Palmer Street

Our client has commissioned us to design a temporary steel frame, supporting a first-floor column and facilitating the creation of an opening within the façade for logistical purposes. This was essential for smooth access and egress to the construction site, especially given the project’s sensitive urban location. Additionally, the client’s desire to commence building demolition as soon as possible made the opening for logistics a significant milestone.

Before designing the temporary structure, our team planned a sway path for lorries to enter the site. We were able to determine that only a single façade column needed to be removed to provide access. This not only made the temporary frame smaller but also caused minimal impact on the building’s structure.

We have proposed installing two triangular steel frames to support and transfer the self-weight of the four floors above. These frames were clamped onto and supported by the columns on either side. We have carefully verified existing concrete columns and, by implementing exclusion zones to reduce live load, we have showcased the columns’ capacity to efficiently support additional loads originating from the temporary frame. Additionally, we utilized preloaded connections between the steel and existing concrete.