McAleer + Rushe are delivering 791-bed student accommodation in central London using Converge Signal Sensors to unlock faster PT striking and reduce testing overheads.
Located just north of Tower Bridge, 65 Crutched Friars is a 20-floor student accommodation project with 791 bedrooms and a new Migration Museum on the lower three floors. The tight city-centre site footprint and scale of post-tensioned slab work created logistical challenges, making efficient scheduling and striking critical to the project’s success.
McAleer + Rushe deployed Converge Signal Sensors across the project’s PT slabs to track early strength gain in real time. With two sensors installed per pour and data accessed via the ConcreteDNA app, the engineering team could monitor curing progress on iPads and mobile devices.
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This approach eliminated the delays associated with waiting for cube test results. Instead, site engineers could generate instant PDF strength reports from each pour and share them directly with structural engineers, enabling safe, rapid formwork striking.
The sensors were simple to install—clipped onto rebar and set up in the office before being placed on site. This workflow streamlined operations, cut down on cube testing overhead, and allowed the team to focus resources on critical path activities.
By monitoring real-time strength data, engineers were able to strike formwork without waiting for cube results, accelerating the programme on a logistically challenging city-centre site.
The use of sensors significantly cut down on cube preparation, testing, and lab costs, saving both time and manpower while still maintaining compliance with 28- and 56-day cube tests.
With all sensor data downloadable as a single PDF per pour, engineers could quickly share verified results with structural engineers, simplifying communication and decision-making across the project team.