PUNCH were appointed to the project in December 2006 by John Paul Construction, as part of a Design/Build contract. PUNCH produced the detailed design and drawings for this structural steel framed development. The steel tonnage was in excess of 7,000+ tonnes of steel, making it the largest steel project in progress in Ireland at that time. The structural steel, including all secondary steelwork required for cladding finishes, was designed, and erected to a very tight programme of 12 months during 2007, with precast concrete slabs and screed construction following closely behind.

Ferrybank Shopping Centre is located in Kilkenny, just north of Waterford City, and is situated at a landmark location on the top of the hill on the N25 It consists of 30,000m2 of retail floor space over a two-storey basement providing 36,000m2 of car parking for 1,200 cars. The development incorporates high-end retail space over two levels. Office space is also provided at second and third stories. The development is anchored by Dunnes Stores.

For PUNCH, the key to the successful delivery of the project was the ability to turn the project around quickly. We were appointed in late December, and as the project already had planning permission, construction work started on site in February, and the first delivery of structural steel arrived in April. This extremely tight programme required a large, dedicated project team to address the site and construction issues thoroughly and produce detailed construction drawings in accordance with the contractor’s programme.