Delivering a utilities and design and build infrastructure package at the Perry Barr Residential Scheme

We have also been contracted to provide the utilities design and build package for water, electric and gas, whilst additional packages of work include the construction of the welfare and logistics areas, which will house all the construction works and deliveries throughout the project.

The PBRS is located on the former Birmingham City University campus which is in the process of being regenerated to provide around 1,400 homes.

Sub and superstructure packages:

Careys were successful in securing both the substructure and superstructure packages for Plot 6 of the PBRS. Kier are the principal contractor for Plot 6 which consists of 268 extra care apartments, restaurants, gym, village hall and shops spread across three blocks up to 9-storeys tall.

Our scope of works are as follows:

P1 - Substructure and groundworks

- Tower crane foundations

- Drainage

- Pad and stair core foundations

- Stump columns, walls and cores

- Ground beams

- Ground bearing slab construction

P2 – Superstructure – concrete frame

- Stair and lift cores

- Shear walls

- Upper deck slabs (RC)

- Roof slabs (RC)

- Precast double height columns

- Fabrication and Installation of structural steel link bridges

Over the course of the project the Careys team has poured 13,280m3 of concrete and tied 3,555 tonnes of rebar, with 47 separate slab pours with volumes between 125m3 and 252m3.

Utilities works:

Water:

In our capacity as an accredited Self Lay Organisation (SLO), we have taken responsibility for the construction and delivery of the water mains to PBRS, following the initial designs provided by Severn Trent Water. Various design changes were requested by the client as a result of changes to the construction methodology and we facilitated and value engineered these with Severn Trent, drawing on our in-depth knowledge of industry requirements.

As a SLO, we are accredited under the Water Industry Registration Scheme (WIRS), which is recognised by all the water companies and Water UK and covers design, construction, connections, commissioning and project management.

Careys self-delivered the entire water mains scheme, including connecting onto existing Severn Trent assets that will supply the new infrastructure. The scheme was adopted by Severn Trent and they stated that this is the first time they have walked an asset with no defects found.

Our teams were responsible for undertaking a range of water utilities works, these included:

• The Diversion of a watermain on behalf of Severn Trent in Franchise Street

• 5x connections on watermain along Franchise Street on behalf of Severn Trent

• All testing and chlorination work carried out by Careys on behalf of Severn Trent

Gas and electricity:

Our works involved connecting the site to an external gas main. Once we established that link, we designed and installed a bespoke, low pressure reducing system to provide gas to PBRS. Our in-house utilities team also designed the high voltage (HV) network to connect to an existing network located outside the perimeter of the site.

Our scope of works in delivering the design and build infrastructure package and the utilities design and build package includes:

• Excavating material from plots and road boxes, managing stockpiles of 57,000m3 and removing 80,000m3 excess spoil from site

• Design (space plan), build and install all required drainage, water, power and gas infrastructure for the development, all in accordance with statutory requirements