University of Abertay, Opal 1, Dundee

Project Brief

The Bell & Webster RoomSolution was the chosen for this 500 room student village is constructed on the site of former jute industry workers’ tenements.  An Olympic silver medallist, Commonwealth champion and winner of Tokyo, London and New York Marathons, Liz is a native of Dundee and was delighted to be given the honour of unveiling a plaque at the new student accommodation scheme to commemorate its official completion. Liz commented: “This area of Dundee was at the centre of the city’s industrial past as a textile centre and with this new student accommodation development it will also be at the centre of the city’s future, providing a home for students based in the city as they take their first steps towards careers in the knowledge economy.”

Bell & Webster's solution

Bell & Webster provided their efficient RoomSolution for this project whilst adhering to the required quality and safety standards. This site was long and narrow with two large tower cranes spaced out along with 5 student blocks, to which Bell & Webster provided two erecting gangs throughout the project. Due to the distance between our factory and site, the transport was based on 8 hours driving resulting in two gangs at any one time were operating and 24 vehicles were required to service the entire erection programme. As the offload area was very narrow there was a requirement for the new design of A frames to carry the wall units instead of usual airbag methods, on site. In addition, external cladding was completed using mast climbers anchored to the concrete structure; the blocks were linked with steel goalposts bolted onto the staircases that provided a glazed elevation to the stairs.

Key Issues

• Entrance to the site/offload area was adjacent to major roundabout near the centre of Dundee
• Site had no external scaffold
• Transport to and from Scotland involved 8 hours driving

University of Abertay / Reference: G7412
Bell Street, Dundee, DD1 1HG