Our colleague André Verschoor recently wrote a column for the professional magazine Bouwen met Staal. This is about the acceleration of the execution of construction projects. The costs to be saved during the design process. Both put a lot of pressure on a sustainable design. So that’s where the big profit lies; extra attention to the design, calculations, coordination and the intended detailing. Could we also rate engineering services with stars?
Curious? Read the full column.
Recently, the new office building of Dutch women’s clothing brand Studio Anneloes in Amsterdam Osdorp was completed. Together with Heembouw Architects and contractor Heembouw offices, they took the first steps for the design after which Pelecon was quickly brought in for the constructional issue. Especially the canopy at the front of the building, but also the heart of the office where the showroom is located, needed a solid structural foundation. Especially because of the limited building height, a compact construction was chosen for the building, with small spans and integrated steel beams.
Over the past 15 years, the brand has grown into a major player on the Dutch fashion market, which created the need for its own larger premises. The new building of Studio Anneloes consists of approximately 1,600 m² of office space, 2,000 m² of warehouse and approximately 600 m² of showroom. It is situated at a visible location along the S106 on a characteristic plot near the water and is designed in such a way that further growth is possible in the future.
Structural challenge
A challenge for the constructor were the large glass surfaces in the building, which ensure a lot of daylight and a beautiful view from the workplace. In the warehouse, large glass facades and a skylight in the roof provide daylight and views, creating a pleasant working environment for warehouse workers.
Structural calculations for sustainability
The company’s sustainability philosophy is also clearly visible on both the inside and outside of the building. For example, the facades have been constructed from a timber frame and clad with Neolife (92% wood and bio-based material and 100% recyclable). The construction of the warehouse roof has been calculated in such a way that it is possible to place sufficient PV panels on it to make the building completely energy-neutral. In short: the building is like a ‘tailor-made suit’ for the company’s activities.
Photography: Laurens Kuipers
At Pelecon, we don’t hide the fact that we don’t sit still. For instance, a merger last year strengthened our services. We are hiring new engineers to meet the increasing demand and we are developing our knowledge. However, entrepreneurship also means making decisions that are not directly related to growth, but are logical for the focus of our company.
As from 1 April 2022 we will no longer offer services under the name Bouwtechnisch Adviesbureau Versteeg. The partnership between Versteeg and Pelecon was so intertwined that we took the logical step of no longer distinguishing between the two companies. And to continue together under the name Pelecon structural engineers.
Loyalty to each other
The structural engineers who worked for Versteeg are continuing their careers at Pelecon Gouda, so their knowledge will not be lost. We thank them and the clients of Versteeg for their trust and the positive reactions we received to this step.
Questions, introductions or just catching up?
Do you have any questions or would you just like a cup of coffee? Then please contact one of the partners of Pelecon. Henk van Vliet, André Verschoor and Mack Stolwijk can be reached at info@pelecon.nl, +31 (0)182 231 400 (Pelecon Gouda) or +31 (0)33 277 33 36 (Pelecon Amersfoort).
Customised rental and owner-occupied homes are being developed in Zaandam. We have received the buyers’ options for these houses and, as the main structural engineer, are currently incorporating them into the construction drawings. An extension, for example, has consequences for the basic drawings.
But these are not the challenges for us, the location of this new building project is. Archive documents show that a building used to stand here, the piles of which might still be in the ground. They are probably so deep that they were not found during an extensive soil survey. But that did not stop us from taking the possible old piles into account when calculating the piling plan. The new piles, if they were to be found, must not be too close to them. As a structural engineer, we remain involved during construction, so if an old pile is unexpectedly placed in an awkward spot, we can adjust our advice at that time.
The calculations and drawings for this project are now being finalised for submission to the Zaandam City Council.
📷 Stevast Ontwikkeling
Did you know that our colleague André Verschoor writes a column for every edition of the trade magazine Bouwen met Staal? The latest column, number 7, is about Biomimicry. Curious? Read the column here.
The magazine is full of good articles about building with steel. Buy the magazine or become a member!
