Shanco partnered with Galliford Try in constructing Greenhead Sixth Form College’s Net Zero Carbon in Operation (NZCiO) school building as part of a £25m redevelopment under the Department for Education’s School Rebuilding Programme.

The Project

Shanco completed a vast array of work which contributed to the successful delivery of new modern teaching facilities, embracing sustainability principles and removing the use of inefficient energy sources on site. The scope of this extensive project comprised:

• Development of vast pad foundations with individual volumes of up to 110m³
• Installation of internal drainage systems integrated within the foundations
• Creation of a 130-space staff car park with permeable drainage, electric vehicle charging points, and sustainable lighting
• Construction of a 6mx75m reinforced concrete(RC) retaining wall to support site elevation changes
• Casting of a 1500m² suspended reinforced concrete slab for the ground floor
• S.278 entrance works and S.106 drain connection works
• External landscaping, including surfacing, street furniture, terraced seating arrangements, and RC staircases

The Challenge

Shanco encountered several significant challenges throughout the redevelopment project. The works were conducted in a sensitive area that included the college, local parks, a medical centre, and residential areas. This necessitated early engagement with Kirklees Council to discuss technical details, suitable dates, and working methods. The project required strict adherence to College holiday dates, providing narrow windows of opportunity for completion.

The project was split over several phases. In the build phase, Shanco faced major obstacles such as building a 6mx75m RC retaining wall for site elevation changes and managing the construction of a 17m high steel frame building with large pad foundations up to 110m³ in volume. Integrating internal drainage within these foundations safely and efficiently was another challenge, along with casting a 1500m² suspended reinforced concrete slab with strict tolerances of +/- 1mm over 1m in the main hall for the installation of bleacher seating.

The Approach

Shanco adopted a meticulous and collaborative approach to successfully deliver for this major redevelopment project. Engaging with Kirklees Council early on to discuss proposals, technical details, and suitable dates ensured smooth coordination in the sensitive area. Shanco liaised with key stakeholders, including Yorkshire Water, Kirklees Council, and BT, to secure necessary approvals for the S.106 drain connections and S.278 entrance works. Robust traffic management setups ensured the safety of pedestrians, motorists, and workers, including full road closures and diversion routes.

For the retaining wall, an expert formwork and design team managed the temporary works design through to final client approval. To address the challenge of integrating drainage within the foundations, Shanco’s engineering team produced detailed drawings to split the large pours, making them shallower and safer, and developed a pour sequence plan for client visualisation.

For the ground floor, Shanco cast a suspended reinforced concrete slab with a power float finish. This included comprehensive gas and waterproofing solutions in collaboration with Visqueen for the design specification. Shanco also completed the external landscaping, including surfacing, street furniture, terraced seating arrangements, and RC staircases, while managing logistics seamlessly alongside other contractors.

The Results

Despite the complexity and sensitivity of the work involved, Shanco completed the groundworks on time and within budget. The innovative solutions and thorough planning from the team at Shanco facilitated the successful construction of this sustainable and modern teaching facility.

Shanco streamlined processes with Field View, a cloud-based construction quality control software, to maintain quality assurance. The project met stringent quality standards and programme dates, resulting in a well-coordinated and high-quality redevelopment that supports the college’s educational mission and sustainability goals.

“As we near completion of this phase of works at Greenhead College, I just wanted to give you some feedback from the project team so far, which we have passed on to my Supply Chain Manager.

Throughout the tender and pre-contract process, we appreciated the input from all members of the Shanco team, notably discussions with Declan and Paddy regarding logistics, temporary works, retaining wall solutions etc. Due to the quick turnaround of information, your swift responses and attentiveness were greatly valued and enabled us to progress the works in a timely manner.

From agreement of the sub-contract, we as a team at Galliford Try have been extremely impressed with Shanco’s attitude to the works and how the problems encountered have been dealt with. Regular dialogue and great communication has been key and kept issues to a minimum. It has been refreshing to agree changes as and when they have come to fruition on-site with Shanco’s Kate and Gerry.

Indeed, at last month’s contract review, our Director commented that it was great to see a groundworkers account with so few disputed items and close to agreement prior to the completion of the works. It is a testament to the relationship between the teams within Shanco and Galliford Try and we look forward to maintaining this over the next two phases and on to further projects.”

Mark, Galliford Try

Shanco’s meticulous approach and dedication to sustainability set a benchmark for future infrastructure projects in the education sector, exemplifying their expertise in delivering high-quality construction solutions.