Project Brief
LSY Engineering Consultants Ltd were appointed by a property fund in London to refurbish an existing multi-storey commercial office development. The scope included installation of new steel structures for a cabin container designated for use as a podcast booth, removal of an upstand beam and upgrading of the external envelope.
Challenges
The property’s structure was a reinforced concrete building featuring flat slabs and column heads. LSY’s proposal involved creating a slab opening at first-floor level to establish a double-height space for the newly proposed podcast booth constructed from a container. Prior to cutting out the slab, it was imperative to determine the reinforcement of the first-floor slab to access the potential imposed loads and the impact of the new opening, particularly on the surrounding bays. The removal of a portion of the slab will disrupt the continuity of the flat slab structure, likely leading to the redistribution of forces in the slab. This may result in increased forces on the spans of adjacent bays.
Process
To replicate the effects of slab openings, LSY conducted a simulation encompassing both the current first-floor structures and the envisaged opened slab modifications. A comparative analysis of slab deflection and bending stress between the two scenarios was performed. The outcome suggests that the introduction of the proposed slab openings does not induce significant alterations in the slab’s performance.
Given the unavailability of detailed reinforcement information, provisional minimum reinforcement requirements were established. It is required to verify and ensure compliance with these requirements through a structural survey to be conducted subsequently. LSY conducted a survey involving making openings in the slab in several locations to establish the details of the reinforcement.
For the design of the podcast container steel supports, floor strengthening was implemented beneath the slab, acting as extra slab support before cutting open the existing slab. The podcast container was partially suspended by steel columns, securely bolted underneath the second-floor slab and suspended by square hollow sections on one edge. The steel support structure was attached to the slab on its opposite edge at the first-floor slab level to provide additional edge support.
Outcome
The client’s vision of installation of new equipment was realized on time and within budget, despite the discoveries made during the opening works. The new layouts have vastly improved the building’s functionality and aesthetic appeal. The project also won the FX project of the year for 2025.
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