Grand Designs for Tarmac Topblock at New Shopping Arcade
Aggregate blocks from Tarmac Topblock were the material of choice for Preston-based PLF Brickwork when it won the blockwork contract at the high profile £120 million Grand Arcade development in Wigan.
The 428,000 ft2 Grand Arcade retail complex opens it doors in Spring 2007 and will transform a run-down area of the town into a modern shopping centre, serving an estimated 25,000 shoppers a week and housing a range of leading high-street names.
PLF Brickwork selected 50,000 metres of Tarmac’s 100 mm and 140 mm multicore blocks for the walls above and below ground, thanks to their durability, excellent loadbearing properties and lightweight construction. Topblock’s multi-core blocks are purpose-designed for commercial applications, with a larger surface area for quicker construction. They can be cut easily with a handsaw, helping to reduce build time and associated costs.
Brick and blockwork was originally specified over other building materials by developers, Modus Properties, as it wanted contractors to use a construction method that would improve build speed and handover timeframes, whilst also providing a quality finish to compliment the site’s clean and simple styling. The material chosen also had to be sustainable, in terms of energy efficiency, use a proportion of recyclable materials, and be locally available to minimise transportation ‘footprint’.
Tarmac’s multicore blocks are 100% recyclable and use up to 95% reclaimed material in their manufacture. Their inherent thermal mass acts as a highly efficient heat store and can help to reduce utility bills, critical for a high-energy building project such as the Grand Arcade. Aesthetically, the blocks have a quality, close texture soffit making them ideal for direct decoration.
The blocks were also sourced locally from Tarmac Topblock’s factory in Bolton, which is just ten miles from the construction site. This meant Topblock were able to schedule flexible deliveries, usually before 6.00 am, to minimise disruption and ensure consistent supply.
The Grand Arcade had strict building timescales for completion of the devleopment, so the adaptability and ease-of-use of Tarmac’s blocks helped the project stay on track. The close proximity of the block production site also meant Topblock were able to provide uninterrupted supply of quality product throughout the two year project. From a health and saftey point of view, Tarmac’s lighter multicore blocks weigh under 20 kg each, which enables them to be handled by just one person, and also helps to improve on-site efficiency and reduce overall build times.
April 2007
