Client: Hargreaves Property Group
Architect: Hargreaves Design & Build
Main Contractor: Hargreaves Construction
Roofing & Cladding Contractor: TA Colbourne Limited
Tata Steel products:  Trisomet® 80mm, Trimapanel® FTF 120/900, Trimapanel® FTF120/1000 all featuring Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra® pre-finished steel for the external skin.
Year: 2014

The challenge

One of the challenges set by the client was to have a flush internal finish for the retail buildings, reducing the amount of secondary steel work needed, but at the same time ensuring that the building was as energy efficient as possible. This would then provide more aesthetically pleasing interior look and create a more rentable unit. 

The building is also situated close to the sea so needed to be able to withstand the aggressive coastal environment.

The solution

The Hargreaves Group encompasses an architectural consultancy and a construction division, with both being involved in the development of the Solent Retail Park, while TA Colbourne was the specialist roofing and cladding contractor involved on the project.

As a result of this collaboration, Tata Steel products were proposed and accepted for both the roof and walls of the two main units built in the second half of 2014. In particular, the combination of Trimapanel® FTF 120/900 and Trimapanel® FTF 120/1000 was chosen as the ideal solution – both being enhanced versions of the well known standard Trimapanel®, but with the additional ability to span frame-toframe so eliminating secondary steelwork and providing a more aesthetically pleasing finish to achieve the challenge set by the client.

Although the Trimapanel® FTF (frame-toframe) system can span up to eight metres, in the case of the Solent retail units the maximum distance between stanchions was 7.5 metres with some sections at six metres in length.

1,650 square metres of the Trimapanel® FTF 120/900 and a further 630 square metres of the Trimapanel® FTF 120/1000, both manufactured from Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra® in Hamlet were used to manufacture the wall cladding. Meanwhile 3,250 square metres of the Trisomet® 80mm with Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra® in Goosewing Grey colour, were used for the roof cladding.

Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra® with its 40 year Confidex® Guarantee is in fact recognised by the client to be the ‘best in class’, as well as offering the durability in what is a relatively harsh, coastal climate. By choosing the complimentary roofing and cladding products from Tata Steel, the project team was certain of continuity of supply from a single source. Additionally, the Tata Steel cladding systems also achieved the thermal, acoustic, fire and buildability criteria crucial to the specification.