ALL CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE BETWEEN THE AGES OF FIVE AND SIXTEEN ARE REQUIRED TO GO TO SCHOOL. MANY YOUNG PEOPLE SEE SCHOOL AS AN ‘OBLIGATION’. AS PELECON, WE LIKE TO SHOW THAT SCHOOL AND LEARNING A TRADE IS ALSO FUN!
For this reason, our colleague André is a guest lecturer at the University of Applied Sciences in Arnhem and uses his enthusiasm for the engineering profession to motivate young people to continue their education in engineering. We also have two new trainees every six months from Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, Arnhem, Amsterdam and/or InHolland University of Applied Sciences, and we are practice supervisors at MBO Rijnland. At the moment, we even temporarily employ two working students from Delft University of Technology and we supervise graduates from the University of Applied Sciences and the University of Amsterdam.
In short: compulsory education is worth a lot and we at Pelecon are happy to invest in it. Our main concern is the quality of future engineers in our industry!
Photographer: Gerard Saarberg
FOR A UNIQUE NEW CONSTRUCTION PROJECT IN HOOGVLIET, WE ARE INVOLVED AS THE MAIN STRUCTURAL ENGINEER IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF FIVE HOUSING BLOCKS, FOR WHICH WE MADE THE STRUCTURAL DRAWINGS AND CALCULATIONS FOR THE FOUNDATION AND THE APPLIED STEEL.
The main challenge of the project is the poor subsoil and the existing piles that are still in the ground from the building that used to stand here. In order to obtain sufficient bearing capacity with the poor subsoil, we used extra long, prefabricated concrete piles of 400 mm square in one block, which we installed up to approximately 34.0 metres below sea level. The use of these extremely long piles is unique for such a housing project. The coupling piles that were used for this purpose and were necessary because the long piles could not be delivered as a whole, are also very unique to be used for a housing project.
At the moment, the upper floors and the roofs are being placed on the houses. The project will be completed in mid-2022.
📷 Engineering firm Lijnn
The construction of Jan Zandbergen Group’s new food development centre in Veenendaal is in full swing. The foundation and the floor of the parking garage had already been poured, as had the basement walls, which were installed some time ago. Because Pelecon was in discussion with all parties involved from the very beginning of this assignment, we had ample influence on the supporting structure. One of the challenges was to make the parking garage as user-friendly as possible. This means that the supporting structure has to be optimal and that the column structure of the superstructure has to be adjusted accordingly.
In our advice, we suggested, among other things, designing the supporting structure as hollow-core slabs with girders, so that installations would not be impeded. Prefabricated façade elements were used for the stability of three façades, so that the floor plans can be freely arranged. During construction, Pelecon not only provided the structural design but also the detailed calculations of the steel structure and the prefabricated façade elements.
THE MODERN PRODUCTION HALL AND THE EXPANDED OFFICE AREA OF QUMEY METAALINDUSTRIE HAVE BEEN PUT INTO USE. THE BUILDING WAS DESIGNED BY MIES ARCHITECTURE AND IS COMPLETELY TAILORED TO THE WISHES OF THE STEEL PROCESSOR FROM MAARSSEN. PELECON MADE THE STRUCTURAL DESIGN FOR THIS SPLENDID BUILDING, AND QUMEY PRODUCED AND ASSEMBLED THE STEEL THEMSELVES.
The office section is constructively separated from the hall construction for reasons of fire resistance and sound transmission between the building sections. The new building is positioned next to an existing production hall of Qumey, for which a neighbouring building was purchased. In the production hall, provisions were made for nine overhead cranes over three crane tracks, one half-gantry crane and four wall cranes.
A CONTRIBUTION OF ITS OWN
There is, however, one comment to be made. When designing the new building, the architect issued a calling card in materialisation which reflects what metal industry Qumey stands for. This is exactly why they are also putting the finishing touches to their own building. The steel canopy, which will characterise the building, will be produced and installed in March. Of course, by Qumey itself.
Photography: Gerard Saarberg
In the January edition of the trade journal Industriebouw, an extensive article appeared on the development of the new headquarters of the Nederlandse Coöperatieve Vereniging van Makelaars en Taxateurs in onroerende goederen (NVM) at the Papendorp business park in Utrecht. A development in which Pelecon was involved as the main structural engineer.
We are proud to share this article, written by Astrid Berkhout on behalf of Industriebouw.