Slim structure for Platinum Point

Use of square hollow section columns in a luxury residential development in Leith, Scotland, will allow the structure to be completely hidden — which was one of the main attractions of steel for the client. And Slimdek flooring has been adopted to allow higher ceilings while maximising the number of floor levels within the building height.

Conder Structures has won the contract to supply 3,000t of steelwork to the Platinum Point development in Leith’s Western Harbour.

The development of five, eleven and thirteen-storeyapartments and penthouses forms part of a proposed billion pound regeneration of 16km of Edinburgh’s waterfront.

The £4.8M contract from Gregor Shore of Edinburgh is Burton-on-Trent based Conder’s largest single contract in the past 18 months. Architect is Gilbert Associates.

Conder Managing Director Gordon Ridley said: “The design philosophy, based on Corus’s Slimdek floor construction, was to maximise the number of levels, while minimising building height and providing higher ceiling levels.”

This has produced a maximum slab depth of 325mm and allowed a clear floor to ceiling structural height of 2.55m to be maintained throughout the building.

The design also makes use of 200mm square hollow section columns at car park level and 150mm sections above that level, which can be easily contained within the party walls. This, together with novel connection details, will enable the structure to be ‘built-into’ the dividing walls without the need for piers.

Conder’s Design Manager, Gerrard Cox, says, “For Gregor Shore, the main attraction of the system was that no downstand beams are required within the structure.”

The design also optimises framing between the lower level car parking and apartments above, removing the need for massive transfer structures.