Engineered timber for business park development

A Trussed Rafter Association product story

Edited by the Buildingtalk editorial team Feb 23, 2009

Construction of two stylish commercial office unit demonstrate technical and economic, benefits of using engineered timber elements, manufactured by Timber Frame Services.

The Shrewsbury Business Park has been developed by London-based Alaska Property Group in Association with Shropshire County Council.

Trussed Rafter Association (TRA) member, Timber Frame Services Limited, the manufacturer of Alpine Systems roof, floor and wall elements, supplied the complex collection of trussed rafters, lattice beams and engineered timber floor joist to frame the upper-storey and terrace areas to these striking office buildings.

The roofs, which have a 25 degree pitch, are covered in concrete tiles, supported by hundreds of mono-pitch trusses, in turn springing from a series of lattice girders running along the 30 metre length of the buildings.

Below this, Alpine's recently-introduced open web, FlorTrus timber flooring joists were employed to span up to six metres between structural steelwork.

They also extend out beyond the roofline to create an attractive terraced area on each building, affording views of the Shropshire hills.

According to the Managing Director of Timber Frame Services, Peter Andrew, the sophistication of the Alpine software enabled his company to not only optimise the usable open space at the upper-floor level, yet also incorporate some unusual design elements such as a 100 mm step up in floor height for one area.

Furthermore, the fact that the new FlorTrus joists can be produced to any depth enabled the steel beams to be hidden within the depth of the floor, rather than requiring the installation of a false ceiling.

Members of the TRA are routinely called upon to assist in refining the initial concepts of architectural concepts and carrying out all the detailed structural analysis, thereby making possible clients' aspirations for a scheme.

Shropshire County Council and Alaska have enjoyed wide acclaim for the Shrewsbury Business Park with the offices being fully occupied.