KELDY CASTLE FOREST CABINS, CROPTON, YORKSHIRE, ENGLAND

In this development, accommodation for visitors to a large forest area is provided in 58 separate wood cabins of three types.

The cabins are supported by 100 x 300 mm timber beams which rest on concrete ground beams or braced timber posts going to ground. The arrangement chosen allows cabins to be positioned on a sloped site. All cabins are made up from the same prefabricated panels and parts, only the lengths of floor and roof beams being different between types. Floor panels, made of joists and floor boards, were fabricated in height or width modules of one, two or three metres, with a special dished panel for the shower room; external wall panels were fabricated in modules of one or two metres.

Special panels for each type were made for the gable ends above the 2m module height line because of the different roof slopes. Roofs consist of rafters. These rafters support either ply deck with built-up roofing and stones or 50 x 50 mm battens. The boards are 150 x 25 mm in section, placed at 225mm centres in two layers, which overlap, and are nailed to the battens.

Connections between the panels and timber beams are generally made by galvanised steel screws, 3.2 mm in diameter, near the four corners. 12 mm galvanised steel bolts are used to connect the wall panel to the roof beam above and long screws connect it to the floor panel below; the floor panel is connected to the floor beam by galvanised steel straps. Other important connec­tions also have steel straps or clips and brackets with bolts or screws. Services are connected through the floor of each cabin, heating and hot water being done electrically.

All elements and panels are attached to each other and to the foundations so that the cabin functions as one unit with wind forces taken by the roof and the wall panels acting in shear. Wind forces at right angles to the ground posts are taken by the concrete ground beam.

The shell of each cabin was transported, erected and then glazed all in one day. Installation of the internal partitions and finishing required a further five days. The 58 cabins were built in a period of 18 months with work in the factory starting two months earlier than that on site.

Notes:

cabin n. коттедж

dished adj. вогнутый; тарельчатый

forest n. лес

ply deck многослойный настил

shower room душевая комната

strap n. скоба, хомут

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1. What kind of development is it?

2. What are the cabins made up from?

3. Why were special panels used?

4. How are the panel and beams connected?

5. Why does the cabin function as one unit with wind forces?

6. How long was the total period of construction on site?