Bison

From UK Housing Wiki

The Bison wall-frame construction method was one that was used prolifically in tower block construction from the 1950s through to the early 1970s. The construction system was developed by Concrete Ltd who strategically placed factories around England and Scotland to cope with demand.

There was not a frame structure as such, instead pre-cast concrete panels formed the structure of the building. It was used primarily in the construction of tower blocks and could not be used in the construction of low rise blocks such as maisonettes. In tower blocks over 12 storeys in height, all of the walls were loadbearing - external and internal. Whilst there were no partition walls, the internal walls were still thinner at 6 inches in thickness. Developed to better suit tower block construction in the 1960s, the Bison method evolved into a rapid construction method. This was largely due to the fact that two-bedroom flats could be constructed out of 21 pre-cast concrete pieces, which was a very low number. The bathroom and toilet elements could be constructed from very few pre-fabricated pieces. Also, the lift shaft and staircases could be constructed out of 3 storey high pieces. However, the construction method's downfall was that it was only really practical for two and three-bedroom flats.

Examples include the Riverside Place estate in Ayr.