Every world class cargo centre needs a world class dining area. The Cairngorm P100 structure needed to brighten up the site and provide shelter and shade for dining as well as complimenting the centre with an architectural glow.
Clothed in PTFE fabric, supported by stainless steel tubular tripods in all four corners and with a timber seating plinth mounted on the central mast, this structure truly is the benchmark against which all other standards should be measured.
In addition to the improved material specification, the design also called for a raised water diverter to the entire perimeter of the cone and therefore the corner plates to match have a built-in means of water catchment and disposal. The client particularly requested this enhanced level of specification for their new structure and amongst the high specification features is an extended warranty giving years of worry free use.
Our pre-designed canopy, Cairngorm 1P 1000 structure has had several outings in various guises over the last few years, but here it is shown in its most resplendent configuration to date.
Base Structures were commissioned to design, manufacture and install the departures tensile canopy scheme, one that would provide a truly stunning entrance to the new Terminal. As one of the first areas of Terminal 5 encountered by passengers, it was absolutely essential that we created a world class structure that made an exceptional first impression.
Andy Dearman, Architect, Pascall and Watson Architects
Paul Yates, Laing O’Rourke
Mark Randerson,SH Structures
Mark Smith, Project Manager, Base Structures
Duncan Baird, Site Supervisor, Base Structures
The project consisted of over 4000sqm of PTFE tensile fabric canopies that extended the whole length of the set down lanes at the terminal entrance. Additional canopies in the package included the car park entrance structures that reflected the main scheme. The eye-catching design utilises several series of a twisted hypar arrangement tensioned on an architectural steel frame complete with bespoke lighting. The sweeping undulations of fabric serving not only as shelter for passengers underneath but also as an outstanding architectural flourish to the terminal building.
A major contribution to Base Structures winning this tender was by partnering with a well respected steel fabricator from the beginning of the project. As the value of the steel exceeded the fabric content a more competitive price was achieved by having the steel fabricator as the lead contractor.
PTFE fabric was chosen instead of PVC to bring a number of benefits including increased translucency, higher strength, improved fire rating and a lower susceptibility to dirt. Being far more difficult to manufacture and install than PVC however required specialist skills to ensure the longevity of the structure was not compromised; poorly manufactured and installed PTFE will quickly fail. The accuracy and quality of the design, manufacture and installation are critical to the success of this material; when all these disciplines combine successfully PTFE has an exceptional life span as a tensile fabric.
As well as supply and fit of the fabric membrane Base were also responsible for installing the steelwork, fitting steel cladding to the lighting arms, installing bespoke lighting equipment and co-ordinating all works on site.
The installation was challenging and had to be completed in time for the grand opening of the terminal in March 2008. Our installation team were working on-site continuously for eighteen months, finally culminating in a seventeen man team for the last six months to ensure we could bring the project in on time.
The execution of the manufacture and installation reflected the high quality of the design and the expectations for the gateway to be the country’s new showcase terminal. The project was completed in plenty of time for the official opening of Terminal 5 by the Queen on 14th March 2008, finally opening to the public on 27th March 2008.
We designed and installed this very aesthetically pleasing courtyard roof at the newly built Hounslow Town Primary School.
The school wanted weather protection for the courtyard but also to ensure it remained an outside space, so the canopy was designed with openings around the edge.
The lattice criss-cross structure is constructed from carbon steel sections and spans from East to West. The fabric has been treated with Nano which is hydrophobic, giving the fabric good self-cleaning properties.
Our client approached us to assist them with a PVC roof structure over a Salt Barn that had reached the end of its lifespan.
We carried out a methodical removal of the old roof and gable panel and supplied and installed a new 1200m2 panel to the structure.
Given the size of the panel and the tricky crane lift this produced, the installation was particularly challenging during a windy autumn period. Further challenges presented were ensuring the salt was kept dry between the removal and replacement of the roof.
With a fixed deadline and delivery of several thousand tonnes of salt looming, we had to work swiftly and efficiently, using the old removed fabric to provide temporary protection.
