Dress Smart Hornby

We completed a comprehensive programme of structural strengthening and seismic upgrades at the Dress Smart shopping centre, including wall strengthening, foundation work, roof bracing, and reducing the weight of the structure by replacing suspended pre-cast concrete panels and blockwork walls with lightweight timber walls and structural bracing. We also replaced a large part of the roof, air conditioning units and external ductwork on an older section of building. Replacement of the waterproofing on the level 2 parking building was a late addition to the scope, handed over in time for some of the busiest trading days of the year, the Black Friday sales.

The challenge on this project was to complete the works while the mall stayed open seven days a week. We carried out onsite scoping sessions and reports with key subcontractors, completed detailed planning and methodology reviews, and staged delivery of the works by our subcontractors and carpentry team over night shifts for over a year-long period. A key part of our construction methodology was to install an 8.6 tonne temporary rolling roof structure to protect the shops below from the weather during the day while we replaced the roof, sliding it open on clear nights to accommodate our cranage operations.

Meticulous planning allowed us to achieve the work on programme and without loss of any trading throughout the project for a very happy mall management team and client.