Site Visit: Spotlight

Photo's from Site Vist to - 25-27 Settlement Road and 14 Breakwater Road Belmont.

On the day of our site visit we saw the loard bearing precast concrete panels being put up. You can see the truck that transports them from the manufacturers (which was 4 hrs away), as well as the crane lifting them into place. Chris explained at they took a minimum of 4day from the day of ordering to the day of erection as each panel is precast according to the individual shop drawings and needs time for the concrete to cure.
Here you can see the different elements that are precast into the concrete panels, such as the precast steel plates and the pros that hold the concrete on place until enough structure (such as the roof ) has been erected to stabilise and support the panels. You can also see the 'I' beam that butts the tilt up concrete. This image is extremely useful and is what I have referred to for my project as it shows the 'I' beam connecting to the tilt up concrete panels, as well as the underside of a box gutter. Chris has offered to show me some details and shop drawings of this connection in a few weeks when this stage of the building has been completed.
Here we can see the how the Tilt up concrete panels are connected and supported. They are initially precast with plates that latter welded to connect them to the other elements. Corking is also added to allow for fire resistance, slight movement and waterproofing.
I love this photo because it is so clear and easy to understand. We can see the apex of the roof and the connection of the 'I' beams. They are pre fabricated off site with plates on the end and holes for the blots to connect them on site. This apex is connected by 8 bolts. Above the Rafters are the 'Z' purlins, then the safety mesh, sarking and then clip lock roofing.

This shows the additional roof space that was made to allow for an internal climbing wall. Notice the diagonal bracing and added 'I' beams underneath for added support.

This shows the beams supporting the rafters, as well as the 'Z' purlins, cross bracing and safety mesh. The 'I' beams/rafters connect above the vertical beam because the weight can then be distributed more evenly.