Civils and construction works: Transforming facilities at Tameside College to enhance its provision to students of vocational courses.

Tameside College is a further education provider located in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester.

Building and construction works were required to repurpose areas of the college site to accommodate new workshops and move some courses to other locations. This was part of the college’s £115 million investment in its estate since 2015.

Aspire Construction to carry out both civils and construction works.

The main objective of the build project was to redevelop areas of the college site to provide students and teaching staff with enhanced facilities for vocational courses.

The area previously used for plumbing and bricklaying workshops was to be repurposed as an animal management facility, providing students with the appropriate facilities to study animal care.

Brickwork studies were to be moved to an outdoor space, while another area of the site was to be refurbished to provide facilities for a new plumbing workshop.

Because Aspire Construction carry out both civils and construction works, the client had one point of contact which enabled both companies to work cohesively and within specified timescales.

Aspire Construction assisted the main contractor with the design and build of this project to meet the end client’s brief and bring the project in on budget within the agreed 20 week programme duration.

Having agreed a collaborative strategy and schedule of works, we began with the demolition of the existing site.

This involved a soft strip of the existing building, removing interior fixtures, internal ceilings, and other temporary and removable structures such as partitions and shelving. We separated the debris and allocated what we could to recycling. The demolition left a clean, level, and accessible site for construction to begin.

Our team eliminated the fumes from the internal drainage using specialist battery powered electric plant. All external drainage was reconfigured.

1500m³ of concrete was crushed on site to be recycled as the development’s subbase. Using existing materials on site avoided the carbon emissions that would have been inevitably produced if new materials had been produced, transported, and installed. It also saved the cost of purchasing the new materials, as well as their haulage and transportation.

We installed a 1200m² concrete yard to allow for the fitting of a new bricklayers’ canopy.

New service trenches and a building penetration system were installed to prevent waterlogging and structural damage, and provide safe and functional work conditions.

Structural propping (a system of structural supports to withstand the required load) was undertaken to allow for the removal of internal and external walls.

Over 500m² of internal blockwork was constructed to provide good loadbearing capacity and substantial thermal mass.

The client benefited from having our fleet of large and small plant on site to cover all aspects of the project, large or small. By having several different trades on site, we were able to progress with the programme in different areas at the same time.

Upon completion of the project, Tameside College was left with purpose built subject spaces that meet the specialist needs of students and their future employers.

The new animal management facility has enabled the college to expand its provision and facilities for animal studies. With dedicated new spaces, including the meerkat enclosure, and a wider variety of species on site to study, students will benefit from a more comprehensive course.

The new industry standard facilities for brickwork and plumbing studies will give students more authentic training that will prove beneficial for their progression and employability.
Tameside College is able to attract dedicated students by bringing industry experience in house, and continue to develop outstanding links with employers.

Aspire Construction’s impact on this project is evident from design, through to civils works and construction. As a single point of contact for the client, we were able to manage all related tasks on their behalf, liaise with other subcontractors and offer advice and input where our expertise was needed.

To discuss how our range of construction or civils services can benefit your project, contact us on 0161 639 0999 or email projects@aspireconstruction.co.uk