Pentre Awel is the first development of its scope and size in Wales and one of the highest-valued schemes Carmarthenshire County Council has undertaken. This £84 million project covers 83 acres and has created an estimated 1,800 jobs.

The scheme provides medical research and health care, encouraging individuals to lead active lifestyles. Pentre Awel also includes integrated care and physical rehabilitation facilities and hopes to boost the local economy by £467 million over the next 15 years.

As the chosen passive fire protection system manufacturer, Quelfire worked alongside the main contractor, Bouygues Construction Ltd and all the relevant parties to deliver this project.

The main objective was to incorporate an early engagement approach to design and build Pentre Awel around the tested details available, creating safe and compliant buildings.

Challenges of the project

As this was one of Bouygues UK’s first early engagement projects utilising a new approach and systems, the initial cooperation of relevant parties proved to be the main challenge.

This later led to the coordination of service spacings being problematic due to the large number of services used on the project, steel beams and restricted space available.

Solutions to the issue

Bouygues UK’s initiative to implement a new system called Morta ensured Bouygues completed work in line with the Building Safety Act and built the Golden Thread of Information to hand over to the building owner on completion of the project. It also guaranteed they met Building Regulation 38 requirements.

The Morta system ensured that all service penetrations were covered. If critical information was not provided, the schedule would go back to the responsible person to collate and send over.

The idea of a clear ‘Builder’s Work in Connection’ (BWIC) opening schedule is to make sure all parties work together, take responsibility, and understand what is required.

To provide the most relevant firestopping tested solutions from Quelfire’s extensive library, Quelfire required a detailed schedule with specific information about the project’s service penetration applications.

This included information about the wall or floor construction, the required fire rating, and the dimensions of structural openings.

Additionally, they needed to know if the application involved a head-of-wall scenario, whether any movement was required, and details about the services – such as their type, material, size, and any insulation requirements, including thickness.

However, receiving the information and getting everyone on the same page proved to be quite challenging as, for many, this was a brand-new approach to building construction. Luckily, Pentre Awel discussions began in 2022, leading to the first early engagement meeting in January 2023.

After this, Quelfire had regular project meetings and workshops to discuss the firestopping package, BWIC openings and any non-standard details. This ensured all parties were on the same page and could provide the correct information, minimising confusion.

Senior BIM Coordinator, Bouygues, Tom Marsh’s statement

Tom Marsh, Senior BIM Coordinator at Bouygues, stated: “Quelfire have been very proactive in supporting our Golden Thread initiative via our Information Management platforms.

They have also provided a lot of technical insight which we have used to improve on Pentre Awel processes, as well as other projects moving forward.”

Design Manager, Bouygues, Matthew John’s statement

Matthew John, Design Manager at Bouygues, said: “Quelfire’s Technical Manager, Alec, has supported the Pentre Awel design team throughout the detailed design stage, giving pragmatic guidance on tested passive fire stopping solutions.

“This support has been invaluable in assisting Bouygues in delivering our Golden Thread builders work approval process.”

Quelfire provide technical solutions to Wales research and health hub: Summary

Pentre Awel is the first development of its size in Wales and it hopes to boost the local economy by £467 million over the next 15 years. Quelfire worked alongside Bouygues Construction Ltd to complete the project.

Bouygues Design Manager said that the support and advice from Quelfire has been invaluable.