London stone specialists Grants of Shoreditch have laid claim to a UK first by installing 14m span, pre-tensioned, load-bearing limestone arches at the Long Acre project close to Covent Garden in London.

Indiana limestone from the USA is being used and is going to Italy for cutting, where the tensioning will also be carried out. The prefabricated arches will then be brought to the UK.

Due to the weight of the units the site tower crane will not be capable of lifting them, so a mobile crane will be brought in to manouvre the arches into their positions.

The arches will support the load of the building facade on both Long Acre and Garrick St elevations.