You’re reviewing the structural design package and your heart sinks.

  • Massive beams
  • Thick slabs
  • Steel reinforcement that makes your QS twitch

You find yourself asking: “Is all this really necessary, or is my engineer just playing it safe?”

It’s a common frustration especially when the numbers don’t seem to add up with the rest of your project goals. Over-engineering isn’t usually about engineers being cautious or lazy. It’s often the direct result of when we’re brought into the design process.

Timing is Everything

By the time many structural engineers are asked to get involved, key architectural decisions are already locked in.

  • Load paths have been compromised,
  • floor-to-floor heights are fixed, and
  • grid spacing is rigid

With these constraints in place, we’re left with limited room to manoeuvre so we compensate with extra structure.

  • Bigger beams
  • Thicker slabs
  • Heavier reinforcement

We’re not trying to be difficult. We’re just trying to keep your building safe and compliant—with the options available to us. And often, those options are far from ideal.

This is how over-engineering creeps in. Not from negligence, but from necessity. Because late involvement equals fewer choices. And fewer choices mean we design conservatively, building in larger safety margins to protect what matters most.

What Happens When You Involve Us Early?

Flip the timeline, and everything changes.

When we’re brought in early, alongside the architect, QS, and services engineer we can help shape the structure from day one. That doesn’t just mean safety; it means efficiency.

We’ve helped developers:

  • Cut steel tonnage by up to 20% simply through better coordination of services and structural zones
  • Avoid deep foundations by subtly adjusting column layouts to optimise loads
  • Retain and reuse existing buildings that others would have written off, saving both money and time

In one recent project, early collaboration allowed us to eliminate an entire transfer structure by influencing the initial layout. That alone shaved weeks off the programme and hundreds of thousands from the budget.

Lean Design Is Collaborative Design

Contrary to the myth, most engineers don’t want to over-engineer.

We want to design elegant, efficient structures that perform beautifully and build easily. But we need the opportunity to do that which means being at the table before the big decisions are made.

Over-engineering isn’t hardwired into our mindset, it’s hardwired into a process that brings us in too late.

So if your structural design feels oversized or your costs are ballooning, don’t jump to blame the engineer. Instead, look at the timeline.

Design Smarter, Not Heavier

Great structural design isn’t about adding more it’s about knowing what you can take away.

But that kind of precision comes from early involvement, not late fixes.

If you’re looking to build leaner, faster, and smarter, the solution isn’t finding a new engineer.
It’s involving the right one at the right time.

Project Overview

Reading Borough Council sought to expand their vehicle workshops at Bennet Road, where they service and maintain refuse vehicles. This extension was crucial as the Council had begun transitioning their fleet to electric vehicles (EVs).

The existing workshop facilities were too small to accommodate these larger, more complex vehicles and required additional space for future maintenance needs. The objective was not only to extend the workshops but also to future-proof the facilities for the Council’s evolving fleet.

Existing warehouse facility at Bennet Road, Reading

Key Objectives

The primary goal was to extend the height and depth of the existing workshop, providing ample space to accommodate the new EVs and ensuring efficient future maintenance. The Council was under significant time pressure and required the expanded facility to be fully operational by September 2024.

We were appointed in the summer of 2023, with the challenge of taking the project from planning approval to site construction and completion within a tight 15-month window.

Unique Challenges & Constraints

1.  Time and Budget Pressure

The timeline was critical, as the Council needed the new facility open and functioning by September 2024. The initial budget was set low, and we advised the client early on that this might be insufficient. Cost-saving measures were prioritised, focusing on sustainable solutions that aligned with the client’s environmental goals.

warehouse site plan


2.  Site Constraints

The workshop is located on a busy, operational site. We needed to maintain smooth traffic flows for refuse vehicles while constructing the extension in a rear corner of the property.

One of the workshops remained operational throughout the construction process, with alternative offsite provisions made by the Council.


3.  Boundary & Compliance Challenges

The project site was very close to the property boundary, necessitating detailed fire safety considerations for the new cladding.

Although the existing building did not meet current standards, we had to bring the entire structure up to building regulations, a challenge that significantly increased costs.

One area that needed improvement was the fire safety measures. Building Control required a fire refuge to be added on the first floor. The ground floor was already fully compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), ensuring accessibility for office staff and visitors.

Tight rear boundary


Cladding going in 


Structural & Engineering Solutions

1.  Reuse of Existing Structures

To stay within budget and maintain sustainability, we reused as much of the existing structure as possible.

The original steel frame was retained and extended both vertically and horizontally to accommodate the new height requirements and additional bays.

The yard’s existing 250mm thick concrete slab was also reused, screeded over to integrate it seamlessly with the new floor plan. This approach eliminated the need for a new ground floor slab, significantly reducing costs and environmental impact.

Frame extended upwards to increase headroom


Slab out to allow new ramped entrance to be formed



2.  Screw Piles
The decision to use screw piles for the foundations was a pivotal solution that saved both time and money.

Traditional excavation would have risked disturbing potentially contaminated soil on the refuse site, requiring expensive removal and disposal.

By using screw piles, we minimised digging and avoided disturbing the ground, thus cutting costs and adhering to environmental best practices.


3.  Sustainability Focus

Sustainability was a driving factor throughout the project. In addition to reusing the structural frame and floor slab, we used high-efficiency, insulated cladding and installed roller shutter doors with built-in insulation.

These elements exceeded standard building regulation requirements, as per the Council’s brief to create a comfortable working environment for their technicians while improving energy efficiency.

4.  Architectural & Engineering Coordination

The project required intricate coordination between the structural and service designs, which we managed through advanced software tools like Revit.

This allowed us to integrate third-party services into our structural framework seamlessly and avoid design-related issues during construction.

This technology was crucial in coordinating complex elements, such as integrating heating systems that were controlled by the roller shutter doors to ensure no heat was wasted when the doors were open.

Overcoming Project Hurdles

Phased Construction Delays

The project was originally divided into two phases to ensure two workshop bays could be handed back early while the rest of the extension was completed.

However, due to site proximity issues—particularly the inability to gain permission from neighbouring properties to access their land—the planned phasing had to be overhauled. This caused a delay in handing over the initial two bays but did not impact the final deadline for the entire building.

New frame in!


Office annex roof, beams going in


5 Reasons to Work for a Small Structural Engineering Consultancy


Budget Adjustments

Despite the initial cost-saving measures, the best tender came in 20% over the original budget due to material costs and additional compliance requirements.

The budget continued to rise, eventually reaching 1.5 times the original due to increased client specifications for fixtures, fittings, and office space requirements.


Conclusion

The Bennet Road workshop extension project successfully met its objectives of expanding Reading Borough Council’s maintenance facilities to accommodate their growing fleet of electric vehicles.

Through strategic reuse of existing structures, innovative foundation solutions, and sustainable building practices, we were able to minimise costs and environmental impact while delivering a state-of-the-art facility. Although there were significant challenges, including tight deadlines, budget adjustments, and compliance hurdles, the project remained on track for completion by September 2024.

The Council now has a future-proofed facility that not only serves their current needs but is also prepared for the growing demands of their electric vehicle fleet.

bennet road warehouse