A new Grade A office development has quickly taken shape adjacent to one of the capital’s most famous landmarks – the Monument, which was erected to commemorate the Great Fire of London. All of the upper floors of this nine-storey structure will accommodate offices, some of which – floors four, five, seven and nine – feature outdoor terraces.
Structurally, the building has been designed with a steel frame based around one eccentrically positioned concrete core. Below ground level the structure is founded on concrete raft foundations, while a basement and ground slab have also been formed with concrete.
To minimize the structural floor zone, and hence maximize the number of floors, a steel-framed option was the best solution for this project. Steelwork contractor Severfield has fabricated, supplied and erected 650t of structural steel for the project. Utilizing a coordinated multidisciplinary Building Information Modelling (BIM) approach, the project team was able to streamline the design, which in turn helped optimize the steel tonnage to its most efficient amount.
The steel erection was sub-divided into four phases for each floor, starting in the south east corner and erectors then working around the core in a clockwise direction. Once steel was unloaded from the delivery trucks it was stacked on laydown points, which corresponded with the four phases on top of the completed frame.
Aside from the terraces formed where the building steps back along its northern elevation, the frame is fairly regimented in design all the way from ground floor to roof level. The only exception is a pair of storey-high cantilever trusses along the same northern elevation, which ensure that the building does not load an adjoining party wall by transferring the perimeter column, loads inwards.
Selecting steel for its light structure, which came in handy on the more complex areas of the development where it was close to the underground system. Also known for being an efficient material with sustainable qualities, it was an appropriate choice for the design of The Monument Building. The architects have been able to achieve an efficient design that works with both the architecture and building services. The Monument Building is scheduled to be completed by May 2016.