Category: Nieuws blog

Geplaatst op: 4 October 2023

CONTENT SPECIALIST RESHIFT HAS FOUND A NEW WORKPLACE WITH WORKING CAFE IN A FORMER OLD R.A.C. GARAGE ON THE NIJVERHEIDSWEG IN HAARLEM. THE BEAUTIFUL BUILDING WITH CHARACTER WAS COMPLETED IN LATE 2021. IT IS PACKED WITH STYLE ELEMENTS AND IS THEREFORE SUITABLE FOR A CREATIVE CLUB LIKE RESHIFT.

Reshift’s building was once built as a maintenance place for central government cars. Some renovation was therefore necessary. To turn this garage into a suitable home, Reshift engaged Delft-based Vakwerk Architecten for the design. Where we stepped in for the construction advice. A nice challenge soon appeared.

LIMITATIONS ARE THERE TO BE ADDRESSED
With the limitations of the existing structure, but also with concern for the preservation of the existing structure, we structurally designed the renovation and new construction plan. We advised to use durable products while preserving the existing structure as much as possible. The roof construction is a wooden beam, supported by a steel frame which is in sight, remains the same as the existing roof construction. A nice detail is that a spiral staircase was harvested from a donor building. Because of the limited working space on site, a small pile-driving rig and a light system floor on the first floor were used. Applying light lifting equipment was why a perk.

INTENSIVE PROJECT
To arrive at a good advice, we spent quite a bit of time modeling and clashing, with input from the various disciplines within the BIM model. So, our advice can be called thorough. During the construction we remained actively involved, which enabled us to adjust where necessary and allows us to say that we used our knowledge and skills in this project from A to Z. And….. the result is impressive!

Geplaatst op: 21 August 2023

Our summer holidays are behind us and we are back at work with enthusiasm. And not without reason, since this summer we have been visiting our relations in style! Nobody on the road can ignore us anymore, because we drive around in our own Pelecon car! Decorated with our butterfly, in the colour of our house style and with our logo. #invisiblepower

We didn’t do the wrapping of our car, supplied by Maas Autogroep, ourselves, of course. That was done for us by Joël Alfons of Alfons Sign. Both: thanks for the good service!

Geplaatst op: 5 July 2023

We do another round of introductions, this time Cathelijn Donraadt is talking! Our ArtEZ Art Academy graduate colleague is originally an Interior Architect and has been working at Pelecon since January 2022. A creative background and now working at a technical club; how about that?

Cathelijn graduated as an interior architect, but missed the technical challenge in the profession. “That’s why I made the choice to start working as a technical draughtsman first. I was mainly concerned with buildings, working out bridge girders and developing components to make the drawing work easier. After this job, I joined a specialist in underground construction. Here I carried out small projects with less challenge after which I soon started working at Pelecon,” says Cathelijn.

Modeler at Pelecon
At Pelecon, Cathelijn is a modeller, which means she creates a 3D model in the Revit drawing program based on a client’s model and the structural engineer’s specifications. “From there, we also make the necessary drawings at Pelecon. Furthermore, I am working on improving our way of working with Revit. This includes adding the right data to the beams and columns in our model. I also ensure that an IFC model exports only the correct/relevant data from our model, with the aim of making it as easy as possible for our customers to read our models.”

What I prefer to work on
“I prefer to work on somewhat larger projects with a lot of diversity, such as Bestseller and A-ware. These are challenging projects where you fine-tune the design together with the client. In these projects, especially at the beginning, a lot is unclear and there are often many adjustments and changes. This means that, as a modeller, you have to be alert to design clashes. So you have to model in a smart way. With our structural model, we try to help the client as much as possible with the structural design.”

My pride!
“I am especially proud of our team, that we are so well matched. That we understand each other which allows us to make great strides in a short time. So that we can surprise our customers with multiple, diverse solutions. To ultimately choose the best solution and develop it into a suitable end product.”

Geplaatst op: 25 May 2023

Pelecon is part of its environment and pays close attention to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). We recently became a friend of the Groene Hart Ziekenhuis in Gouda. We made a donation which was added to the ‘Cuddles from Freek the Giraffe’ project. We love the idea that all children who have to stay in hospital a bit longer or undergo a tedious examination find a buddy in the giraffe.

Like us, would you also like to donate to the Friends of the Groene Hart Hospital Foundation? For more information, visit www.vriendenvanhetghz.nl and donate!

Geplaatst op: 23 May 2023

We have frequently shared projects of our clients who have high-quality cold storage facilities. But did you know that these halls require special structural attention? We mention some examples

A cold store has a double floor, the lower one of which is heated. You understand that you can’t just build two floors on top of each other, the floors can negatively affect each other and we want to avoid that. Also, the steel structure of a cold store is on wooden bobbins, so there too the frost cannot go deep into the ground resulting in damage to the building. And when there are two cold stores close to each other, it is very important that moist air between them does not freeze and cause damage.

