Cuba Street

Leveraging local knowledge to deliver the most efficient foundations & structural scheme

Having completed designs for a large number of buildings on the Isle of Dogs, Walsh’s knowledge of local ground conditions and high-rise building design helped us quickly develop the most efficient structural scheme for Cuba Street.

Walsh provided pre-planning ground investigation scoping, management, and reporting for this site in the Isle of Dogs; the proposed site of a new 51-storey residential tower. Despite relatively complex contamination encountered on site, regulatory planning approval was granted on first submission.

HYDROCARBONS

The ground investigation encountered significant hydrocarbon contamination within the shallow groundwater aquifer. Walsh developed a Remediation Strategy through having both geotechnical and structural engineers working collaboratively. This meant that the proposed development works formed part of the overall remediation works.

The Remediation Strategy was approved by Local Planning Authority through planning on first submission.

HUMAN HEALTH RISK

We also developed the Conceptual Site Model and carried out a ground investigation to identify human health risks to future receptors. An approved Remediation Strategy was developed and is due to be implemented as construction proceeds, to address pre-occupation Planning Conditions.

FOUNDATION RISK

Finally, a Foundation Works Risk Assessment was conducted to assess the risk of hydrocarbon contamination impacting the principal aquifer of the Thanet Sands.

Walsh has designed the 52-storey residential tower using post-tensioned slabs to minimise the weight of the structure supported by the structural steelwork plate girder transfer system at level 32. A plate girder transfer system was used to hide the main beam in an upstand thus mitigating the impact of the structural depth on clear floor heights.

The use of post-tensioned floor slabs has minimised residential floor slab thickness, which reduces transfer structure, reduces column sizes and reduces the number of piles.

Wind tunnel testing has been utilised to bring down design wind loading, helping us design the structure to resist lateral loads using just the corridor core walls and only a single outrigger wall.