Project Description
Standing as the UK’s tallest building at 310 meters, The Shard has been an unmissable feature of the London skyline since 2013. Comprising world-class office space, award-winning restaurants, a luxurious 5-star hotel, and the country’s highest viewing gallery, Renzo Piano’s vertical city spans 87 storeys above ground and three below.
At Robert Bird Group, we’re proud to have contributed to this iconic development. We devised and proposed an alternative construction method for frame contractor, Byrne Bros, which accelerated the program by over four months and significantly reduced risk for the head client, Sellar Properties.
Project Challenges
Constructing The Shard presented an array of challenges, some typical of tall buildings, such as managing gravity and lateral forces, and others unique to this complex project. The tower’s urban location complicated logistics, with limited site access and difficulties moving materials, especially during deep basement excavation. The linear construction process, where delays in one phase could affect the entire project, added further risk. Additionally, proximity to sensitive infrastructure, like Network Rail facilities, made minimising ground movement a critical concern.
Added Value
Our innovative jump-start core method supported the core with plunge columns, facilitating simultaneous above and below-ground construction. By establishing tandem work fronts, we minimised the risk of delays in basement construction and allowed the superstructure to proceed significantly earlier than the original construction program had anticipated.
We redesigned the steel plunge columns, enabling complex bracing arrangements and programme hold points to be removed, significantly simplifying excavation, and enhancing health and safety on-site. The ground floor slab was redesigned for significant construction loads and to prop the basement wall while maintaining a large void to allow the core to rise.
We also checked all permanent works elements for the temporary loads induced by the innovative construction sequence. An additional benefit of our construction method was that it minimised ground movements, reducing the risk to sensitive network rail facilities adjacent to the site.