Barry's Advanced Construction of Buildings, 4th Edition

10Fit Out and Second Fix

Many commercial buildings are often built to a ‘shell’ finish; that is, the main structure of the building is completed, but the internal fittings and decoration is carried out as part of a separate contract (or contracts) to suit client/user requirements. This allows a certain amount of flexibility and choice of finish for those occupying some or all of the building. Electrical trucking and light fittings, suspended floors, suspended ceilings, partition walls, shelving, display units, internal fittings, painting and decorating, and signage all form part of the fit out and second fix operations. In this chapter. the focus is on the more common fit out systems, raised floors, suspended ceilings and internal partition walls.

10.1 Commercial fit out

The term ‘commercial fit out’ is normally used to cover the fit out and second fix to offices, retail units and industrial buildings. The main components of a fit out, the raised floor, suspended ceiling and internal partition walls are described further. The vast majority of raised floor, suspended ceiling and internal partition wall systems are manufactured to a patented design. The quality of the system and adaptability vary between manufacturers, from budget systems to expensive systems for the most prestigious of developments. Careful research is required to choose the most appropriate system to suit the requirements of the building users.

Offices and commercial buildings

Speculative office developments ...