fnishes at level 72) required more ea

gg – o, as Houso pus , “o v

bg pump”. A mos 17.5-l dsl pum

bough ha could push coc up o

of 250m a a a of 30m3 p hou.

Bu v h hs gagaua k h

challgs o ovcom. Lghgh agg

fo h compos pals s o asy o pu

s h hgh-sgh C80 coc usd fo

pm colums. “Bcaus of h cm

it goes o quite quickly so it can be difcu

maa h pou,” says Houso. “i do’ may popl hav pumpd hgh-sgh

ha hgh bfo, bu foud a mx ha

Of cous, as o jus coc ha h

o b aspod up o mo ha a qua

a kilometre into the sky. As Adrian omso

dco a coaco Mac, says: “wh up

opavs o s, vcal aspoao

ad maals bcoms absoluly ky.”

April 2010 5,500m3 of concrete poured over 36hours (see box, above)



P h o t o s : I n -

P r e s s

RIGHT

Te concrete core rose by

about 3m a day

September 2011 Crane

reaches highest point(317m from ground levelwhen fully extended)

Start of spireconstruction

First quarter 2012Concrete and glasswork complete tolevel 72

As CQ gos o pss, h coc lm

buldg a compl. Abov lvl 72 h

us o sl, bu hs lvls a o g

oors as such, containing only plant on thlevels. e rest is purely aesthetic – or as

pus , “22 soys of achcual xpss

So ha has b lk okg o h

buldg euop? “rllss!” says Hous

amazg. i do’ hk i’ll s aoh poj

hs o.”

“Awesome” is omson’s verdict. “ere’s

s fom h publc, ad such a b

s. i do’ ko ayo okg o hs b

ha dos’ g a kck ou of .”

2012

MAY 2012PrACtiCALCOMPLetiOnOF SHeLLAnD COre

omson explains that while the Shard’s height

as obvously a challg hs spc, s

shap as a v bgg ssu. “i a buldg h

vcal sds, h xal okg plafom, fo

xampl, ca jus mov up h buldg ad poc

oks fom d ad cold,” h says. “Bu h

every level o the Shard, the radius o the oorplan

ducs by abou 300mm. w dd a lo of okdvlopg a sysm ha could cop h hs.”

e solution involved a rig with removable

scos ha could b ak ou by ca

ovgh. i placs, sldg shll foms ovlap lk

h sk of a amadllo. “i povd vy ffcv,”

says omson, “especially in the concrete levels

h h pos-sog opavs dd o

ok ousd h slabs.”

As ll as qug hs cdbl shkg

plafom, h slopg sds of h Shad (hy

cl by 6º) ma ha a xal doubl hos,

usd o lf glazg o plac, had o b spcally

dsgd h a paalllogam-shapd cag o

accommoda h slop.

Aoh challg fo Mac as o su hah vcal aspo sysms ould o b

“ovak” by cosuco, focg ok o paus

hl lfg aspo as aagd. to

ovaos sud hs ould o happ a h

Shard. e frst was the use o jump lits – which

us h co’s acual lf shafs, bu hav lfg ga

ha ca clmb sd h shaf so ha h lfs ca

alays ach h dsd lvl.

e second was the decision to place a crane on

op of h slpfom, ah ha aachg o h

co, so o ma ho fas h co g, h ca

as alays abov – a ovao ha Mac

blvs o b guly uqu.

Dsp h challgs of hgh ad shap,

cosuco has pogssd ll. “i h sllvls somms affcd by d

soppags, bu h coc lvls, ally

got into a rhythm,” says omson. “At one level

h ould b cao of fomok, ad poug

coc, ad blo ha h o-sag sssg,

then grouting, o the slabs. is proved very

labl. w ould pou vy Fday, ad h

vy mlso bag o h moy.”




manchester | manchester metropolitan university

project team

c Sud Casl

a Hodd +

Pas

s g wSP

m

Shphd CosucoF Hyod

(far) higher

educationHodder + Partners’ 106m-high student block will beManchester’s fourth tallest building, but has been cleverlydesigned to ft in with the surrounding streets

m Mopola Uvsy’s

sud accommodao buldg aks h phas

“voy o” o hghs – h compl

2012, ll b h cy’s fouh alls buldg.

