Frewin Development

Unfortunately the rain last week hampered the external elevation works and slow progress was made though the contractor is hoping to make up time this week.

The roof coverings have progressed with more top felt covering along the east elevation and one of the ancillary roofs. The window installation has commenced in lower ground and will continue this week to help seal the building.

A temporary heating and de-humidifying system has been installed to help with drying out the building structure.

The ‘hot melt’ bitumen works have commenced externally at ground floor level which will allow the external cladding and aluminium frame works to be carried out shortly.

Partitioning works are generally complete to all the bedrooms and completion of the external sheathing is underway.

Fire stopping installation has been started to the underside of the roof voids and various penetrations will be sealed up this week upon completion of M&E works

A topping out ceremony was held on Wednesday when the Principal, Development Director and Prof. Morgan joined the project team on site and signed a piece of panelling that will be incorporated in the roof. 

The top felt covering is now progressing well on the roof.

Contractors have continued installing stonework to piers and glass block walling along the external walls and are both nearly up to the underside of roof level.

Partitioning studwork has been completed on the 1^st floor, as have the air-tight barriers. Plasterboard works are progressing along behind them.

The underfloor heating pipework and manifolds have been installed on the lower ground and ground floor levels. Screeding has also been completed behind them and is now curing before being available to other trades this week.

The lift shaft has been surveyed by Stanna and the ‘lifting beams’ tested, in advance of their installation starting later this month

Electrical, ductwork and plumbing works have continued where available due to screeding works. These will progress more productively this week with en-suite works commencing in earnest following the screeding.

The Velfac window installation and the limestone wall preparation works will commence on the lower ground floor.

This  week will see more material being delivered daily, predominantly partitioning material and timber, which will be off loaded and moved into site with the forklift.

Door frames, temporary heating equipment and kitchen units will also be delivered.

Roof work continues; it is hoped the green roof can start to be installed next week.

The contractors have continued installing stonework to piers along the external walls and completed the small lightwell.

Initial partition boarding has now been completed on the both the ground and 2^nd floors and insulation installation externally is now in progress.

Studwork is in progress on the 1^st floor, and this week will see insulation, air-tight barriers and plasterboard following on as they have elsewhere.

Glass block walling installation has continued on the 1^st floor and will move up to the 2^nd next week.

Waterproofing works to the lower ground floor have been completed in advance of the underfloor heating and screeding being commenced next week.

This week will see more material being delivered daily, predominantly partitioning material and timber, which will be off loaded and moved into site with the forklift.

Both upper and lower roofs have been covered with ply. The three access hatches and the six Velux roof lights have been installed on timber surrounds. This week the insulation arrives to form the falls and gutters. The green roof make-up will then follow-on.

Initial partition boarding has been completed on the ground floor and insulation installation externally is now in progress.

Studwork has been completed on the second floor, and this week will see insulation, air-tight barriers and plasterboard following on as they have below.

Electrical, ductwork and plumbing works have continued on both lower ground and ground floor following the partition work.

The lower ground floor has been cleared and the floor cleaned in advance of the waterproofing works commencing on Monday. Underfloor heating and screeding of the lower floors is programmed to follow at the end of the month.

This  week will see more material being delivered daily, predominantly partitioning material and timber, which will be off loaded and moved into site with the forklift.

Glass block walling has commenced along the Clarendon elevation and will continue this week.

Partition erection has continued on the ground floor and commenced with the standing of stud work on the second floor. Following standing of the timber studs, insulation, air-tight barriers and plasterboard will follow-on as they have in the lower floors. This will continue over the next few weeks around both floors.

Electrical, ductwork and plumbing works have continued on both lower ground and ground floor following the partition work.

This week will see installation of the roof hatches and Velux roof lights.

During this week more material will be delivered daily, predominantly partitioning material and timber, which will be off loaded and moved into site with the forklift.

This week contractors will complete the fitting of the metal roof sheets. This will be followed by ply sheathing and the waterproofing vapour layers. Before insulation, felt layers and green roof make-up.

