Parsons Tower

City centre college building undergoes major redevelopment

Situation

A major redevelopment project in the North East has seen the refurbishment of Parsons Tower, Newcastle College. The tower block dates to the 1970s, and has been refreshed with a contemporary façade, as well as internal remodelling and upgrade work.

The building is a multi-functional space which is home to a range of courses for nearly 2000 students. It is equipped with labs and a simulation hospital ward amongst other facilities. It also includes social, leisure and retail spaces for the student community.

Solution

Main contractor, BAM Construction chose Longworth to achieve the desired aesthetic for the building envelope. The project involved zinc roofing and cladding, composite panels and flat roofing elements. SFS were enlisted as a trusted partner to supply fastening solutions to the project. The zinc and copper cladding was fixed to various composite panels, requiring a low profile, high grade stainless steel. The solution was the SX2/8-D9 self-drilling fastener in A4 316 austentic stainless steel, which gives excellent pull out values and reduces overdriving due to the thread design. SFS products use austenitic stainless steel to ensure that the buildings they are used on won’t fail due to corrosion. Austenitic stainless steel fasteners have an inbuilt chromium oxide layer that seals the metal surface, dramatically reducing corrosion. They need no further protection in all but the most aggressive environments.

For the roof, the cut to falls PIR insulation into concrete deck created issues with extensive drilling and the need for multiple combinations of fasteners and polypropylene sleeves. The isotak® TIA adjustable fastener system was the ideal solution as this reduces fastener and polypropylene sleeve combinations by 50% and significantly reduces drilling times.

Project highlights

Client
Newcastle College

Architect
Red Box Design Ltd

Main contractor
BAM Construction

Sub-contractor
Longworth

Location
Newcastle

Solution
TIA adjustable fastener system; SX2/8-D9 in A4 stainless steel

Project value
£20,000,000

Download
Parsons Tower - Case Study.pdf