One Canada Square was conceived as the centrepiece of the Canary Wharf Development in London, replacing the derelict dockland area with high quality accommodation for commercial and financial institutions. The project gave Cleveland Bridge's engineers the opportunity to take their expertise in high rise construction to greater heights.
At 236 metres high, the building has 50 floors. It is the tallest building in Britain and when completed it was the tallest small-framed tower in Europe. The building has a compact steel core and an outer perimeter tube formed by closely spaced columns; the floors are of composite construction.
Cleveland Bridge won the trade contract to fabricate, supply and erect the 27,000t of steelwork together with the metal decking. This included the detail design of connections and the construction engineering to ensure the stability, safety and accuracy of the rising steel structure.
The regularity of the design provided a good basis for rapid construction, but at the lower levels the heavy steel members presented a challenge. As with any high rise building the steady progression of the various activities upwards in succession, with limited space and access for men and materials, set the logistical task for the project managers. Working with three luffing tower cranes of 25t capacity, Cleveland Bridge achieved a construction rate of three complete floors every two weeks.
Cleveland Bridge has been constructing steel-framed buildings worldwide for over a century; One Canada Square followed on the achievements with the National Westminster Tower in London and the prestigious Hong Kong & Shanghai Bank headquarters in Hong Kong, designed by Sir Norman Foster.
Canary Wharf Tower, London