McGrath Quarries is a leading supplier of construction materials in Ireland. In 2016, they were tasked with supplying ‘EN206 certified Readymix concrete’, ‘Certified Crushed Limestone clean stone’, and ‘Certified Crushed Limestone 2-3″ down material stone’ for the construction of St. Josephs Secondary School in Tulla, Co. Clare. The project presented several challenges that required careful planning and execution.
The first challenge was the large continuous concrete pours required for the foundations and floors of the building. To meet this challenge, McGrath Quarries worked closely with the construction team to develop a detailed concrete delivery schedule that would ensure a continuous supply of concrete to the construction site. This involved the use of a standby Readymix batching plant ensuring a constant supply of concrete to the construction site. This involved utilising McGrath Quarries’ sister plant at Herbertstown, Limerick. This ensured a full constant, and disruption-free supply of all large concrete pours to the construction site.
The second challenge was the large concrete floor areas that required shrinkage controls. McGrath Quarries provided a range of solutions to address this challenge, including the use of specialised concrete mixes that incorporated shrinkage-reducing admixtures. These admixtures were added to the concrete mix to control shrinkage and reduce the potential for cracking in the concrete floor.
The third challenge was the need for steel fibre reinforcement. McGrath Quarries worked closely with the construction team to develop a steel fibre-reinforced concrete mix that would meet the specific requirements of the project. This involved extensive testing and analysis to ensure that the concrete mix would provide the required level of strength and durability for the building.
Overall, McGrath Quarries successfully delivered the required construction materials for St. Josephs Secondary School, Tulla, Co. Clare, and played a crucial role in ensuring the project was completed on time and to a high standard. The Minister for Education and Skills, Mr. Richard Bruton, TD, officially opened the school on the 22nd of September 2016, which was a testament to the success of the project.
Category: Education
Main Contractor: BAM Building Ltd
Construction: 2015
Materials supplied:
Architect: Mullarkey Pedersen Architects
Main Contractor: BAM Building Ltd
