Portland House, Pitstone, Buckinghamshire

Structural engineering and civil engineers for Commercial steel frame unit Pitstone Buckinghamshire

Project: Portland House, Pitstone Green Business Park

Architect: Decade 3 Associates

Client: La Foret Property

Location: Pitstone, Buckinghamshire

Our services: Structural and Civil Engineer

Project overview

Portland House is a commercial steel frame development on Pitstone Green Business Park Westfield Road in Pitstone, Buckinghamshire, comprising two new-build buildings with a combined floor area of 920m².

Units A1 and A2 account for 314m², with Units B through E making up the remaining 604m². Both buildings include first floor mezzanines and are constructed using a steel portal frame system.

The client, La Foret Property, appointed us directly after finding us online while looking for a local structural engineer in Buckinghamshire. Following an initial meeting to discuss the project and our experience, we were engaged for the full scope of structural, civils and highways engineering input, working alongside architect Decade 3 Associates.

Structural engineering

As the appointed chartered structural engineer for the development, our structural scope covered foundation design, the steel frame structure and full connection detailing across both buildings.

Foundation design comprised pad foundations to columns with trench fill foundations to the perimeter and party walls, together with a ground bearing slab throughout.

The steel framed structures were designed using Tekla Building Designer and Tekla Portal Frame Designer, with full connection design and detailing included within our appointment. Designing connections at this stage ensured buildability and compliance were resolved before work started on site.

Civil engineering

Our civil engineering design followed the principles established in the approved drainage strategy prepared by others at planning stage. Working as civil engineer consultant for the scheme, we took responsibility for the full drainage design, including foul drainage design, external levels coordination and statutory application management.

Foul drainage was collected across the site and discharged into the existing foul network within the road. For surface water, we designed a SuDS-compliant attenuation system using Aquacell crates installed beneath the road, with a restricted discharge into the existing surface water sewer passing through the site. The existing surface water sewer required diversion around the proposed building units, which formed part of our drainage design package.

External levels were coordinated across the whole site to ensure correct falls to the drainage infrastructure and a full suite of external works construction details was produced for use by the contractor.

We also coordinated and managed the connection applications to the water authority, including S106 connection applications and the S104 agreement for adoption of the foul sewer outside the site boundary.

Highways design

Our highways input covered the technical design details required for the S278 agreement application with the highway authority. This comprised the widening of the existing site access and the provision of a new pedestrian crossing with a refuge island within the road. All details were prepared to the required adoptable standard and formatted for formal submission as part of the S278 process.

Full engineering services

This project demonstrates our capability as a structural engineer commercial buildings specialist, combining structural, civil and highways expertise into a single coordinated delivery.

By acting as both structural engineer and civil engineer consultant, we streamline communication, reduce risk and ensure a cohesive design approach from concept through to construction. The project is ongoing and we continue to provide on-site support to ensure the design is implemented efficiently.

Working with dbstructural

While this project highlights our expertise as a Structural and Civil Engineer, our team also supports residential and commercial clients across Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire and North London.

Whether you are delivering a commercial steel frame scheme or planning a new development, working with a proactive team of chartered structural engineers, civil construction engineer and drainage engineers ensures your vision is delivered safely, efficiently and creatively.

Read more about our Commercial Structural Engineering services here. Alternatively, get in touch with the team here.