In the Flemish Brabant city of Diest, our constructive challengers started their assignment for a project developer by realising 4 new construction commercial properties destined for rental. Project leader Wouter zooms in on the highlights and challenges he encountered on his construction site.
The project: T2 in Diest
- 4 separate but adjacent carcass new construction commercial properties
- Front 2 units: bare shell units finished with glass fronts
- Back 2 units: standard bare shell units
- Construction in steel structure and steel trusses
- Steel-deck roof finishing with PVC sealants
- Partitions/firebreak walls out of aerated concrete panels
- Outer façade out of concrete panels and sandwich panels
“In this project, our challengers took charge of the coordination of the works from start to finish. From the demolition works to the existing buildings on site, from the structural work and technology to the landscaping and asphalt paving”, declares Wouter.
The cooperation
“For the building consultant, who is mainly active in housing, this was one of his first experiences with industrial building. We engaged him from the very start and involved him in the speed and efficiency of a project of this calibre.”
“Our internal 3D department sprang into action right away after we’d obtained the building permit. This way, we were quickly able to show the structure and contours of the building to the building consultant and his architect. A huge plus at the start of a collaboration.”
The challenges
Three major challenges crossed the paths of our teams on and off site. Starting with a months-long game of Tetris.
1. Searching for space
“Neither on the left, right or in the back of the lot did we find room to place our building equipment. To give an example: per shipment, 50 aerated concrete plates – each 6 metres in length – were brought onto the site. Every day we had to look and search for a place to put everything.”
“For that reason, we decided to work with a crawler crane instead of a telescopic crane. The first is more mobile, takes up less space and proved to be better resistant against the marshy winter conditions.”
2. Expect the unexpected
We delivered 4 new construction commercial buildings in shell state. We installed the basic technology and lighting, as well as additional conduit pipes for future tenants; just like the dressing rooms and restrooms.”
“At the beginning, it was hard to assess what we did or didn’t need to install. The building consultant did not yet have an idea of the tenants he was supposed to expect. The tenants themselves too wanted to change things along the way. From clinkers to asphalt for the parking lot, a specially designed stairway that was dropped from the order at the very last minute… In other words: we had to demonstrate our level of flexibility a number of times throughout this process.”
3. Sewage problems
Finally, even the sewage system had a surprise in store for our constructive challengers. “The diameter to connect the rainwater and wastewater appeared to be too small. In the past, this site had shown difficulty discharging rainwater. This meant that the problem would only grow worse.”
“It was not an option to find a connection to the sewage across the very busy connecting road. We managed to partially solve this issue by installing soakaway crates, partially by digging in a drain pipe underneath the parcel of the rear neighbours in the direction of the nearby canal, with extra storm drains. Two birds with one stone because this way, the neighbours are also protected against any future water drainage issues.”
Typical edibo?
What did project leader Wouter find typical for his team in this process?
“In light of planning, there were some external factors that caused struggles, certainly towards the end. It was at these times that we showed how flexibility is one of our strong suits. Even during the annual construction leave, we made sure that the tenants of the properties were able to come back to a properly finished site after summer. That too characterises edibo.”
Looking for a flexible industrial contractor?
Is your industrial project up on the scaffolds? Are you now looking for a flexible industrial contractor, with regard to knowledge and know-how, as well as how they handle everything on a construction site?
We at edibo support building consultants, architects as well as engineering firms. With our over 40 years of experience in industrial construction projects, we will undoubtedly offer the added value you require.
Contact us for a non-binding appointment and take a look at our realisations.