Not to mention today’s energy requirements. Insulation is getting thicker and thicker, and with that, installing solar panels is actually always a desire. This means that the roof structure of the cold store must be calculated accordingly, which is now an almost daily issue. So we don’t turn our hand to that!

Want to know more about our work? We can’t stop talking, so feel free to drop by for a cup of coffee in Amersfoort or Gouda!

Rezoning Norit building Amersfoort

Geplaatst op: 10 May 2023

Since 2020, Pelecon has been working with architect StudioWA! worked on the redevelopment of the old Norit building in Amersfoort. In addition to a beautiful business building, the office tower is now part of the modern, authentic Norit Campus. We do not use these superlatives for nothing, as this vibrant heart for the Isselt business park, an urban area in development, exudes luxury and even has a wonderful gym with a large membership base.

“By re-voting and therefore opting for sustainability, it was unique to work on this project,” says André Verschoor. “But we did face a number of challenges. For instance, the foundation of the artwork in the courtyard had to be demolished to build the sports facilities. As the work of art is part of the building, it was still quite a computational challenge.”

More is planned for this urban area, but more on that later.

Photography: Architect StudioWA!

New storage building Shurgard in Rotterdam

Geplaatst op: 28 April 2023

Our partner Traanberg Partners Architecture and Construction Management asked us for advice on the construction of a three-storey building which, once completed, will serve as goods storage. This building contains various conveniences, such as optimum access to all floors by four stairwells and two lifts. But these conveniences require structural solutions that can make a difference. But that is not all.

As the project progressed, we encountered several challenges. For instance, the main load-bearing structure of the Rotterdam building is made of steel, combined with compressed hollow core slabs. This means that horizontal stability must be guaranteed. We achieve this by using roof bracing and hollow-core slabs with a disc effect at storey level. Also, the foundation beams rise above ground level at various heights and are located at multiple levels. Moreover, in this project, we had to deal with large pile misalignments that arose during pile driving due to the contamination and debris in the ground. We were able to overcome this by creating coupling beams to the floor piles behind.

Construction advice and planning go hand in hand
Our involvement in the planning of the various activities on this project enabled us to advise on the assembly of the structure at an early stage. This ultimately resulted in efficiency gains, allowing the building to be delivered on time.

Photography: construction camera

Good news received!

Geplaatst op: 19 April 2023

PELECON | structural engineers employs from today Register Constructors and the first Register Designer. And more will follow, because we are an ambitious firm. We are 100% committed to making building structures even safer. Through experience, training and sparring with our team, partners and clients!

Pelecon, the invisible force

FOOD COURT NIEUWEGEIN COMPLETED

Geplaatst op: 19 April 2023

A new Food Court was recently completed at a high-profile location along the A27 motorway in Nieuwegein. On business park Het Klooster, a gross floor area of 2,300 m2 with 221 parking spaces has been developed on a plot totalling 12,105 m2, at the co-initiative of McDonald’s. Pelecon has been involved in the development of this future-proof project destined for the chains McDonald’s, KFC, Happy Italy and De Beren since 2021 as main structural engineer.

The joint chains have fine sustainability ambitions covering health, food production, waste disposal and minimisation of logistical movements to and from the site. In the design, therefore, the architect has taken into account the use of circular materials, the most energy-efficient lighting and many green elements have been used on the site. There are solar panels on the roof and heat recovery from the kitchens to the lobbies. The building is also completely gas-free, meeting all the requirements a modern building must have in the future.

Our challenge as main structural engineer
The height accent at the front of the building and the 40-metre high tower on McDonald’s was a nice challenge for us as chief structural engineer. This tower has a wooden cladding combined with green planting. Of particular note is the wind load on this tower and its impact on the supporting structure of McDonald’s. The tower has a three-dimensional steel frame against which the wooden cladding is mounted. Our partner Hofman Staalbouw made a clear video about this.

Impression: Dunvast B.V.

And the winner is…..!

Geplaatst op: 17 April 2023

There are many beautiful, original, striking homes and other buildings in Municipality of Amstelveen. But only one is the most beautiful: the Noorddamcentrum in Amstelveen. The building therefore also wins the Amstelveen Architecture Prize; based on a design by Hoogeveen Architecten.

The jury particularly fell for the design method; a choice was made not to demolish the building, which did not make the task easy for Hoogeveen Architecten. They gave the building a new character and maximised usability for the users. And the nice thing is: Pelecon Structural Engineers was involved in this challenging assignment as a structural engineer. So we too are quite a bit proud of winning this award!

Congratulations to Hoogeveen Architecten and, on behalf of our entire team, thank you for the inspiring collaboration!