Aberavon Leisure Centre

Neath Port Talbot Council’s £13.4 million purpose-built beachfront leisure complex sits on the iconic Aberavon seafront and replaces the former Afan Lido Centre previously destroyed by a fire. The new development restores facilities back to the community and enhances the vision of the council in regenerating the surrounding area.

The elegant, waved roof structure is complimentary to the coastal location which heavily influenced the architect’s design. Heron Bros required IG’s windposts and standard lintels in stainless steel to meet loading conditions and anti-corrosion resistance properties due to the location of the development exposed to increased environmental conditions.

Challenge:

A requirement from NHBC registered projects stipulates the use of only stainless steel lintels in coastal locations within 500m of the shoreline. This was a key design consideration in ensuring the life expectancy and maintenance programme of the development. IG’s lintels were required to ensure each stainless steel windpost and lintel was made to order, specific to each loading application and delivered in line with Heron Bros Ltd 74-week project build schedule.

Solution:

IG’s provided Heron Bros with technical guidance and information regarding possibilities and capabilities of their BBA approved stainless steel designs.

The new complex was subject to significant wind load conditions due to its position on the coast. IG’s flat plate windposts were designed to provide additional lateral support throughout the large-scale development. This ensures the horizontal force is transferred through to the core structure and avoids unnecessary stress through the blockwork. The required 8mm thick grade 304 stainless steel was built into the inner skin of the cavity wall.

All IG windposts are supplied with specifically designed base and top connections and this build required each post to be secured to the concrete at the base and to the metal structure at the head. IG also supplied a suitable number of L Shear Wall Ties specific to the type of windposts which would combine and tie together the internal and external blockwork.

Testimonial:

“IG’s technical team supplied customised stainless steel special lintels and windposts to not only support loading conditions of the build, but provide increased support against environmental factors such as wind loads and corrosion from weather.”

Joshua Taylor

Quantity Surveyor at Heron Bros Ltd