Steels in place for Dudley Health Innovation College
The main steel structure for a new college has been erected this week as part of a major building project which will see a new £26million university campus built on Castle Hill.
Dudley Council and its Alliance partners are building the college with government funding under the Towns Fund. The University of Worcester will run a health and life sciences college from the site, which will provide university-level courses for the health sector.
The team broke ground in early September and, following the demolition of the remaining buildings, has already put foundations in place to begin the build.
The first phase of the steel structure to the two storey part of the building has been craned into place, and a further storey is set to be added. Additional steelwork will be erected across the rest of the site to create the college which will deliver programmes centred around health care and allied professions, including nursing, midwifery, paramedic science and related health occupations from the new Dudley site.
There is a focus on social value and greener development within the project. 80% of the site management team working on site are local, hailing from Stourbridge, Halesowen and Dudley in the main, many having grown-up in the area.
So far the development has used 300 cubic metres of low carbon concrete. This innovative material uses less cement which reduces its carbon footprint, and in its place uses ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS), a waste by-product from coal powered fire stations. GGBS can make concrete more durable and reduces the rate at which it degrades.
The steel structure itself was created using an electric arc furnace, a more energy efficient way of creating steel.
As work continues, locals will see building work continuing from the top down, with a roof set to go into place in the spring, followed by external walls beginning to wrap around the building in April. This way of working will allow for work to begin on the interior of the building while work on the exterior continues, maximising the use of the available time and allowing the team to keep on schedule.
Councillor Patrick Harley, leader of Dudley Council, said:
“Work is really starting to gather pace on the build. Seeing the steels swung into place was an impressive sight, and the team is clearly really excited by the project.
“I’m really impressed with the commitment to using local knowledge and expertise and the focus on making the build as sustainable as possible.
“I look forward to it taking shape in the new year and getting one step closer to bringing outstanding health care teaching to the borough.”
Dudley College of Technology agreed to work alongside the council to develop the new facility, after building up a degree of expertise through the development of the Dudley Learning Quarter and the creation of the Black Country and Marches Institute of Technology. The teaching and learning that will take place will be driven by the University of Worcester. The new campus is set to open in Spring 2026.
The Dudley Town Board which includes the council and Dudley College of Technology oversees the project and ensures the terms of the funding are met. Under the scheme, in partnership with Dudley College, the council has commissioned the creation of an Alliance made up of architects, engineers, constructors and a delivery supply chain under a single insurance backed alliance contract (IBA). insurance deal. The insurance-backed contract means the council and its partners managers costs, material supply and programme differently so the project carries a lower risk.
The Alliance members are Dudley Council, VINCI building, Stephen George + Partner (SGP), Cundall, Cullinan Studio and Derry BS, supported by the independent assures and facilitators IPInitiatives and Artelia, together with the end users, Dudley College of Technology.