Case Study: Curved Beams
Tividale High School, West Midlands
School buildings are taking on a new look as Architect's turn to
Metsec's curved lightweight lattice beams as an easy way to give classroom blocks a more modern appearance.
Metsec supplied 51 curved beams to support the roofs of four new buildings at Tividale High School. The one storey and three storey extension blocks and two single storey link buildings occupy a
1144 sq.m footprint and will house art and technology rooms
plus classrooms and offices.
The 374m of beams varied in length but were mainly 600mm
deep with a 15m radius or 10m radius and 350mm deep.
Specified because of the quick delivery and fast and easy
erection, the beams were supplied in phases to suit the
construction programme.
The curved beams are supporting long span decking as the roof covering and have been left exposed as an architectural feature
in parts of the buildings.