Former M&S, Whitefriargate, Hull RAAC Survey, Structural Engineering Services

Overview

40-44 Whitefriargate is one of Hull City centre’s most prominent buildings, thought to date back to the 1920s.

This Grade II Listed prestigious building was to be given a new lease of life thanks to Hull City Council’s support in the form of allocating Levelling Up Funding (LUF) and investment from Wykeland Group.

The 3,000 sqm unused floor space was transformed into long term useable spaces for domestic and commercial use.

Mason Clark Associates (MCA) were commissioned by Wykeland Group to undertake surveys and produce a structural appraisal report following the identification of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) during a previous inspection.

Challenges and Solutions

The project presented various challenges, we used numerous processes to evaluate and collect the necessary data in order to produce a structural appraisal report:

• Internal & External Visual Inspections: Initial visual inspections were undertaken to determine the extent of RAAC within the building.
• Intrusive Investigations: small intrusive investigations were necessary to calculate the thickness of slabs, details of the embedded reinforcement including anchorage details together with bearing lengths.
• 3D Scans: The use of 3D scanning technology was used to provide detailed information regarding how the different floor levels were performing structurally. The slab soffits were scanned to enable the mid span deflections of the individual RAAC panels to be evaluated.

MCA's Contribution

Our surveying services provided a clear assessment of the condition and safety of the property, with contributions including:

Structural Appraisal Report: On completion of all surveys, inspections, investigations and scanning works a detailed structural appraisal report was prepared to highlight defects which appeared to be relevant to the structural integrity of the property and to offer recommendations. Options were presented for the remedial works required.

Results

As a result of the surveys Wykeland Group were provided with a detailed and comprehensive report offering clear advice on the extent of RAAC within the structure, and giving recommendations for further investigations and remedial work options.