Inverclyde Schools

In June 2009 Dunne Building & Civil Engineering awarded ConForce the subcontract to design supply and install the post tensioning to the main floors of two schools in the Greenock area; Notre Dame and Bayhill, with a total PT slab area of 11000 m². At previous stages of design development ConForce provided assistance with the schemes for the concrete frame buildings and the project went forward using 250mm thick post tensioned slabs. On our contract award further assistance from us was sought and ConForce attended regular Design Team Meetings and along with computer runs and calculation packs for the post tensioned slab design, completed detailed calculations for punching shear in order to finalise column sizes. Shear rails were used throughout with detailed calculations where the architect required penetrations next to columns.

All design calculations, tendon and rebar drawings for the project were completed by ConForce staff to design programmes prepared by Dunnes. The drawings also show the pour layouts and RC infill strips required to meet any effects of restraint to the p.t. slabs at the concrete cores. Tendons were standardised on the 4/13 flat oval bonded type through the project. All ConForce site work is carried out as per the requirements of the CARES Certification Scheme for Post Tensioning and a successful Site Audit was carried out by CARES at Bayhill School in November 2009 as part of their yearly series of audits. Completion of our works at both schools is scheduled for April 2010.