| PROJECTS |
Production continues during
BISCUIT FACTORY EXPANSION Production was not interrupted at biscuit producer Continental Brands when Peikko SA’s precast concrete building framework and bolted-connection system was used for converting ground-floor factory/warehouse buildings into multi-level structures. Continental Brands is adding 7 000m² to its Johannesburg-based factory over two phases, providing additional production, storage and office space. Phase 1 extension took place in 2020 and added a 2 000m² mezzanine level above the ground-floor factory (Block A). Phase 2, which is earmarked for completion by the end of 2021, will see the addition of two floors to an adjacent warehouse (Block B) and the construction of a new building on open ground situated between Blocks A and B. The open-ground building is being attached to the extended Block B to form a seamless three-storey structure. Both extension phases were designed by Marco Riccardi Architectural Design. Principal partner, Marco Riccardi, says the expansion will enable the doubling of output from two to four production lines and will provide for any future expansion of production and storage space. “We looked at various construction op-
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PRECAST | ISSUE TWO | 2021
“Speed of erection, column strength and the use of as few columns as possible were some elements which informed our decision-making process.” tions. Speed of erection, column strength and the use of as few columns as possible were some elements which informed our decision-making process. Besides fulfilling these criteria, Peikko is part of a renowned international brand, which was a selling point. However, the fact that production could continue during construction was the clincher,” he says. Having successfully extended Block A using the Peikko system, Peikko SA was appointed to design and manage the construction of Block B’s precast concrete framework, a process which was begun in March and completed at the end of April 2021. The project involved using precast concrete columns and hollow-core slabs in combination with five Peikko products:
anchor bolts, column shoes, delta beams, hidden corbels and copra anchor couplers. The project’s only in-situ construction elements were the structural toppings on the hollow-core slab flooring and the construction of stub columns and flooring on the ground level of the open-ground section. “We prepared a 3D model so that the client could see the precise column placement. We then drew up a detailed engineering plan which included column design and the placement of rebar, column shoes and the levels of the hidden corbels,” says Peikko project engineer Winston Visser. (Top): The partially completed open-ground section of Block B. (Left and right): Piekko’s delta beam installation.
