FP McCann is supplying and installing modular precast components on a brand new £10 million 138 room Holiday Inn Express hotel near Bridgwater, Somerset.

In total, around 509 individual precast concrete structural andarchitectural units will make up the precast structural frame including 394 structural products consisting of reinforced concrete solid floor slabs, internal walls and stairs all manufactured at FP McCann’s Grantham depot.

The building’s architectural façade has been specifically designed to incorporate both a brick faced and acid etched finish. The decorative cladding panels are of an insulated ‘sandwich’ construction, specially cast to meet the exacting design brief. The 30 brick faced panels, each 365mm thick, are being manufactured at Grantham and 84 acid etched panels from Littleport are 410mm thick, with two different colour shades to match the architectural design requirements.

The insulation layer sits between the inner and outer concrete faces on each sandwich panel and have been designed to accommodate the aluminium framed 0.18 U value windows, all pre-installed into the precast panels prior to delivery. A single handling operation on site then ensures that the architectural panels are installed quickly and efficiently with minimal risk of damage.

The precast wall and floor sections have been designed for ease of build, linking together with hidden tie rods. Joints are finished with a high-strength non-shrink grout. 130 pre-formed bathroom pods are also being installed.

Both the structural and architectural facade teams at FP McCann have worked closely with the engineers and architects on the project to ensure all aspects of the build meet the exacting client specification.