DBA civils department were involved in the overall site levels and drainage design for both buildings on the site. DBA structures department were involved in the full structural design for both drive thru buildings and provided SER certification on both buildings. The project formed part of the redevelopment of a tightly constrained brownfield site, with proposals for the construction of two drive-thru units—Burger King and Starbucks. Due to the site’s variable ground conditions, particular attention was given to the foundation design.

For Burger King, the foundation solution comprised vibro ground improvement techniques to take advantage of the sandy, gravelly soils. The entire building footprint was treated to support a reinforced concrete ground-bearing slab. The superstructure consisted of a braced steel frame on reinforced concrete pad foundations, with masonry infill panels and insulated cladding. The roof was constructed using an insulated metal deck system.

In contrast, the Starbucks unit required a precast concrete driven piled foundation, due to poor in-situ soil conditions. The structure was supported by cast in-situ reinforced concrete ground beams, with a suspended reinforced concrete ground floor slab. The superstructure also featured a braced steel frame, with insulated cladding and glazed screens. The roof matched Burger King’s in using an insulated metal deck system.

The project also included the installation of a sheet piled retaining wall. Given its proximity to an adjacent road carriageway, its design required particular care due to the site constraints.

Project Timescale: The project design phase commenced in 2020 and buildings were completed on site in 2022.