Co-op Live is a large indoor arena in Manchester — one of the biggest purpose-built entertainment venues of its kind in the UK. It opened in 2024 after a build that was a substantial engineering project in its own right: heavy structural steelwork, a large-diameter roof and bowl structure, and the sort of heavy plant and precise, load-bearing assembly a venue on that scale demands.
Being named as a supplier on a project like that stands on its own. But Co-op Live is unusual for us for a second reason — it is the one job in our records where both of our product lines were named together.
Both product lines on one build
ALIMATS®, our modular aluminium crane mat system, was named on the Co-op Live Arena project. So were Stacker Packers, our structural levelling shim. Across every job we have supplied, this is the only site where both lines turn up on the same build — which is worth stating plainly, because the two products solve very different problems and rarely meet on the same drawing.
One protects the ground the plant works from. The other lives inside the structure itself, at the load-bearing connections. A build big enough to need both at once is, by definition, a big build.
Why an arena build calls on both
A large arena is exactly the kind of programme that draws on both product lines, and it is worth setting out why.
Raising the structural steel for a building this size means large mobile and crawler cranes working off prepared ground, usually on a programme tight enough that ground protection has to go down and come back up quickly — without tearing up the surfaces underneath. That is the job ALIMATS is built for: a modular aluminium system that spreads crane outrigger and plant loads across a far wider footprint, carries a safe working load independently verified up to 80 tonnes, and is light enough for two people to lift and position with no heavy plant needed.
A steel-framed venue also runs on a huge number of load-bearing connections — baseplates, precast elements, bearings and similar interfaces — and those almost never arrive at a perfectly consistent gap. As we set out in our complete guide to levelling shims, that gap is part of the load path, not a finishing detail: it needs an engineered shim that will not crush or creep under sustained load, rather than whatever offcut happens to be nearest to hand. That is the job Stacker Packers are built for.
On a project the size of Co-op Live both problems turn up in quantity — good load spread from the ground up while the frame goes together, and reliable load transfer through every connection once it is standing. Which is precisely why both products belong on a build like this.
Planning a venue build?
If you are weighing up ground protection or levelling shims for an arena, a stadium or any large venue programme, bring us your real site conditions and load figures — cranes, ground bearing pressures, connection details — and we will tell you exactly what we would put down and where. We deliver ALIMATS across the UK, 24/7, and we can supply ALIMATS, Stacker Packers, or both from the same team.
To talk it through, please get in touch with the team today on 01335 345111 or email enquiries@brilliantideasltd.co.uk.
Frequently asked questions
What did ALIMATS and Stacker Packers each do at Co-op Live Arena?
Both ALIMATS and Stacker Packers were named on the Co-op Live Arena project. In broad terms, ALIMATS is our modular aluminium crane mat system, which spreads crane and plant loads across prepared ground while the structure goes up, and Stacker Packers are our engineered levelling shims, which fill the gaps at load-bearing connections so the load transfers cleanly through the frame.
Is this the only project where both product lines appear together?
Yes. Co-op Live is the only site in our portfolio where both ALIMATS and Stacker Packers were named on the same build. The two products solve very different problems and rarely meet on the same job, which is exactly why the pairing is worth writing up.
Why is having both products on one build worth noting?
Because ALIMATS and Stacker Packers sit at opposite ends of a construction programme — one protecting the ground the cranes work from, the other engineered into the finished structure at its load-bearing connections. A project big enough to call on both at once is a serious piece of engineering, and Co-op Live is the clearest example of that in our records.
Who developed Co-op Live Arena?
Co-op Live was developed and is operated by Oak View Group. It opened in Manchester in 2024 as one of the largest purpose-built indoor entertainment venues in the UK.
Could a single supplier cover both ground protection and levelling on a venue build?
Yes — that is exactly what we do. We supply ALIMATS for ground protection and load spread under cranes and plant, and Stacker Packers for precision levelling at load-bearing connections, from the same team. Bring us your site conditions and load requirements and we will spec whichever you need, or both.
What are ALIMATS and Stacker Packers?
ALIMATS is our patented, modular aluminium crane mat system, made from 6005A alloy, in configurations from 1.34m² to 8.07m². It carries a safe working load of up to 80 tonnes, independently verified with a Fellow of the Institution of Structural Engineers, and comfortably supports cranes up to 150 tonnes. Stacker Packers are our structural levelling shim, used to fill precise gaps at load-bearing interfaces such as precast concrete, steel baseplates, curtain walling, machinery bases and bridge bearings, without crushing or creeping under sustained load.
Can you supply ALIMATS and Stacker Packers for our project?
Yes. Whether you need ground protection, levelling shims, or both on the same site, tell us your load requirements and site conditions and we will supply and deliver what the job needs — across the UK, 24/7.