The scaffolding has continued to enclose the building. Now the upstand details and fascia details can be constructed at roof level and this can also be used for the other ‘cladding’ trades around the building, such as the glass block walling and window screens.

Partition erection has continued within lower ground and erectors have moved also onto the ground floor, setting out the rooms and standing studs. Insulation, air-tight barriers and plasterboard will be following over the next weeks.

Electrical works have commenced in Lower ground and plumbing / mechanical will follow this week.

Also within the plantroom, the plinths have been poured so that the large items such as water tanks and the ground source heat pump can be installed

This week will see more material being delivered daily, predominantly partitioning material and timber which will be off loaded and moved into site with forklift.

A very busy week on site with 13 different sub-contractors and up to 35 operatives on the ground, working on all levels from lower ground to roof.

Concrete to all above ground level floors has now been poured.  Last week the contractor started the mechanical works in the roof void and the mains electric incoming supply was routed and installed by SSE.

Electrical containment has been installed in preparation for the incoming mains power supply.

Stonework to the East lightwell and the ground floor slab area continued.

Timber stud walls on Lower Ground Floor will continue to be installed this week as well as ongoing works to ductwork, drainage and pipework at roof level.

Last week saw the completion of the metal decking that supports the concrete floors, and the re-bar works are progressing so that they can be poured towards the end of this week.

Scaffolders have installed a further level to the loading bay and are continuing installing temporary handrails around the framing following the decking completion.

They have also further progressed the Clarendon scaffold, in readiness for the glass block walling steelwork completion on Monday and Tuesday of this week.

Within the main lightwell, the concrete works behind the piles have been completed and the foundations within the small lightwell have also been poured.

Copper lightning rods have been drilled into the ground and linked to the steel frame

Following the completion of the main structural steel frame, last week saw the metal floor decking being installed. The first floor is complete, and the 2^nd floor is in progress.

Early this week, the decking will complete, and the reinforcement can be installed prior to finally concreting the floors.

Scaffolders are continuing installing temporary handrails around, and within, the frame to allow for safe access and workspace.

Within the main lightwell, blockwork, insulation and stonework has been completed to window cill height and the backfilling of the various areas is in progress. This will continue this week together with the concrete works behind the piles and the foundations within the small lightwell.

Further inroads have been made on moving the Shoe Lane flat window. The structural work and bricklaying have been completed together with re-fixing the window. Internal making good of the plasterboard and decorations will commence today.

The main structural elements of the steel frame are now complete, including the minor works around fixings and bracing that were held over from the previous week.

Scaffolders are continuing to install temporary handrails around the external framing in readiness for the decking installers who are due to start today.

Internal temporary propping will now be removed and bedroom ceiling making good progressed.

Within the main lightwell, blockwork, insulation and stonework has been progressed.

The steel frame is continuing to grow; the west wing completed on Friday. Bolts and fixings are being installed along the remaining eastern elevation ready for completion this week.

This week will also see the glass block walling steel framing fixed along the Clarendon centre elevations.

The concrete coping to the east elevation has been removed and trimming back of the Clarendon coping will be carried out next week. This will enable the new stone walling to be installed.

The chestnut tree works, approved by the council tree officer, will be carried out at the end of this week (lifting of crown and removal of some lateral branches).

The steel frame is continuing to be erected working out from the south-east corner, and roof steels have been installed so we can now gauge the overall height of the finished building. Tying into the concrete lift shaft core will allow the steelwork to continue around to the south-west corner during this week.

Staircase units are being installed within the main frame and will have temporary handrails installed to allow access around the building before the final balustrades are delivered in a few months

Internally within Lower Ground, the blockwork and insulation to the external walls is progressing together with the block internal partition walls. Timber stud walls will progress once the building is more weather protected.

This coming week will see more erection of the steel frame structure.

The scaffolders will carry out erection of scaffold for the bricklayers on the lower ground floor next week allowing them to reach the top of the walls and install the head restraints (particularly noisy work due to rachet guns).