Hodd + Pas’ dsg s 106m ad 37 soys

hgh, ad ll povd slf-coad ooms

ad apams fo 520 suds o h GaMalboough S campus.

Te building sits on a podium that addresses the

sharp corner between New Wakefeld Street and

Ga Malboough S h a coc hgh

ha s kpg h h suoudg buldgs

ad povds couy o h s all. Abov

h podum, h buldg s spl o fou o

slices. Te highest are the north-east and north-

west towers, whose slender profles will be a noted

addo o h Machs skyl.

Te decision to slice the building into our

lms ducs h ovall mpac ad gvs a

more interesting acade. Te staggered pattern o

h dff shads of mud claddg chos h

slcd os.Te building makes use o several innovative

cosuco chqus, h o-soy colums

ha pcas o s, a hacd clmb-

ack sysm fo buldg h co ad pos-

tensioned concrete to provide thinner slab

appoachs povdd cos, susaably, hand saety and programme benefts. Te p

o schdul o m s gh dadl of

of h x acadmc ya.

Te inherent thermal mass, fre resistanc

soud sulao of h coc sucu

also cobud o a BreeAM ag of “v

Tis high-rise building was never going t

uocd. Dsp s sz, hov, h d

maags o hamos h boh h mm

ghbouhood ad Machs’s skyl b

o accou h scal of s mmda loc

ad of h cy byod.

above

Elevations showing how thebuilding is “sliced” into four

slender elements

left

Te height o the podium

echoes surrounding buildings



the outdoor lifeTe award-winning Met apartment building in Bangkok is a new take on high-rise living, withgardens and verandas threaded throughout its 66 storeys

project team

c Pebble Bay Tailand Co

a wOHA

ad tadm Achcs

s g woly Pasos

the met | BanG

Te 2011 riBA Lubk Pz has b aadd

o a hgh-s buldg ha s o so much a o

block as a 66-soy sack of lo-s opcal

housing. For Te Met in Bangkok, Singapore

achc wOHA has ud s back o ws

modls of hgh-s dsg ha am o povd a

sald a-codod spac pocd fom d

ad a. isad, has mbacd h appoach of

h opcal hom h a vada ha s op o

h lms fo aual coss-vlao.

Te 370 apartments are oriented north to south,

ad a saggd block aagm sus ach

has accss ad a o all fou sds. Publc ad

pva acs lk h apams o povdxal spacs h sky h oudoo gads.

Te cross-ventilation makes ull use o tropical

bzs o mov h d fo gy-sv

a-codog, pa of a passv susaably

strategy o which the thermal efciency o the

coc fam plays a gal pa. Oh

passv masus clud shadg by ovhags

ad pfoad mal scs ha poc h

xal alls fom daym sush ad ha.

evy hozoal sufac s plad, ad h as

ad s alls a covd by lvg pla scs,

hch cool h buldg ad hlp o mpov h a

qualy. wa gads a goud lvl ad o h

recreational oors provide evaporative cooling and

so aa.Basd o a 9m modul, h sucu s sld

ad lga. i s, hov, sog ha looks

– mus b abl o hsad o oly hgh ds

but earthquakes too. Tere is structural bracing

every fve levels where the sky gardens, pools and

commo aas a locad.

Te architectural details reect the culture and

heritage o Tailand. Te cladding is reminiscent

o Tai temple tiles, and the eect is enhanced

by h adom copoao of shy salss-

sl pals ha bg o md h mos of

ound within temples. Te staggered balconies,

mahl, cho h pallg foud o adoal

Tai homes.

Te Met provides a undamental rethink o high-s cosuco fo h opcs. is ga ck s

ha alhough looks adcal ad fuusc s,

fac, basd upo lo-s homs, ad abov all

smpl, passv sags.

top

Te building conta

apartments

above

Every apartment h

space

left

Tere is structural

every fve levels, w

gardens and comm

are located



10 | CQ | winter 2011

building review | park hill, SheFField

return of the

high streetPark Hill’s ‘streets in the sky’ were once notorious, but the Shefeld estatehas now been sensitively restored – adding colour, natural light and a senseo openness, while maintaining the integrity o its imposing structure

Te frst reurbished homes o Park Hill, the

brutalist residential development that dominates

the Shefeld skyline, are now on sale. Built

in 1957 by Jack Lynn and Ivor Smith working

with JL Womersley o Shefeld Corporation City

Architects Department, Park Hill is architectural

marmite. It was the most ambitious inner-city

housing development o its time and at frst proved

to be very popular. However, rom the 1980s a lacko investment and rapid social change contributed

to its decline and it began to epitomise all the

supposed ills o mass housing design. Now though,

its regeneration has capitalised on the intelligence

o the original design to successully meet the

aspirations o a new generation.

