The Sri Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara

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The Sri Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara was produced from cast in-situ reinforced concrete and stone panels that were designed to be load bearing such as the external skin of the cavity wall. Each stone panel rests above one another, bonding with epoxy resin to ensure a weather tight fitting is present while being tied back to the concrete structure with stainless steel ties. To ensure Part L requirements are covered, a 100mm cavity filled with high-performance insulation between the stone and concrete is present.

Whilst referring to CAD drawings produced by Calford Seaden architects, the project architect Mark Stott, described the project as being a giant air fix kit. This is due to stonemasons in India that manufactured, cut, shaped and carved big quantities of detailed designed marble and granite followed by shipping these to the UK on quarries. These included the big marble domes, extremely decorative stonework and arched windows. Each stone element had a marked reference to enable simplicity in assembling correctly when it arrived on site. The building columns are carved solid pieces of stone, which is bored and wrapped around each conventional reinforced concrete column. Stone thicknesses differ, however a minimum of exactly 40mm was established for flat panels while increasing to 200mm for larger more ornate panels, some which weigh up near towards a tonne. Due to the weight of these panels, the stonemasons from India came over to assist with installations to prevent chipping and damaging edges from shipment and so that they can make any alterations or adjustments which may be required on site.

The structure was kept simple as possible to enable feasibility and efficiency in construction. Overall, conventional in-situ rein...

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