Impressive structure built using various building techniques
The owner of the building is project developer IVG Immobilien AG – a small minority share belongs to Fraport AG, The Frankfurt am main airport. Architecture for the building was done by German firm JSK Architekten and the building’s shell constructed by Stuttgart-based Ed. Zublin AG.
In total, some 20,000 tons of steel and 60,000 cubic metres of concrete were used to build the Squaire. Tobias Budde, projects Technical Drawing Manager at Ed. Zublin AG, said in addition to DELTABEAM®s, also Peikko’s column shoes, anchor bolts, fastening plates and tailor made fixings were used in the construction of the Squaire. “Because of the complex structure of the Squaire, several kinds of building techniques and materials from precast to in-situ cast concrete in addition to Peikko’s products were used,” Budde said. “DELTABEAM®s were used in all standard ceiling constructions of the project, where they served purpose very well,” he added.
DELTABEAM® chosen because of its lightness
In addition to some 11 kilometres of DELTABEAM®s, Peikko’s delivery to the site consisted of 17.000 pcs of column shoes, 17.000 pcs of anchor bolts, more than 500 tons of fastening plates and special tailor made fixings. In total, Peikko’s delivery to the site was worth approximately EUR 4.5 million.
Sascha Schaaf, Project Manager at Peikko’s German subsidiary Peikko Deutschland GmbH said DELTABEAM® was chosen for the project because of its lightness. “DELTABEAM® with hollow-core slabs is approximately 30 percent lighter than a normal massive concrete slab. That was very important for the availability of fish-bellied girder, columns and foundations. Using DELTABEAM® also enabled the building of one additional floor used for technical installations because of its thinness,” Schaaf said.
Busy location complicates delivery to site
The order for the project was manufactured at Peikko’s factories in Waldeck, Germany and Kralova nad Vahom, Slovakia. The Squaire project was the first major delivery for Peikko’s Slovakian factory and delivery timelines were kept well, Schaaf said.
“Peikko Group would not have been able to take this project without the new
Slovakian DELTABEAM® factory where production started in late spring 2008. The new capacity was crucial for Peikko to enable us to agree to supply this important project for the company,” said Schaaf.
But back in Germany, delivering the DELTABEAM®s to the construction site near the airport posed plenty of challenges. “The Squaire is located between the A3 highway and other busy streets. That means it was very difficult to send our parts to site - the DELTABEAM®s had an average length of 15 meters,” Schaaf said.
The Squaire becomes Peikko’s leading reference in Germany
In most cases Peikko co-ordinated the deliveries with the constructor. “We had to deliver the beams in one hour because before or after this time there would not have been cranes for unloading,” Schaaf added. Overall the order was completed without any major issues, Budde confirmed. “Everything went as planned and we had a very good communication with people at Peikko. Co-ordination and proper delegation are crucial in complex projects like this,” he said.
Schaaf noted the Squaire works as an excellent reference for Peikko in winning contracts for future projects in Germany. “The Squaire is an important building for the airport in Frankfurt. It is also an
excellent reference for Peikko’s products in Germany because all potential clients know the Frankfurt Airport. The building also has notable architectural value, being an excellent example of beautiful architectural design using precast elements.”
