Propping solutions pivotal to repurposing landmark Manchester property

Barclay House, Manchester

Project Overview

Location	Barclay House, Manchester
Sector	Building
Products	Mass 50

During the complex reconfiguration of a landmark Manchester property into a contemporary residential development, we were called upon to supply the most effective temporary works solution possible.

The challenge

A landmark redevelopment

Barclay House on Manchester’s Whitworth Street West is being transformed into 90 stylish apartments, with basement amenities including a gym, social spaces, and single-bedroom pods. Plans are in progress to add 30 more apartments above.

Complex structural requirements

The project involved reconstructing the building’s core and extending upwards, with steel columns spanning from a new basement slab to the fourth floor. The scale and vertical span made the rebuild particularly challenging.

Planning and coordination

Accurate positioning of the new basement foundation and coordinating with the main contractor’s construction sequence added further complexity, requiring careful planning and precise calculations.

Our solution

This resulted in our team designing, fabricating and installing 20 tonnes of support steelwork – featuring Mass 50 propping units, together with specially strengthened 12.5-metre-long transfer beams and stools, to bridge the foundation works. Special fabrications were required to not only provide the 50 tonne capacities, but to also ensure the components could be manually assembled, while a winch was used to lower everything through the void in the ground floor slab.

In addition to this, we also supplied Hymat hydraulic and mechanical jacks to pick up the loads from the back-propping above, which in turn made use of Mass 25 and System 160 propping to support the upper floor slabs.

Learn more about Propping & Jacking

The temporary works supported the building while the lift core and basement were rebuilt and new steel columns installed. Propping spanned from basement to fourth floor, with lateral bracing to maintain stability, and bridging structures allowed work beneath the upper floors.

Hydraulic and mechanical jacks transferred loads between propping levels, while modular assembly enabled safe installation in the confined site. Procedures were adapted for limited personnel due to Covid-19, ensuring the works were installed, signed off, and ready to support construction safely.

Get in touch

“Our team had experience of working with Mabey Hire a few years ago in London. With the Barclay House contract, there were a number of challenges, including the client’s desire to add a further two and a half storeys at roof level to create more apartments. Mabey Hire was able to offer us a solution to accommodate these changes, and throughout the project, their team has been very responsive, and the installation of the temporary works went well.”

Chris Hamlett

Managing Director, Armstrong Projects