NEW CAPE WAREHOUSE BUILT WITH PRECAST CONCRETE PART 2

Caption: Three of the four entrances to the larger warehouse.

Written by David Beer on behalf of the Concrete Manufacturers Association

…continued from Part 1: This is Part 2 of a two-part series.

Reserve-5 was built for two tenants which was why it is split into two sections, at a two-to-one third ratio. The sections are divided by a brick wall which runs on a north south axis. The larger unit was built with four vehicle access doors and the smaller unit has two. The doors measure 5.5m (height) x 4.2m (width) and two of the doors in the larger unit were built adjacent to each other. Solid, rather than hollow-core panels were inserted above each door. These were required for bolting on the roller shutter door equipment. The construction of the frames for these doors required shorter columns and hollow-core slabs which were also supplied by Cape Concrete.

Each distribution section has a two-storey office component which is housed inside the greater building with floor footprints of 170m² and 300m² apiece. Cape Concrete’s hollow-core slabs were used for constructing the first floor and roof sections in what were otherwise conventional brick and mortar structures. Just under nine metres long and 1.2m wide, the slabs were designed to carry 250kN so that the roof section of each can be used for additional storage. Furthermore, Cape Concrete supplied eight precast concrete staircases for the office structures.

It also supplied 10 solid panels with recesses for the installation of aluminium window frames. Installed at the upper level of the northern elevation, the windows provide the building with natural light.

Reserve-5 is one of five buildings constructed on adjacent sites in Brackenfell and Cape Concrete supplied precast concrete elements for these projects as well.

Hubbard said that the use of precast concrete in Reserve-5 halved the construction time.

“It took only three weeks to install the columns and the walling as opposed to three months had in-situ concrete been used. Likewise the use of hollow-core slabs in the office sections saved several weeks.

“Besides other benefits such as standardisation and better quality control we were very happy with the quality of the precast concrete elements. Working with Cape Concrete is a pleasure. Always willing to compromise, they are always happy to sit around the table and resolve any outstanding matters,” concluded Hubbard.