The British Library appointed Grontmij to undertake a site assessment for the world’s largest Newspaper Storage Building (NSB) at the Boston Spa site in West Yorkshire. The NSB will have an estimated storage capacity of 1000 linear kilometres. 

The new building will boast a low oxygen, temperature controlled and humidity controlled environment and a fully automated racking system. As such ground settlement tolerances were very small. The Boston Spa site is located upon rocks that are susceptible to chemical weathering, which can cause voiding of the rock and subsequent collapse posing significant risk to the building’s stability.

Mitigating risks

Grontmij’s geotechnical team worked with the building designer to scope and specify appropriate site investigation providing the detailed information required to mitigate such risks.

An assessment undertaken by Grontmij’s ecologists and drainage engineers has enabled the British Library to gauge the environmental impact of the scheme.