Record-breaking 3,200m3 concrete pour completes at St George development
On Saturday 7 February 2015, residential developer St George celebrated a significant milestone in the construction of One Blackfriars with a 24-hour continuous concrete pour. Once completed in spring 2018, the iconic tower will stand at 50 storeys high and encompass approximately 57,000 tonnes of concrete structure.
At 3,200m3, this is the largest concrete pour ever completed in one sitting by contractor Laing O'Rourke, as the team took delivery of approximately 400 trucks of concrete to the site from factories in Kings Cross and Silvertown.
The newly-formed raft slab will carry the weight of the full concrete structure, distributing the weight evenly across 36 large diameter bearing piles. It is estimated that the concrete will take 56 days to achieve its specified target strength.
The overnight pour - brought forward by a week to avoid disruption to a nearby hotel over the Valentine's Day weekend - filled an excavated hole 18m deep, resulting in a raft slab up to 4.5m thick. This concrete slab will provide stability for the 170m-high tower in the face of wind resistance, creating an internal lever arm across its base and providing a large mass to anchor the form.
The design for this soaring asymmetrical tower has been created by Ian Simpson Architects and features a dynamic double envelope façade with two distinct layers. This double-skin helps fresh air to circulate the building, reducing the need for further cooling systems and giving the building an unusual curved form, adding an impressive new silhouette to the London skyline.
Michael Bryn - Jones , Managing Director, St George South London, said: "We are delighted with the ongoing building progress at One Blackfriars. This vast concrete pour marks a significant milestone in the construction of the tower and it is thrilling to see a record-breaking pour conducted at a St George site. Work will now commence apace and Londoners will be able to watch as One Blackfriars begins to take shape on the city skyline."
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For further information, please contact FTI Consulting:
Ollie Pratt T: 0203 727 1428 E: Ollie.Pratt@fticonsulting.com
Sian Disson T: 0203 727 1747 E: Sian.Disson@fticonsulting.com
Notes to the Editor:
About St George PLC:
St George is proud to be a member of the Berkeley Group and is London's leading mixed use developer, regenerating brownfield land to create thriving new communities in attractive landscaped environments.
Since 2000 St George has delivered over 8,730 new homes; over 2,400 of which are affordable; 836,000 sq ft of commercial floor space and 83,000 sq ft of community space, as well as 30 acres of open space.
In 2002, St George was the first residential developer to be granted the Queen's Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development. The Berkeley Group as a whole received this prestigious accolade in 2008 and again in 2014.
Each home St George delivers creates or sustains 5.6 jobs.
About One Blackfriars:
One Blackfriars is an iconic 170m / 50 storey high tower on London's Southbank by residential developer St George.
Currently under construction, it will provide 274 new homes, a boutique-style 161-bedroom hotel by joint venture Realstart Group and Amerimar, landscaped piazza and retail, café and restaurant outlets.
Anchoring the development will be a new 641 sq m public square with gentle landscaping, seating areas, water features and a locally commissioned artwork. This easily accessible square will be open to residents and the wider public alike, offering relaxing spaces for informal meetings and social gatherings.
The development has provided £29 million for affordable housing reflecting local planning policy. By providing cash in lieu, more and larger affordable homes will be delivered in Southwark.
One Blackfriars will deliver regeneration of a key vacant site on Blackfriars Road, a priority area for the council, which has been empty for over a decade after the former Sainsburys HQ was demolished.
St George is a founder member of the council's Blackfriars Road landowners' Group which is working to improve the area.
Local employment and training opportunities will be offered through construction and with the commercial occupiers including 25 apprenticeships. There are already two apprentices working on the site. There will be approximately 200 permanent jobs on completion.