Stanhope and Arup - General Other - UK

Date: 04 Aug 2008

Stanhope and Arup are pleased to announce the introduction of a new building solution, which incorporates the technology of SPS (Sandwich Plate System) Floors and offers the potential for a reduction in construction time by up to 35%. The system adapts SPS, which is currently used on a wide range of infrastructure schemes, including stadia, bridges and maritime projects, and is set to be deployed on a major commercial property development for the first time.

The combination of prefabrication, composite material and the lightweight nature of the SPS solution, offers the potential for a significant reduction in construction time - up to 20% less than a comparable steel frame building and 35% less than post-tensioned concrete.

Stanhope identified an opportunity to take knowledge from previous infrastructure schemes and integrate it into the development of commercial building projects.
Stanhope commissioned a detailed study led by consulting engineers Arup, together with William Hare, Davis Langdon and Bovis Lend Lease, to address the technical, commercial, manufacturing and delivery issues of SPS, as well as end user implications.

This innovative solution developed as a result of the study allows the full benefits of this composite material to be realised in a prefabricated context. In particular opening up opportunities for 'follow-on' trades, such as building services and cladding, to
provide 'bolt-together' solutions that further reduce build times.

The study developed a solution for using SPS Floor technology in a commercial building context. It went on to compare the material's performance with concrete and steel composite frame solutions based on a current 12-storey scheme. It concluded that construction costs were comparable and the benefits of the SPS solution were compelling:

- Total weight of the structure is reduced by 50% versus steel and 70% versus post tensioned (PT) concrete;
- Superstructure construction durations are reduced by 20% versus steel and 35% versus PT concrete;
- The number of trades and volume of site labour are reduced, together with a commensurate reduction of potential health and safety risks through the elimination of wet work above ground level;
- The construction duration is de-risked through prefabrication of standard components and the early integration of follow on trade items.
- The building height can be reduced or the floor to ceiling height increased due to reduced floor sandwich thickness when using SPS.

SPS Floors use a structural composite developed by Intelligent Engineering, which comprises two metal plates bonded to a polyurethane core. The floors act
compositely with the steel frame and are 75% lighter than concrete. Panels are delivered to site prefabricated and the floors are ready and safe to use as soon as they are secured in position, thereby meeting one of the Government's key criteria.

Commenting on today's announcement, Peter Rogers, Director, Stanhope, said:

"Stanhope has always been at the forefront of the construction industry and has been one of its most proactive innovators. It is important for us to keep abreast of new technologies and to look for opportunities where they can enhance our competitive
edge and deliver enhanced cost, time and efficiency benefits for our clients and partners, which is particularly important in the current market conditions. The Arup study strongly supports our decision to use SPS Floors."

David Glover, Director and head of Arup's Buildings London group, said:

"In a resource constrained world there is a need for the industry to make the step change necessary to deliver true off-site prefabrication. There is no doubt that the use of the SPS system provides a first positive step while also enabling us to continue the development towards a fully integrated design, fabrication and delivery process built around our new generation of 3D computer models. This will enable
80% of the building process to be taken offsite and deliver a new generation of lean sustainable buildings that optimise our resources and labour."

Gary Simmons, Technical Director of steelwork contractor William Hare Ltd, added:

"SPS Floors are delivered to site as finished panels that are simply lifted and bolted directly to the steel frame, with the frame and floors being handled by the same construction crew. This provides an instantly safe working surface that requires no
shear studs or additional wet trades and results in a significant time saving in erection and a speedier handover for finishing trades."

Where do I go now?: » View the latest news items » View the news archive » Subscribe to Weekly Construction Newsletter » Submit news