Automotive Press Hall
Roof replacement and introduction of roof mounted heating to a 600,000 ft2 manufacturing facility with multiple types of historic roof systems.
Services (1)
Sectors
Location
Oxford, United Kingdom
Client
Confidential
Architect
Maber
This sprawling industrial complex consists of approximately 15 distinct building structures, having been modified extensively since the original car manufacturing plant was built in the 1920’s. With very limited archive information, comprehensive structural inspections were required to allow structural verification to be undertaken for the proposed works. This included installation of new heater units hung from the roof and installing a heavier replacement roof cladding system.
One area that needed particular attention was the oldest and largest section of the building. Initial calculations and modern design standards resulted in these trusses failing structural checks. We therefore instigated a series of load testing to several areas to prove that the current roof structure could safely support both the existing and proposed loading.
"A site presence was critical to ensure that the structures were recorded accurately. The Covid pandemic made visits harder due to national travel restrictions, and we used engineers from several UK offices to minimise travel time." Robert MacKay, Associate Director.
This manufacturing facility has undergone various modifications over its 100-year history. The threat of extensive strengthening to the oldest parts nearly made this project unviable. Our roof testing regime proved the roof structure capability and omitted near all structural modification.
