Group ADW, importer and transporter of fruits and vegetables came knocking on edibo’s door in their search for added capacity. We are currently working hard to finish the final stage of a 11.600m² expansion project in Sint-Katelijne-Waver. Scheduled are brand-new cooled storage areas, a transportation hall and offices. Project leader Wouter Van Asbroeck gives you a tour.
The project
Edibo’s complete assignment consists of three stages, to form one large 12.000-m² construction, built against the existing Group ADW buildings on their Sint-Katelijne-Waver site:
- Stage 1 (5.600m2) and stage 2 (3.50 m2): cooled storage areas that will house cold stores and ripening chambers
- Stage 3 (2.500m2): a newly constructed transportation hall with loading docks and office areas.
Team edibo is commissioned to deliver from the foundation works up to the façade finishing of the new office buildings. The building consultant himself took on the preparatory groundworks and technology.
The challenges
We wouldn’t give our nickname constructive challengers much credit if we weren’t able to distinguish ourselves in tackling a number of sturdy challenges along the way.
1. 7 x 45-metre long wooden trusses
“Whereas stage 1 and 2 primarily revolve around the storage and cooling of imported fruits, stage 3 focuses entirely on transportation and the administrative follow-up of the entire process”, explains project leader Wouter.
“This is demonstrated in the interpretation of the constructions themselves: in the first two stages, the roof constructions are steel craftsmanship from our own workshop in Lommel. Afterwards, this will disappear behind special insulating sandwich panels, the so-called refrigerator panels.”
“For the newly built transportation hall, the building consultant went for the architectural option: 7 wooden roof trusses, each 45 metres long. According to the sub-contractor involved, this is one of the very first times that trusses of this size are used in Belgium. Naturally, this took a lot of preparation, in shipping as well as in assembly.”
2. Flexibility in light of added works
“During the project, there were a number of additional requests by the building consultant. Such as, recalculate and reinforce the bearing capacity of the concrete floor in the first construction stage and optimising the acoustics of the loading docks in order to limit noise pollution for the neighbouring residential areas.”
“Thanks to a proper preparation and the adaptability of our in-house engineers and work planners, together with the weekly feedback meeting with architect and building consultant, the specified schedule has not been jeopardised yet.”
3. Afraid to get your feet wet
A final hurdle regularly challenged us to get our feet wet. Literally. “Because there hadn’t been exterior sewage for quite some time – this post was sub-contracted – and the water on site was barely able to drain away from the site, we had to involve the local farmer a few times to come and pump water. No easy task but with the right level of resourcefulness we managed to come out unscathed.” Only with a couple of wet socks, maybe?
Typical edibo?
“In this project it was thanks to our industry-wide expertise that we managed to stay right on schedule.”
“Experience taught us that there are always a number of focus areas with these types of cooled storage rooms, like an even stricter construction between insulation, façades and roof, or the application of specific roof insulation in order to prevent condensation.”
“Moreover, we were able to count on our solid internal expertise to take firm hold of this project. For me personally, it was the first time that a number of subcontractors actively delivered their digital input and feedback within the 3D environment of the project. A pleasing introduction that leaves us wanting more!”, concludes Wouter.
What challenges will you introduce us to?
At edibo, we see every challenge as an opportunity to make the difference. Where others flee the scene, our constructive challengers will stay motivated to look for solutions. To eventually deliver a project with unrivalled results. It’s in our DNA.
So, do tell us: what challenge can you present to us? Contact us for a non-binding first meeting or a customised quote. And in the meantime, take a look at our realisations across a variety of industries.