Tesco Woolwich

This project is a mixed-use development comprising a superstore with integrated car parks above and below the store, plus a landscaped podium deck with 3-7 storey residential blocks overhead. We engineered the scheme from its inception; achieving total material savings of over £2.0m. This included 6,000m3 of concrete, a 500 tonne reduction of reinforcement steel and 22,000m3 of soil saved from landfill. We also reduced the estimated build time by 6 months. This versatile steel frame development is a significant step forward in the regeneration of Woolwich and demonstrates the difference that value engineering at an early stage can make. We drew on our experience and expertise in post-tensioning to develop a grid of PT concrete band beams and slabs. We also designed the podium level so that it helped to support the residential blocks overhead. The energy centre for the development spans across the roof of the store’s service yard, via a steel framed structure. This frame is designed to be removable in the future allowing greater versatility for the development. We also faced several challenges within the foundations. When developing the double storey basement car park, we had to give special consideration to the two Thames Water sewers which run under the building. We used structural transfer walls and beams to effectively bridge these sewers.