This New Base update marks a HUGE milestone.
Last time I updated you on the groundworks progress. We continued this magnificent progress with the installation of a concrete ‘ring beam’ around the perimeter of our newly laid concrete foundations. We then had the insulation, damp proof membranes, and steel reinforcement placed, followed by a big concrete pour which formed our finished floor. The concrete was then power floated to give a nice smooth surface.
Other works on site have continued with finalising the below ground drainage and backfilling to give an even surface, ready to receive the crane.
On Monday 17th June, Saredon Steel Buildings Ltd started on site. They brought with them a huge crane, as well as a telehandler, cherry picker and scissor lift, swiftly followed by 5-6 deliveries of steel panels and fixings. I was lucky enough to be able to spend the Monday on site to witness them start work, and it was truly incredible to watch how quickly the building started to go up. It was delivered to site in prefabricated sections which were craned off the lorries, moved into place on the floor slab, and lifted up. As the crane lifted up the sections, they unfolded into two walls and a pitched roof. It was incredible.
Once all 9 sections were up and bolted together, the gable ends went on along with the front door, two fire doors, and the three roller shutter doors. The flashings followed to make the building watertight and give it the final aesthetic touch. We need to timber clad the outside which will be done in a following phase of work, and that will make it look like the artist impressions you may have seen in the past.
Saredon Steel Buildings have now completed their package of works and have left site, leaving behind a fully sealed and watertight building and we have the keys! Our groundworker is set to return to site to complete the landscaping and final carparking surface which will take a few more weeks, and we can also start to crack on with the internal fit out, subject to fundraising. We have an electrical design in progress, and are continuing pricing works on the individual work packages for phase 3 – the internal fit out.
Help us complete the base