Hill Group and Fusion Steel continue to forge partnership in Brentford

Fusion Steel Framing, the award-winning manufacturer of light steel framing solutions, has been brought on board as a contractor for five-star housebuilder The Hill Group and L&Q’s large-scale redevelopment of the former Citroen garage, Kew Bridge Rise, West London.

Fusion will fabricate 13,720 square metres of its innovative TraxTM product to form the steel frame system infill across five buildings of up to 18 storeys on the development. Kew Bridge Rise, located within the heart of the Brentford regeneration area, will deliver 441 new homes, of which 50 per cent will be affordable. Construction of the steel frame system has already begun on site, with the development expected to complete in 2026.

Since its foundation in 2000, Fusion has delivered more light steel residential structures than any other European producer and has worked with some of the largest contractors and developers in the UK construction industry. In 2022, Hill acquired Fusion to advance Hill’s progress in Modern Methods of Construction practises (MMC) and more efficiently integrate light gauge steel frames on developments such as Kew Bridge Rise.

Mike Fairey, managing director at Fusion Steel Framing, comments: “We are delighted to provide our industry-leading TraxTM product on this significant residential scheme and to support our partners at Hill and L&Q in bringing their vision for the project to life. TraxTM’s custom design, high-precision engineering, and exceptional thermal and acoustic insulation mean our product aligns perfectly with their ambition to deliver high-quality residential units across the development.”

TraxTM is a highly economical non-load bearing infill system that helps create rapid dry building envelopes on various building types using steel framing. The works at Kew Bridge Rise will involve Fusion forming the openings, applying RCM DensGlas external board, Kingspan K-Roc insulation and fitting of brick tie channels. Fusion expects to be working on-site for around 12 months.

Fusion will manufacture TraxTM at the company’s high-grade 80,000ft2 manufacturing facility in Northampton, which can deliver over 30,000m2 of light steel annually. The company’s expert engineers will then provide and install the TraxTM system at the Kew Bridge Rise site. The development will have a concrete frame structure, and TraxTM will be used for the infill between floors, sitting on the floor slab up to the ceiling. In addition, Fusion will create the window apertures, providing a complete solution for the project.

Cain Peters, regional director at The Hill Group, comments: “The key advantage of using Fusions’ trail-blazing TraxTM system is the ability to rapidly accelerate construction projects while de-risking the process of installing a structural framework system. The system also reduces fire risk, which is always at the forefront of our construction design. This extensive redevelopment project will be an impressive example of the capabilities of delivering pre-fabricated steel frame systems at scale.”

Hill and L&Q began on-site in Brentford in September 2022. The project includes a new public square and significant investment in local infrastructure improvements. The joint venture partnership will also provide social benefits for the local area during construction, including investment in meaningful employment, training and community-focused opportunities.

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