These pictures show the installation of one of four ‘mega columns’ within the structure, they run from ground level to the underside of level 5 and are working extremely hard in the support of the structure. They are all parallelogram shaped, formed from 20mm steel plate, are 25m long and required a specialised 500 tonne rated crane to lift them into position. They are also filled with concrete.

They were made in County Fermanagh, took months to fabricate, and required a steel fixer to crawl inside them welding the reinforcing bar for weeks on end – not a dissimilar practice from those rivet squads who worked within Titanic’s double bottom hull.

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