The Foundry Ordsall Lane, Salford

The Foundry Ordsall Lane (formerly known as Digital Village) is built on a 3.5-acre brownfield site next to the Manchester Ship Canal. The site is in a regeneration area located within Salford close to the Grade I-listed Tudor Ordsall Hall.

Planning approval was gained for 12 business units totalling 47,000 sq ft in September 2013 after Capital & Centric acquired the land from Salford City Council. The project involves an acre of public realm forming a 30-metre wide boulevard creating a link between Ordsall Hall, the River Irwell and the Manchester Ship Canal.  In June 2014 the build won £1.1 million part-funding from the European Regional Development Fund.

RoC Consulting was appointed to conduct a Phase 1 Desktop Study and Flood Risk Assessment to support redevelopment of the brownfield site for light industrial and commercial end uses.

The surface water drainage scheme for the development recognised the proximity of the Manchester Ship Canal and RoC negotiated the discharge licences with Peel Ports. The drainage system reduced peak run-off from the site by 50% utilising large below ground tanks for attenuation.

The development comprised the construction of two steel framed terraces with an eaves height of 6m, 12 self-contained business units, a boulevard type walkway, service yards and soft landscaping. The steel framing design has limited lateral deflections due to the architectural use of masonry around the building.
The feature entrances to the units include high level splayed brickwork panels and architectural detailing which creates a 45o recess to further enhance the quality of the created environment.

The ground floor slab is ground bearing and has been designed to Institutional Standards. This development required Vibro ground treatment.

Ground improvement techniques were required to enhance the bearing capacity to deliver economic foundation and ground bearing slab design.