Base Structures won the contract with ESS to design, manufacture and install the tensile fabric roof and wall panels to the Dining Hall pavilion (the largest of the three temporary structures on the site). All work had to be completed in time for the opening ceremony of the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology which is situated in Saudi Arabia. The project consisted of the Gable panels to the end elevations, Truss Infills and twelve 86 meter long ground-to-ground PVC Roof Panels, each of which incorporated 13 meters of transparent PVC to one end.
An important consideration in the design of this structure was the intense daytime heat which can sometimes exceed 70°C. To ensure the integrity of the keder edge (which joins the fabric panels to the steel supporting structure), EPDM rubber keder cord was used in place of the traditional PVC cord as it has a much higher melting point. All of the fabric was installed in a four week period by our installation teams working in the 40°C relative cool of the Arabian night.
The result of this was a 13 meter high picture wall which ran the complete length of one side of the entire structure, displaying the spectacular view across the harbour at sunset to the King’s guests.
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The beginning of 2019 brought a lot of stormy weather to Liverpool docks and left Liverpool Port Authority warehouse looking a little worse for wear. We are no strangers to the Liverpool docks site as back in 2013 Base Structures designed and manufactured the 22,000m² of tensile fabric that covers the warehouse skeleton steel structure.
A small amount of damage was sustained from within the building that wasn’t attended to promptly, the stormy weather came, picked and pulled at the cladding. The devastation is all too clear in the pictures below.
Base was called in to assess the structure. We then stabilised the cladding to prevent further damage from the second storm that was expected a few days later.
We removed all damaged components, re-instated where we could, replaced what was not serviceable and ultimately brought the structure back to life.
As tensile structures such as this are an investment we do recommend regular maintenance to ensure they fulfil their design life and continue to look good.
Stunning architecture has become a trademark of the modern Olympic and Paralympic Games, with environmental credentials being of paramount importance. As such these three structures are not only at the forefront of contemporary design, they are also fully demountable and relocatable, amply fulfilling these criteria. Together they hosted the Shooting, Paralympic Shooting and Paralympic Archery events. The set consisted of the 25 meter, Combined 50 & 100 meter and the Finals Shooting Ranges.
Each event structure is individually identified by the bright discs of colour which are set into the high and low points that create the undulations in the facades. The Orange themed Finals building measures in at a massive 25m x 47m x 50m, requiring 16,000m2 of fabric to fully clothe it inside and out. The Magenta themed Combined Range measuring 10m x 20m x 106m, requires 9,000m2 of fabric and the blue themed 25m Range building measuring 25m x 55m x 10m, 5,000m2. The high level discs incorporate ventilation openings whilst the ground level ones identify doorways for ingress through similarly coloured tunnels to the sporting arenas.
IFAI International Achievement Award 2013 Winner.
Lords cricket ground, owned by Marylebone Cricket Club, is regarded as the world wide spiritual home of cricket. To ensure the Ground remains not only world-famous but a truly world-class sporting venue, a multi-million pound overhaul was undertaken, part of which included the upgrade of the Mound Stand canopy which after eighteen years of sterling service had reached the end of it’s designed life span.
John Cutlack, Director Capita Symonds
Tony Hogg, Director, Tony Hogg Design Ltd
Mark Smith, Contracts Director, Base Structures
Chris Ives, Project Manager, Base Structures
We were briefed by Capita Symonds, the appointed representatives of Marylebone Cricket Club, to remove, redesign, manufacture and install the new tensile fabric roof over the Mound Stand, a monumental task that would not simply replace the old canopy but provide significant structural improvements through the use of more advanced materials and up-to-date design detailing. As such the replacement canopy would be expected to last significantly longer than the old one.
A fundamental part of the contract win was our ability to ensure the recycling of the old canopy and so we partnered with Serge Ferrari (suppliers of the fabric for the new canopy), who have developed and built the Texyloop PVC recycling factory in South Eastern France. The recycling of the old canopy led to Base Structures achieving a finalist Building award for Sustainability in 2006.
