Photos | Laing O’Rourke prefabricates 70% of university building offsite

Laing O’Rourke’s specialist Expanded business has conducted 70% of the construction of a new university building in London offsite.

Expanded division has installed bespoke staircases, precast linings, twin walls, perimeter beams and columns in the new London College of Fashion campus in Stratford, for the University of the Arts London.

They were all manufactured at the Centre of Excellence for Modern Construction in Nottinghamshire.

Laing O’Rourke claimed that the construction of the elements offsite had led to a 60% improvement in productivity and at least a 30% improvement in the project schedule, and had enabled the business to maintain progress on the construction project during the covid-19 pandemic.

Expanded is working as frameworks contractor with main contractor Mace on the project. Elements Expanded has produced for the £35m deal include the in-situ concrete frame, in-situ cores, in-situ slabs/floors, steel frames, precast floors/panels, cast-in situ and pre-cast columns, transfer structures, PT slabs and beams, temporary waterproofing, and in-situ and precast concrete ramps and staircases.

The new campus is part of the Stratford Waterfront site which will also see new buildings for Sadler’s Wells dance theatre, the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), and the BBC.