NORTH CITY OPERATIONS DEPOT
(2021 – 2022)
| PROJECT BRIEF
SDS design engineers provided temporary works support for the Main Contractor on the North City Operations Depot, Ballymun, Dublin. This was a large site with several different buildings using various techniques, which provided some interesting challenges from a temporary works perspective.
| WELFARE CABIN FOUNDATIONS / SITE GANTRY
SDS design engineers provided temporary works for the welfare buildings on the site. This comprised various concrete pad foundations and steel gantries to provide additional levels of welfare cabins in a tight compound area. This solution provided more working space and reduced the overall footprint of the welfare compound.
| CRANE BASE DESIGN Various crane bases were designed as part of the overall lifting strategy on the project. SDS provided several options including gravity base, piled base and steel gantry foundations for the various tower cranes used on site. As part of our contract, we provided working platforms for a crawler crane on site, designs for the use of a self-erect crane, and outrigger checks for a mobile crane.
| FALSEWORK AND BACKPROPPING
To allow the construction of the multi-storey concrete frame building, we provided falsework and backpropping to support the wet weight and construction loading of the concrete slabs in the temporary case. We provided early striking estimations to allow the contractor to strike falsework earlier than typically predicted by crushing concrete tests.
| SLOPE STABILITY SHORING & TRENCH SUPPORT
To allow the construction of the permanent retaining walls around the site and to allow access to deep trenches as part of the permanent drainage strategy, SDS provided the Client with various slope stability checks. Where these checks proved the soil incapable of the slopes required, we would provide trench box designs to allow safe access for operatives on site. As part of this task, we also provided edge protection recommendations to ensure all aspects of health and safety were adhered to on site as part of our Designer’s Risk Assessment.
| TEMPORARY ACCESS ROAD & TEMPORARY FOOTPATHS
The Client required several access roads and footpaths around the site as part of the site’s traffic management strategy. We had the Client carry out several CBR tests on site and using the information obtained from these tests we designed an appropriate subbase and topping to provide semi-permanent haul roads through the site. We also provided designs on more temporary haul roads using crush material, which could be laid at short notice and removed without too much hassle.
| SHEET PILE DESIGN
We provided sheet pile designs to allow access to deep trenches to enable the construction of various retaining walls. These were interlocking sheet piles and hit-and-miss sheets, both cantilevered and propped. In some instances, we approached the Permanent Works Engineer on the Client’s behalf to propose the use of the sheet piles for the permanent works rather than double-jobbing, which would save the project money and save our Client time in their programme.
| HOARDING
We provided the Client with a comprehensive hoarding design to ensure the project site was secure. We provided hoarding designs for various arrangements, including various heights and alternative foundation needs, such as kentledge ad cast in solutions. Our hoarding designs can be amended easily on site if there is a requirement for rapid change.
| MORTAR SILO BASE & VARIOUS CONCRETE FOUNDATION BASES
We were engaged by the Client on several occasions to provide concrete foundation bases for various pieces of temporary plant on site. These included mortar silo bases, traffic light foundations, gate foundations and signage frame support bases.
| PILING MAT (WORKING PLATFORM)
As part of the piling strategy on the project, the Client required the design of a working platform to allow the use of a piling rig to install the concrete piles.
