The Wates team and our sub-contractors would like to thank you for your continued patience whilst we have been on site at Centenary Way. Our site will close for the Christmas period on Tuesday 24 December, and will re-open in the New Year on Thursday 2 January. Can we also take this opportunity to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year !

All internal work this week has been suspended in the interest of health and safety as a clear and safe access could not be provided in or out of the building. The reason for this was the route that the gas and electric take to enter each unit runs along the length of the front of the building and this was the work programmed in for this week. At the start of the week British Gas were on site and by mid week Northern power grid commenced their share of the works required to get the building live. Next week we will have light and heat and the internal work will continue.

Once the units which had been plastered the previous week had had enough time to dry the decorators were on site to prepare the units and then apply the mist coat.

Once the mist coat has dried the 2nd fix M&E can start, prioritising the kitchens and then into the bathrooms. By working in this sequence it free's up the next trade which is the joiners who start to fit the kitchen units.

 

Externally this week the bricklayers and renderers completed the front elevation, this then allowed the scaffold to be stripped in preparation for the installation of services next week.

The dry-liners were back in force this week starting their 2nd fix, the closing up of the units walls. Once they had a couple of flats completed towards the end of the 2nd week the plasterers arrived on site and started skimming.

With Autumn approaching and the annual increase in fuel costs more than likely to be announced in the coming weeks the insulation work being undertaken on Centenary Way over the last two weeks seems extremely relevant.

The final job to complete before the walls can be closed up is to double check that all relevant areas are sealed and that ply pattresses have been firmly fitted to all required areas to support the fixing of kitchen wall units, hand rails and shelves.

Both Electrical and Mechanical 1st fix is progressing well this is enabling the dryliners to start the close up of the walls in the first set of units early next week.

The off site drainage was completed this week which meant we could fully open up the main road again in time for the return of the school runs.

Busy week both on and off site. The internals have been making good progress with each property starting to take shape with the completion of 1st fix dry lining the walls are now up giving a better feel for the proportions of each flat.

Once half the units had the internal walls up the 1st fix M&E started. Initially this is the mechanical work, vents for the MVHR units and pipe work for radiators, once half of the units are completed the 2nd half of the M&E team will commence work, the electricians.

Off site the progress has been steady with the drainage connection completed to the existing foul run, the main pipe from this is now being laid back towards site. In order to minimise disruption to the local community we are doing this in two half so we can keep the road open at all times. The plan is to complete it all before the schools start back after their summer holidays, we are in good shape to achieve this, as the first half is complete and the seconded half will be done next week.

With all the offsite drainage ongoing it has been crucial that all the trades onsite have enough materials delivered before the road is closed. The manhole connecting into the existing foul run is now 90% complete and the pipe work from it heading back to site is 50% across the road.

Internals are moving steadily alone this week all the acoustic floors were completed and the first three units 1st fix drylining complete ready for M&E to start on Monday.

The roof was completed this week.

Internals have started with the dry liners working through the units constructing the perimeter boards/internal walls. Once these are completed and sealed the joiner will start next week on the first floor installing the acoustic floors.

On the other side of centenary way the off site drainage began. First all existing service drawings were checked then the area was CAT scanned and marked out. Once we had located all the existing services and installed a temporary traffic light system work began on constructing the manhole furthest away from site. Over the next couple of weeks we will be working back into site.

Both the Roofers and Window fitters made a start on site at the beginning of the week. The roofers completed the felt and baton part of their work by Friday making the building water tight from above.

And all the windows were also installed making the building water tight so regardless of any summer showers at the weekend the internals start next week.  

To capitalise on the speed of a Timber Frame build, which when all goes right the external works can progress in tandem along side the internals. However this all depends on the frame being kept dry and at this point we are not water tight. I may have jinxed it last week talking about the good weather as we did see some ominous looking clouds Monday, and then rain for a few hours Tuesday morning, luckily no thunder or lighting by the time the 50 ton crane had arrived ready for the final lift. The individual units roofs were lowered down to the ground, the first floor wall panels are then lifted up in place and constructed. The roof is then lifted back up and landed onto the awaiting wall panels. This process is then repeat for the remaining 4 first floor units.

By the end of the week the Timber frame stands complete, with the full perimeter scaffold around it and safety netting inside ready for the roofers on Monday. 

With the help of a wet vacuum and some good fortune as the sun was back out by the end of the week our moisture levels are below where they need to be. We should be starting the internal perimeter boards late next week once we are water tight.

 

 

As Iong as I can remember a few days of sun around this time of year gets called a hot weather spell or a heat wave, but its official this is called Summer. This week was another gloriously sunny one, and I'm please to say no one on site has complained and we don't seem to be slowing down. Progress has been good this week. On Tuesday another 35ton crane arrived on site along with the delivery of the roof trusses. The trusses were lifted up on top of the first floor where the joiners started to assemble the roof.

 

 

By the end of the week the entire roof had been completed ready for the final crane visit booked in for the start of next week.

 

 

With prior submittal and approval of lifting plans Centenary Way had a 35 ton crane on site on two occasions this week, firstly to erect the ground floor wall panels.

 

Then on Friday which turned out to be the hottest day of the year the crane returned for the second time and the Timber Frame contractors erected the first floor cassettes.



 

 

With the gas proof membrane down the insulation was cut to size and laid at the start of the week and then the floor was poured. The base of the road inside site was also laid giving a clean and safe access up to the building ready for all trades working on the external envelope and internals. The scaffolders also made a start towards the end of the weeks in preparation for the Timber frame next week.

 

 

 

Attention to detail this week has been key, the ground workers took on the task of laying the gas proof membrane in a meticulous and methodical manner making sure that every lap has been taped and corner sealed.

 

 

Bricklayers were back on site at the being of this week completing the sub structure block work.

Once this had been given adequate time to go off the beam and block contractor came to site to complete their work.