Base Structures were able to provide the client with a methodology that ensured we would meet the tight deadlines, budgets and planning restrictions. This was made possible through the accurate surveying of the existing structure to ensure the replication of the iconic shape, and through the use of innovative access methods. It was essential that the project was undertaken and completed in one closed season so that our works did not interfere with or delay scheduled cricket matches.
The first task was to remove the old canopy, in itself a huge job. The biggest problem faced by our team concerned how to fully access the canopy structure as it overhangs a busy main road and is closely neighboured by residential buildings.
The solution we identified required the use of Working Platform Nets. These netting systems are engineered to ensure the safety of the operatives working on and below them is not compromised and they proved to be incredibly cost effective by reducing the man hours needed working at height, when compared to traditional means of access such as scaffolding. Once the netting was installed by our fully qualified rope access team, non-IRATA trained personnel could then access the work areas in complete safety. The old canopy came down surprisingly quickly once the netting allowed easy access to the structure, especially considering the amount of fabric involved.
Next a detailed survey of the existing steelwork enabled our design department to accurately recreate the iconic structure within our specialist CAD software, from which we produced the cutting patterns and finalised the detail design.
It was necessary to redesign and upgrade all the fixtures and fixings on the existing structure to take into account advancements in tensile fabric over the previous eighteen years, ensuring that they were all brought up to current best practice standards. The new PVC membrane itself was a higher specification fabric than the original canopy, using higher quality PVDF lacquers to guarantee a longer life span. As part of this extensive upgrading process all the existing structural steelwork was repainted before the new canopy was installed.
The old canopy was originally made in sections that were joined together using metal fixtures. Taking advantage of the opportunity to redesign the canopy and to improve the aesthetics, the new 1400 sq metre fabric membrane was manufactured and installed as a single piece of fabric. This improvement resulted in no site joints along the front of the canopy, significantly enhancing the overall appearance.
Once manufactured the installation of the new canopy began in earnest; the fact our rigging team had removed the old canopy gave us a flying start when it came to installing the new one, since they already knew the structure inside and out. After the new canopy was lifted over the multiple masts in one piece, our rigging team made short work of the installation.
The entire project was successfully completed ahead of schedule and below budget, no easy task considering the scale and complexity of the project. The replacement canopy not only restored the stand to its former glory but also improved the aesthetics and expected life span of the structure. Marylebone Cricket Club were extremely happy with the refurbishment and continue to use Base Structures for regular maintenance of this most iconic of structures.
Lord’s Cricket Ground required a new awning to the Grandstand roof to replace the existing retractable blinds over the seated area. Following on from previous works we carried out for the MCC to their Mound Stand and Pavilion canopies, we assisted them in developing a louvre scheme to provide the necessary sun shading and give the stand a fresh look.
The new scheme consists of 384 light-weight aluminium louvre blades in bays of 16 and has been designed to reduce snow and wind loads. A solar survey was also carried out to calculate the optimum angle for the blades to prevent direct sunlight passing through onto the spectators below, whilst allowing maximum ambient lighting.
Due to the precious & hallowed Lord’s outfield, particular care was taken whilst our works were carried out. Light weight Spider MEWPS were deployed to reduce the impact and point loading on the pitch grass.
This is an exciting addition to our portfolio and showcases the extensive design and build knowledge we have in house that enable us to provide custom solutions for special projects.
Coleg Gwent is a college situated just outside Cardiff in Wales that prides itself on being a flagship provider of A-levels and vocational courses. A thorough refurbishment in 2010 has created an attractive and eco-friendly environment in which the students can academically further themselves, complete with solar panels, biomass boiler and rainwater harvesting.
To improve the recreational facilities for students the college wanted an exterior covered seating area, enabling the students to relax outside in comfort – even in the scorching Welsh summers and often damp winters. By choosing one of our standard structures, the Mendip Walkway, they managed to get the most from their budget. Despite being a pre-designed structure the Mendip Walkway can be extended ad infinitum, in this instance they required a length of four bays. If needed the structure can also accommodate changes in level and direction – standard has never been so adaptable. The lack of tie-rods on the steelwork means there are no trip hazards too, leaving only clean, sculptural lines for the students to relax beneath in style.
in Bristol
