Structures
Vibration isolation for Norfolk House development Mason UK supplies a bespoke floating floor system for prestigious development in St. James’s Square
By Mason UK
for ground borne sources of vibration. To design and oversee the installation of this system, contractor J Coffey brought Mason UK on board to invest in the quality and support package, after having worked successfully together on previous projects.
Norfolk House once served as the headquarters for Operation Overlord , the Allied invasion of German-occupied Western Europe at the end of the Second World War. Now, it has been converted into a new eight- story commercial office building. However, given the building’s proximity to the London Underground and HS2, vibration control was required for the newly excavated basement level. Originally built in the 1930s, Norfolk House is a Neo-Georgian red brick building, located in St James’s Square. Skanska was awarded the contract to redevelop the site, in a project estimated to be worth between 60 and £72 million. Work began in October 2020 and was originally scheduled for completion in September 2022. The redevelopment of the historic site involved the creation of an eight-story commercial office building and the reconstruction of two brick and Portland Stone facades. These facades are nearly identical to the original, but with slightly adjusted floor heights that are better suited to office use. The project also involved additional excavation to create a deeper basement. The new basement will provide storage for bikes, a gym, and accompanying changing rooms. Owing to the site’s proximity to both the London Underground and major train lines, it was necessary to implement acoustic fittings and vibration control measures. The solution was a concrete floating floor. A jack up floor system was proposed which involves raising the floor off the structural slab, on either spring or rubber mounts, to interrupt the transmission path
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csengineermag.com
September 2023
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