Retail:Tesco purpose-built interim supermarket and associated car parks

Project: To build a 13,300 sqft Tesco interim supermarket in Workington in just 13 days!

The interim supermarket in the flood-hit town of Workington in Cumbria was built from scratch and delivered by Johnson Construction. Johnson Construction, who have substantial experience in fast-track modular construction managed the delivery and installation of the supermarket modular structure in an unprecedented 24 hours with the store and car parks being completed and open to the public in 13 days including a day and a half delay due to planning issues.
Because the community in Seaton and Northside areas of the town faced an agonising journey to the main Tesco store in Workington, the company appointed Johnson Construction to construct the supermarket and associated car parks on a brown field site on the north side of the River Derwent.
Daniel Frith, Tesco development manager, said: “This is the first time we have ever built a store in such a short time. At this time of year our customers are busy enough without a three-hour journey just to get to the supermarket. Many of our own staff have been badly affected by flooding so the temporary store will help them too.”
Tesco retail director, David Potts, said: “At this time of year customers are busy enough without a three hour journey to the supermarket.
“But we’ve never built a store in such a short time before.”
Johnson Business Stream director, Bob Gregson said: “Under the direction of our head of construction, Geoff Terry, the teams worked round the clock with every aspect of the project being worked on concurrently.  Despite the rain and night time working, his teams ensured that the access roads and car park were built in time for the opening”.
“This project demonstrates that modular construction has an important role to play in the industry.  We provided a fast track building comprising multiple units which have a guaranteed level of factory finish and quality. It demonstrates how an organisation can have additional working or trading space with minimal impact on daily business activities and install units with future expansion in mind if it so wishes.
“It also assists with carbon footprint reduction and the control of embedded water in component and processes.”
Johnson Construction and its team of sub-contractors prepared raised foundations to line and level for the modular structure incorporating mass filled concrete delivered by a concrete pump which worked throughout the night and completed the operation within 36 hours. The site was floodlit and the modular units were fully positioned on the foundations over a 24 hour period. At the same time drainage connections to outfalls were located and connected with power and services being brought in from the highway.
The whole area was then overlaid with Tarmacadam to falls with trolley bays located at strategic points. Perimeter fencing and external furniture were also installed.  A concrete ramp was formed to provide access for deliveries to the side of the unit with a scissor lift being used to off load goods from wagons into the loading bay.
The internal fit out was completed by the Johnson Construction team of installers with the M+E contractors playing a pivotal role in the internal fit out process process.
Historically, large contractors have opted for traditional construction methods because modular solutions erode core business and profitability.  Bob Gregson continued: “I think this attitude will change with the need to address environmentally friendly and fast track building techniques in the future.”
When the bridges in Workington are re-opened the building will simply be dismantled and taken to another location.
Johnson Construction has developed specialist techniques for installing foundations on brown field sites and delivering fast track internal fit out options to provide optimum delivery of all modular

http://www.johnsonconstruction.co.uk/cs_workington_tesco.html