Willmott Dixon Interiors has completed a £1.6 million programme to mitigate reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in parts of Hodge Hill College, Birmingham, ensuring the safety of ongoing learning.
Delivered through the Department for Education’s construction framework, the 14-week project is the contractor’s first involving the mitigation of RAAC, a material known to affect more than 200 schools and colleges across England.
Works were carried out in a live school environment with minimal disruption to teaching and learning, demonstrating Willmott Dixon Interiors’ experience in delivering projects in occupied educational settings.
A bespoke timber lattice support system was installed beneath the existing RAAC roof planks, providing a safe structure from which new ceilings and services can be suspended. A full ceiling replacement was carried out in the kitchen, alongside the installation of new doorsets and fire partition walls on the first floor.
M&E upgrades were delivered throughout the building, including a new fire alarm system and detectors, with new pipework introduced in the kitchen and North Hall to support essential services.
Adam Worrall, deputy managing director at Willmott Dixon Interiors, said the successful delivery at Hodge Hill College adds to the company’s growing portfolio of education refurbishment work through the DfE’s construction framework and reflects its expertise in RAAC mitigation.
He said: “Our priority was to protect the integrity of the building and give the school community peace of mind that it is safe and secure.
“As our first completed RAAC project, Hodge Hill College highlights our ability to deliver technically complex work in live education settings. It also reflects the strength of our ongoing relationship with DfE, and we look forward to building on this experience as we expand our work in this specialist area.”