Leeds Skelton Lakes Services is a ‘new concept’ motorway service area at M1 Junction 45 to the east of Leeds and used CLT, glulam and cassette panels made from PEFC-certified spruce. It was designed by Warwick-based architects, Corstorphine + Wright.
The scheme brings together a wide range of popular food and beverage, ancillary retail and leisure ‘brands’ together with a business centre and community facilities. www.bkstructures.co.uk (BKS), was appointed to design, fabricate and install the structure and the ambitious roof geometry. The construction approach for Skelton Lakes was carefully considered by BKS as a single structural sub-contractor supplying and installing the structural steelwork, CLT, glulam, timber cassettes and was installed efficiently and effectively using offsite techniques.
The choice of the project team to design each individual roof ribbon to act as a diaphragm, represented a technical challenge. The structure minimises the need for bracing or trusses, while maximising the space available. Thanks to the efficiency of the design, windows could be fitted in the ribbon’s gap bringing light into the space created.
BKS worked in close collaboration with Austrian partners Rubner Holzbau. Rubner undertook the design of the timber cassettes and their invaluable experience resulted in a very high-quality product. By using CNC and standardised manufacturing methods, the timber cassettes follow the glulam shapes to perfection to create the ribbons that make up the roof structure.
Efficient communication and a collaborative BIM model have been the key elements in the success of the fabrication and delivery of this project. As the design progressed, the BIM model was updated with the latest information for all the teams involved to access. In this manner the different teams were able to work in harmony with each other, sharing the data in real time. The erection sequence required the glulam and timber cassettes to be landed in succession to rapidly secure the stability of the Ribbon.
Overall, the scheme used a total volume of 644.129m³ of 100% PEFC-certified spruce. The material was delivered during April to August 2019 and sequestered 430 tonnes of CO₂e. The end result is a high-quality project using legal and sustainable timber that was delivered on-time and to the client’s budget.
Image Credit: BK Structures