A Category B prison facility providing a 140 cells, surrounded by a 5.2m high precast concrete perimeter walls.
HMP Five Wells / Wellingborough Prison
The development of a new and innovative Category C Prison, to replace the existing Victorian facility.
Custodial & Judicial - South East
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Project Overview
We were appointed by Kier in their Main Engineer and Precast Engineer roles for the development at HMP Wellingborough Prison. The facility has 7 Houseblocks and CASU with 1 storey high structure.
The category C prison is one of five prisons the UK Government has pledged to build by 2020, as part of a plan to shut old Victorian jails. The Kier Group has been appointed by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) as the contractors.
The project's approach pushed the boundaries of BIM Level 2 by bringing together digital, manufacturing and on site assembly. 3D design has been used to create the project, allowing it to be standardised and replicable across future prisons in the MoJ’s Prison Estate Transformation Programme.
Images courtesy of Pick Everard
The Challenge
We have been working with Kier and PCE to develop a specialist precast concrete design for the prison as an alternative the client’s team design.
Our Solution
Our solution has allowed the prison to be built, on time during the covid pandemic with precast concrete components being supplied by six different factories. Overcoming these challenges with our practical innovation has led to us winning the prestigious ‘Best of the Best’ at this year’s Offsite awards.
To achieve this success, BIM and digital integration with the MOJ and supply chain were paramount. All components were tracked digitally from manufacture to installation. This approach enabled the prison to be built 22% faster than traditional construction.
Project Highlights
The Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) component-led approach to deliver the project set new standards for excellence in modern methods of construction (MMC), innovation and digital technologies.
Testimonial
“Wellingborough – HMP Five Wells has allowed both PCE and Curtins to build on the successes of over 20 years of delivering precast concrete prison solutions together. This award winning project, one of the largest DfMA projects of its kind in the country, has been a resounding success due to the efforts and attention to detail of Curtins' specialist designers.”
Awards
The project has won 16 industry awards to date, including Productivity in Construction Initiative of the Year, Supply Chain Excellence, Offsite Project of the Year and Digital Construction Excellence.
BCI Awards 2020 - Productivity in Construction Initiative of the Year
BCI Awards 2020 - Digital Initiative of the Year
BCI Awards 2020 - Overall Initiative of the Year
Construction News Awards Digital Construction Excellence
Project of the Year Award 2022 Constructing Excellence National Awards
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The development of a new and innovative Category C Prison, to replace the existing Victorian facility.