Temple Works, Leeds, UK
Surveying all areas of a huge former flax mill – with no access allowed
This Grade I listed building had partially collapsed when Arup was commissioned to assess its condition.
Challenges to the survey team have been enormous. Most importantly, access is not permitted inside. Custom remote-controlled vehicles including a car, drones, and (in collaboration with Historic England) a four-legged robotic dog, have been used to transport LiDAR and Matterport devices through the building, using innovative methods to boost signal connections across large distances.
The LiDAR data was used to establish in detail the form and dimensions of key four-way iron yolk-and-tie connections at the column heads. This fed directly into our dynamic structural analysis: just one example of how we apply our industry-leading skills in numerical simulation to refurbishment projects.
Drones were also used to create full 3d photogrammetry model of the roof and external elevations. This allowed the desk-based assessment of areas which would otherwise be impossible to reach without the expense of scaffolding around the building perimeter.
These surveys have informed our recommendations for structural repairs and stabilisation works, readying the building for a potential retrofit as a major public institution.
