Donaldson Timber Systems

We were very proud when Stewart Milne Timber Systems won the Housebuilder HBF 2020 Product Award for ‘Best Building Fabric Product’ with our Sigma® II Build System.

Our Sigma® II Build System is a cost effective, closed panel, fabric first solution that delivers an affordable, reliable, simple to install Build System, promoting a ‘Fit and Forget’ approach to the building’s fabric.   The system considers whole life cycle costing, embodied carbon, technical compliance and longevity over a 60-year design life, underpinned by BBA Product Approval and Lloyds BOPAS Accreditation.

Sigma® II is growing in demand, and accounts for 1.5% of market potential, supplying around 1,000 homes annually.  Our factories have capacity to manufacture 3,000 units per annum; investment will increase capacity to 10,000 homes in 5 years. The Sigma® II Build System delivers sustainability whilst being cost-effective.

The University of Gloucestershire needed to relocate their business school from their Cheltenham Campus to the Oxstalls Campus in Gloucester, but faced environmental and planning challenges with a time critical factor of completion by September 2018. The site was a monumental conservation area, providing challenges in the ground – the site of Roman ruins which needed to remain intact. All challenges were overcome, with early engagement with the architect, and a robust communications strategy across the whole project team.

This was Vinci’s first student accommodation in timber frame. The client saw timber frame as a solution that would deliver the robustness required by student accommodation whilst offering the lightweight structure they needed, which complemented and respected the historical importance of the listed buildings in the area. Timber frame foundations are lightweight enough to ensure preservation of the former Roman settlement would remain undisturbed during the build whilst being robust enough to fulfil the build criteria. The structural design solution was engineered specifically to reduce load bearing points, avoid critical ground areas and improve on overall building performance through ‘Superdry’ timber. The student accommodation in Gloucester was a huge win for the developer as the collaboration between Vinci Construction and Donaldson Timber Systems worked up a design that could operate in the conservation area, incorporating the flexibility needed to address the challenges of this build. These solutions met the environmental, timing and quality challenges posed by this site, ensuring energy efficiency, increased air tightness, reduced acoustics, reduced energy consumption and completed build in only 24 weeks. The density of the buildings and access to site meant a key communications and operations strategy was implemented by all parties from the outset.

The site was a huge success due to:

• Speed of build – imperative as students needed to take occupation within a year. 2 blocks were built at once.
• Lightweight structure for preservation of Roman Settlement – foundations were engineered to meet this demand.
• The Blocks were designed incorporating progressive collapse with floor cassettes designed to ‘triple span’ over loadbearing walls.
• Limited ground disruption – through hard standing for the Mantis Static HDT 80 crane.
• Superdry Timber (Ultra-Joist) was used within horizontal make-up of the structure.
• Achieved the highest score on record for Health & Safety audit.
• Adopted a hybrid Pod and Panel approach to increase on-site productivity.

Key facts

• PROJECT: Premier Inn,
• LOCATION: Shore Street, Oban
• CLIENT: Whitbread
• SIZE: The Premier Inn development in Shore Street, Oban was a combination of 4 storey timber frame development for the hotel and ground floor steel frame structure for the restaurant. We have a longstanding relationship with the client and vast experience in this sector, supplying Timber Frame Structures to the Hotel sector over the last 25 years. We were involved very early in the process, with a strong emphasis on Design Development. We completed our part of the project on programme and have subsequently been involved in three other similar projects for the same clients.
• TIMING: 8 Weeks

Project highlights

The Premier Inn project at Shore Street, Oban was the construction of an 81-bedroom Premier Inn Hotel & 78 cover Restaurant. The construction was made up of a 4-storey timber frame development with a ground floor steel frame structure for the restaurant.

A key success of the project was that once again we demonstrated our appetite to get involved in a development of this nature. Key highlights included:

1. A longstanding relationship with the Client, Whitbread, the UK’s largest hotel
   operator.
2. We have vast experience in this sector, supplying Timber Frame Structures to the Hotel sector for 25 years.
3. Our experience allowed us to tailor our offer to suit the client’s requirements.
4. We were involved very early in the process, with a strong emphasis on Design
   Development.
5. Site location needed careful consideration – the site is located adjacent to the
   Railway Station and Ferry Terminal. We provided construction programme advice,
   crane location drawings, radiant heat guidance and technical assistance at the time of pricing.
6. We attended early design team meetings to finalise the timber frame design
   development. We were responsible for completing the timber frame design early to assist with the clearance of the Building Warrant.
7. Due to the proximity of existing buildings, certain elements of the structure were insulated and clad with non-combustible sheathing as the structure progressed.
8. The ground floor of the restaurant structure was constructed utilising a steel frame to incorporate the large scale open plan areas. The timber frame was constructed on top of the steel frame.
9. The acoustic requirements were addressed utilising 18mm cement particle board on the external walls.
10. The roof was constructed using raised tie trusses to accommodate the room in the roof of the design, along with construction of the individual dormer windows.