Berry Systems Cladding For New Southwater Car Park

A key feature of the Southwater Regeneration project in Telford is the construction of a 600 space multi-storey car park with potential for expansion by a further 350 spaces in future years. Associated Architects of Birmingham discussed the cladding requirements with car park specialists Berry Systems at an early stage in the project’s development. This enabled Berry Systems to demonstrate their ‘in depth’ expertise by designing a cladding system that met the pedestrian loading requirements of BS 6180 and so removed the need for additional pedestrian handrailing on interior faces. The expanded metal mesh cladding was then produced and installed by Berry Systems’ own team for contractor Morgan Sindall. They also installed vehicle safety barriers at the split levels inside the car park from their extensive range of floor and column mounted barrier systems. Installation was completed in April 2014 in good time for the planned August launch event for phase 1 of this £250 million project. This also involves the development of a new 11 screen IMAX cinema plus 4 restaurants, an energy centre, an 83 bed Premier Inn, a visitor centre and new restaurants to the front of the existing Ten Pin Bowling Alley and the recently refurbished Ice Rink. The regeneration of the Southwater area is a partnership between Telford & Wrekin Council, Southwater Event Group, private sector investors and is part funded by the Homes & Communities Agency. Phases 2 and 3, in future years, will add residential properties as well as more commercial units plus the car park extension to ensure that the facility maintains the capacity to support the total development. Berry Systems’ expertise in car park perimeters goes far beyond the spring steel safety barriers for which they are rightly renowned and now encompasses the whole exterior envelope. Complete packages including cladding, curtain walling, perimeter barriers and pedestrian protection can save time, materials and a lot of hassle. By involving a car park specialist early in the specification process, significant benefits can be gained and savings achieved with a more efficient perimeter solution. For example, Berry Systems can advise on how to achieve the required level of ventilation through the cladding as well as how it could be rated for pedestrian loadings, as was the case at Southwater. Berry Systems are based in Bilston, near Wolverhampton and have been the leading producer of car park safety barriers since they introduced the spring steel buffer in the 1970s. Since then the product range has grown to cover a wide array of industrial and commercial situations. More recently they have added car park cladding and TopDeck modular car parks to their product portfolio, all benefiting from their many years of market experience. Products are independently tested to meet the relevant requirements of BS6399 and the new BS EN 1991 -1-1 2002 Annex B, the European Standard that has superseded BS 6399 Part 1 1996. In addition, Heavy Duty designs are available for up to 40 tonne vehicle impact.

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