PT replaces steel at Faculty of Arts

March 31, 2021

Designed by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios architects and constructed by Bowmer + Kirkland, the new Faculty of Arts Building is part of Warwick University’s five-year development plan to ensure the establishment remains a world-class education provider.

The original structural design included 300 mm reinforced concrete (RC) slabs, along with a number of steel plate girders at lower levels of the building to support the structural load and enable the large spans required.

Concrete frame contractor, Whelan & Grant, engaged CCL to develop a solution to replace the steel beams using concrete. By replacing the steel beams with post-tensioned (PT) concrete transfer beams and converting the RC slabs to PT, CCL’s re-engineered design reduced cost, complexity, material consumption and the number of trades involved, bringing significant value to the project.

The project brings together under one roof seven departments currently split between two buildings. The University of Warwick Faculty of Arts building is due to complete in time for the 2022 academic year.