Slip form meets real-time monitoring: McAleer & Rushe use Converge to validate early strength on live pours in Glasgow student accommodation project
McAleer & Rushe are delivering a multi-storey student accommodation project in central Glasgow using a fast-paced slip-form and PT slab construction method. With pours happening daily and a tight site footprint, the team needed greater visibility and assurance on early strength gain to support safe stressing and formwork release.
To gain real-time visibility into concrete strength gain, McAleer & Rushe implemented Converge’s wireless Signal sensor system on both the slip-form cores and post-tensioned slabs. The sensors were embedded directly into pours and linked to the Converge app, which provided live strength data to support early decision-making.
This was the first time the team used Converge technology, and although the method of using sensors on PT slabs was familiar to them, using it on slip-form was a novel approach. Project Manager, Rodrigo Ferreira, decided to apply sensors on the slip-form cores for added assurance—particularly as pours were exposed and moving rapidly (on average 2.5 metres a day up to 3 metres).
In slip-form construction, the formwork rises continuously while fresh concrete is poured beneath. The Signal system provided real-time strength data, giving the team clear insight into when the concrete is ready to be safely exposed without formwork. This significantly improved confidence in operations by reducing reliance on conservative assumptions and enabling safer, more efficient progress—especially under variable on-site conditions.
The team installed roughly 4 sensors per slab (2 per pour across 16 floors) and 1 per level per slip-form core, totalling over 60 sensors in active use. The real-time data also helped them adjust mixes in cold weather after early readings showed slower strength gain than expected. Two engineers on site were trained to use the system and found it easy to adopt despite it being their first exposure to this technology.
By using Signal sensors on their slipform cores, McAleer & Rushe were able to monitor when the concrete is ready to be safely exposed without formwork. This real-time data gave the site team confidence in early-age concrete performance, especially under cold weather conditions.
During early stages of the frame, real-time data revealed that the original mix design wasn’t achieving strength quickly enough. This insight prompted the team to adjust and recalibrate their concrete mix, helping avoid delays and maintain pace during Scotland’s harsh winter.
Two site engineers with no previous sensor experience were able to use the Converge platform effectively. The system proved intuitive and easy to learn, with the live data stream helping integrate strength tracking into the site’s regular workflow and project registers.