The concrete frame has now been completed with access platforms removed.

First delivery of steelwork has arrived and  the steelwork contractor has commenced setting out, drilling, and installing of holding down bolts.

The steelwork contractor commenced the installation of steelwork on Wednesday.

Framework contractor will be completing the concrete pouring to internal stairs 1 and 2.

The garden wall ground beams have been cast.

The bricklaying contractor has also arrived onsite to commence blockwork.

The concrete frame is approaching completion.

Striking of the decking will be carried out from mid-week; this is a noisy operation.

The removal of excess material, and decking components over the coming week will allow MJ Patch to commence setting out of the steelwork and fixing of the holding down bolts into the ground floor slab.

Internally within the Lower Ground floor, the waterproof coating works are progressing well around the external walls.  

On Tuesday, the initial copper lightning protection rods will be driven into the ground, and this will allow backfilling and retaining wall construction within the light wells.

Towards the end of the week, the first loads of steel frame will be delivered and off loaded ready for erection on Monday 11^th July.

The concrete frame is still progressing upwards. A number of the walls have been cast from 1^st to 2^nd floor level with the last one due to be completed today.

The 2^nd floor decking has started which will continue early this week to allow formation and casting of the 2^nd floor slab later this week.

Externally, the GSHP manifold pipework and the water main pipework are all now insulated and run through into the plantroom.

Internally within Lower Ground, the falsework was removed and back-propping has been installed whilst the concrete works continue above. The waterproofing works are progressing around the external walls with Vandex and will be followed shortly by a “Toughseal” top coating.

On Tuesday, the contractor will carry-out a CCTV survey of the installed sub-structure drainage pipework

Good progress has been made since the last monthly update; at which point we were just out of the ground.

The basement formation and ground floor slab have now been completed as have all the ground to 1^st floor walls around the lift shaft and core area.

The next set of walls from 1^st to 2^nd has now commenced.

Externally, the GSHP manifold pipework has been extended into the plantroom after the service holes were drilled through the external walls. The excavation for the new water main has been carried out, and this week will see the pipework installed and insulated.

Both internally and externally, the Cottage 7 temporary support and restraint works are being monitored to assess any movement or deterioration in the cottage. None has been witnessed so far.

City Planners met on site to review external material samples.

The next couple of weeks will see the completion of the 1^st to 2^nd floor walls and the pouring of the 2^nd floor concrete slab and the delivery of the structural steel.

The falsework (temporary support for concrete pouring) for the ground floor slab has progressed further behind the vertical works progress, and ply decking has now been installed along the south wing and is in progress along the east wing.

The west wing of the ground floor slab has been poured and falsework will be removed once tests on the concrete have been carried out.

The core walls and the lift shaft, from ground to first are now in progress.

Externally, the GSHP manifold chamber has been constructed and the remaining runs of pipework extended into it. The manifold pipework has been completed, tested and left ‘live’ until it is extended into the plantroom. Backfilling of trenches is in progress

This past 7 days has seen the concrete frame progressing steadily with extension of the decking and subsequent steel fixing to the ground floor slab. Further walls have been progressed both in the basement and from ground to 1^st floor level around the lift shaft.

Externally, the excavation of the remaining GSHP boreholes and manifold chamber base area have been carried out. Oxford Archaeology have recorded the excavated formation and subsequently this was signed off by David Radford of OCC.

Work is suspended on site on 1^st June due to the number of exams taking place at Frewin.  There will also be no site work on 3^rd June.

Another week focussed on the concrete works. Half the ground floor slab has been poured and further walls have been progressed both in the basement and from ground to 1^st floor level.

Externally, the site has been cleared somewhat to allow the excavation of the remaining boreholes and commence the linking to the manifold chamber outside the new plantroom for the ground source heat pump.

Both internally and externally, the Cottage 7 temporary support and restraint works are being monitored daily to assess any movement or deterioration in the cottage. None has been witnessed so far.

Next week will see more pouring of walls along the east wing and preparation for pouring lift shaft walls from ground to 1^st floor.