Built on a steeply sloping site with a gradient

o 1:10, Park Hill has a commanding presence

over the city. Te building profle engages with

the topography o the site, with the roo level

remaining constant as the height o the residential

block ranges rom our to 13 storeys. Te building

pioneered modern design and building techniques

including the “streets in the sky” which aimed to

recreate the community spirit o traditional streets

within a high-rise development. In recognition o

its historic signifcance, Park Hill was granted grade

II*-listed status in 1998, making it the largest listed

structure in Europe.

A wide-ranging collaboration between developer

Urban Splash, Shefeld City Council, GreatPlaces Housing Group, English Heritage and the

Homes and Communities Agency, together with

architects Hawkins\Brown and Studio Egret

West and landscape architect Grant Associates,

is undertaking a £160m regeneration scheme to

turn Park Hill into a vibrant place to live or the

21st century. When completed, there will be 874

apartments, one-third o which will be aordable

housing, as well as new retail and leisure acilities.

Te concrete structural grid o the blocks was

ound to be structurally sound and has been

repaired and retained. New acades o brightly

Te “streets in the sky” have been retained, but

with improved passive surveillance

Built in 1957, Park Hill was the most ambitious

inner-city housing development o its time



project team

Development partners

Urban Splash, Shefeld

City Council, Homes and

Communities Agency,

Great Places Housing

Group, English Heritage

Architects Hawkins\

Brown, Studio Egret WestStructural engineer

Martin Stockley

Associates

Landscape architect

Grant Associates

coloured anodised panels, made rom the s

material as Apple’s iPod casings, have repl

the brickwork. Te amous suspended link

have been retained – although now there be concierge access. Elements o the conc

structure will be let exposed within each

apartment, to maintain a sense o the arch

history and importance o the building.

While the integrity o the original structu

remains, some architectural interventions

been made. Te north- and east-acing ele

have been opened up by inverting the soli

ratio to 2/3 glazing, 1/3 solid, giving the pr

dark bedroom spaces much more daylight

our-storey cut through the north-west blo

provides a new, more welcoming entrance

development, while an external mirror-fni

stainless steel helical stair and glazed exte

core on the west acade o the north-westoers another new entrance with dramatic

circulation and panoramic views o the city

Te original concrete balustrades have b

replaced with a more slender design, cast w

higher quality fnish, and new apartment h

and landing windows open out on to the s

streets to improve passive surveillance. T

alterations have helped to reduce the ort

like impermeability o the original design,

eeling o openness will be increased still

with the planned removal o the retaining

that currently terrace and barrier the hill’s

New communal landscaping and private g

will also soten the urban landscape o Par

Te regeneration o Park Hill has workedoriginal concept, taking the building back t

structural skeleton and providing a new, im

version that builds on its ormer strengths

deerence that is intelligent and well place

Elements of the concrete stru

been let exposed in each

Te new acades include coloured anodised panels made rom the

same material as the casings or Apple’s iPods



This is Concrete is supported by The Concrete Centre

This is concreteThe concrete that created Clerkenwell's landmark Angel Building incorporates

replacement material for 36% of the cement in its mix. Good for theenvironment, great for the visual finish. This is worth talking about.

Want to know more? Join the discussion at thisisconcrete.co.uk

C l i e n t : D e r w e n t L o n d o n ; A r c h i t e

c t : A l l f o r d H a l l M o n a g h a n M o r r i s ; C G I : T h e N e i g h b o u r h o o

d ; P h o t o g r a p h y : T i m o t h y S o a r

S h o r t l i s

t e d f o r t h e 2 0 1 1 R I B A S t i r l i n g P r i z e .

this is

low carbon

Angel-CQMag210x265mm:Layout117/11/201111:56Page1

concrete quarterly | winter 2011 | issue number 238

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