George Stephenson High School

Introduction

Miko Engineering was contacted by George Stephenson High School in November 2018. The school had a large designated area for their pupils to use, however, this was inaccessible in the wet and cold winter months, and also lacked any shade cover in the warmer summer months. Miko Engineering was tasked with the design, manufacture and installation of the large curved canopy, which measures 32.5m long by 9m wide. This was to be installed ready for the summer months so that the pupils could use it for lunch and break time.

Completed Look

Project Brief / Background

Our in-house design team are able to provide full specification drawings, which are then checked by a structural engineer to guarantee the complete assurance of the usability and safety of the product. We work closely with our clients to make sure the bespoke product is exactly what they require.

What Was Done

Manufacture

There is a total of 21 large supports posts, which were manufactured from 139.7ømm mild steel CHS. The posts were connected via 139.7ømm mild steel CHS, horizontally connected with fixing plates and bolts. All the steelwork is Galvanized to BS EN ISO 1461:2009, and powder coated RAL: 9010 (Pure White). The roof comprises of 80 x 80mm mild steel SHS, which was custom rolled for the project. The roof was then clad in Opaque 16mm Multiwall Polycarbonate which offers UV protection at the same time as letting plenty of light through. The canopy is complete with an aluminium gutter and rainwater downpipes to match the powder coated colour of the steelwork.

Installation

The installation of the bespoke dining/playground canopy involved the excavation of 21 foundations, which were then filled with the required amount of concrete to provide a strong and stable base for the canopies supports posts. The foundation holes were then refilled with dolomite and sand which provided a flat surface for the 3G grass to be relayed.

George Stephenson School also required some new picnic tables and seats for the pupils to use at lunch and break time. The end result was some steel and recycle plastic seats and tables which fit in perfectly with the surrounding area and provide dining and social space. The galvanized steel guarantees no rust, and the black recycle plastic from milk cartons is fire-retardant and are not affected by the weather, unlike natural timber products.