Huntingdonshire firm builds Sainsbury’s store in a fortnight

Modular structure company Accio Group has built a supermarket in London in about two weeks.

The 30 steel modules were constructed and fitted wiht cabling, air conditioning cassettes and interior finishes at Accio’s base at Alconbury Airfield before they were transported to Battersea Park at night and fitted together to create a 1,100sqm Sainsbury’s superstore.

Sainsbury’s existing Nine Elms store is due to be demolished to make way for a new mixed-use development, including a new tube station.

On-site construction is expedited by Accio’s Leg Foundation System. The leg plates sit on the car park, which negates the need for foundation digging – saving an estimated four weeks’ groundwork time and heavy machinery disruption.

Building the modules off-site also makes significant savings as the construction programme continues regardless of weather conditions, which also means projects are delivered on schedule.

Stephen Casey, managing director, said: “This is a significant project, requiring detailed design planning, robust project management and a close working relationship with all contract partners, stakeholders and the client.

“The scale and complexity of this undertaking reinforces our reputation as the leading provider of demountable, modular-built retail structures in the UK.

“We are delighted to be able to demonstrate our skills and expertise with our long-term client Sainsbury’s, where we have been a named supplier since 2009.”