Morgan Ashurst has used off-site manufacturing for University of Manchester building

Precast concrete wall panel are manufactured off-site and arrive on-site ready for installation complete with glazed windows, insulation and tiling on the exterior. On this scheme each panel comprises a precast concrete panel, which is lined with Kingspan insulation, fitted with a double glazed window unit, and is tiled on the exterior with terracotta coloured ceramic tiles. Tiles are fixed to the panel using a standard building adhesive for bonding ceramics to concrete.

Key points:


• No panels were received on site with damage, with only one single tile needing replacement following fitting leading to significant waste savings
• Environmental benefits with a reduction in traffic movements, and little on-site construction noise associated with fixing the panels reducing potential nuisance issues
• Health and safety benefits as no scaffolding required, less trades were on site at any one time and there is a reduction in the number of individual operations being conducted, all factors contributing to lower risk
• Significant quality benefits also achieved as each panel is finished prior to arriving on site and it is considerably easier to tile a panel in a horizontal position inside a manufacturing shed than once in-situ on site
• A reduction in the construction programme with all panels being installed in approximately 20 days as opposed to 80 man days.

Contractor: Morgan Ashurst . Client: University of Manchester . Panel assembly: Marble Mosaics . Glazing supplier: Solaglass

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