Cutting-edge addition to London skyline

The Gherkin, the Shard, the Walkie-Talkie, the Cheesegrater…and now the Scalpel.
At Number 52 Lime Street, it is the latest iconic skyscraper being built in the City of London as the capital’s skyline becomes ever more impressive, writes McAndrew Martin’s Director of Structural Engineering Noor Awan.
When it comes to landmark buildings such as the Gherkin or the Scalpel, structural engineering is particularly important.
The Scalpel has been designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox – as a European headquarters for global insurance giant WR Berkley – with Byrne Bros responsible for construction.
An Arup designed reinforced concrete core has been vertically post-tensioned, thought to be a first for construction techniques of this kind in London.
Furthermore, an innovative structural design using the Travelling Fire Methodology has also been incorporated to combat the potential spread of flames across open plan floor space should a blaze break out.
When completed later this year, the Scalpel will rise to 190m tall and include 400,000 sq ft of office floor space over 35 floors as well as three basement levels, shops and restaurants.
The magnitude of projects such as the Scalpel demonstrates the true value of multi-disciplinary firms.
At McAndrew Martin our six directorates are Structural Engineering, Architecture, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, and Project Management and Contract Administration – all of which are fundamental to major construction projects – as well as Building Surveying and General Practice.
At McAndrew Martin, we know the Gherkin well as it was the venue for the launch of the restructuring of the company in September 2016.
Our London office, just along the Thames near the South Bank, is not too far away either.
We’re looking forward to seeing the Scalpel take shape and open for business.
Congratulations to all involved. They include WR Berkley Corporation’s UK-based development arm WRBC Development UK Limited and consultant Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates and Byrne Bros.
Don’t hesitate to contact us for our expert Structural Engineering support, or for any other of our other professional services.

About the author:
Noor Awan (Director of Structural Engineering) EUR ING. BSc. ACGI. CEng. MICE. RMaPS.
Noor is a highly-qualified structural engineer and brings a wealth of experience to the McAndrew Martin team. He is a chartered civil engineer with an outstanding track record of engineering and management success in the construction industry. Noor has broad experience in structural design, as an ISO 9001 quality manager and a CDM co-ordinator. His expertise includes design of blast resistant structures and glazing. Noor set up and successfully ran his own multi-disciplinary design consultancy for 20 years before joining McAndrew Martin.
Contact Noor on 02392 697193 or email [email protected]

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