LOW RES MBR ISSUE 36

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Malta Business Review CORPORATE INTERVIEW OF THE MONTH The joy of a perfect fit during the insertion of a temporary moving platform in Caracas Venezuela PIONEERING SPACE STRUCTURES IN MALTA By George Carol Martin Pillow Onsite supervision at Medavia Hangar Safi Entrepreneur Martin Pillow talks with MBR about the creation of various types of space frame structures, roofing numerous industrial buildings in Malta. The recent Esplora Planetarium project at Bighi is proof that even though Pillow Space Frame is a relatively small firm, his vision and dynamic efforts developed further to the extent of designing, manufacturing and exporting a total of seven train station structures to Caracas Venezuela in 2012. MBR: When did you start thinking about steel structures and steel construction in sustainable building? MP: My first steel structures were realised in the mid-60s when I designed and manufactured an arched greenhouse of 12 x 30 meters at Msida, when I was still attending the sixth form. In 2001, my Company designed and manufactured the largest Space frame roofing in Malta for Playmobil; being the most sustainable as it was designed to have the north lights covered with the PV panels facing the South. Moreover the space frame consumed relatively low quantities of steel of which 90% is recycled. MBR: What are some of the things you do for Pillow Space Frame? MP: My role at Pillow Space Frame is mostly research and Development, securing orders through my network of satisfied clients, recruitment of young engineers to take over the running of the business, overseeing major projects, succession planning. MBR: What are the biggest challenges facing the infrastructure and construction industry today MP: The biggest challenges I see today are the strict deadlines to execute projects in the least time frame after spending more time for tendering, adjudicating, negotiations and permits process. MBR: Could you sum up why construction delays are so costly and damaging? How do these numbers get so big? MP: Construction delays are very costly as they 30
CORPORATE INTERVIEW OF THE MONTH Malta Business Review create a ripple effect to other sub-contractors, such as finishes and MEP. The numbers can get big if they inflict penalties and problems with Banks. MBR: Could you describe the one of your most important projects to date and what was learned from it? MP: After more than 50 years of working experience my, most important project to date is the design and manufacture of the Planetarium at Bighi. The reason being that it was a design and build contract, and my Company was responsible for all the trades for its realisation. The tender brief was that of a sphere all in glass 18 mm thick of 12,800mm diameter, an inner skin of 10,700mm diameter made up of sound and thermal insulation material, support system of only three points, a free space in between the two skins for lighting and services, flooring to take 7.5Kn, tiered seating for 54 seats, internal lining to control sound reverberation, and a wraparound metal veil in the form of waves. The total design factored load of the Planetarium is 270 Tons so we had to design a system of two geodesic domes based on an icosahedron with frequency three connected to each other radially at each node. On the outer structure a series of fifteen vertical aluminium ribs were attached to form the base for the double curved glass which was procured from Spain only a few days after signing of the contract. Before proceeding with the production of the nodes we carried out tests to two times the ultimate loads at our factory and it was resolved to reinforced only six nodes at each support. The full assembly was done at ground level using a mobile crane hooking the structure from its north pole and gradually hoisting it every stage of assembly until the whole structure was completed which weighed 18 tons. The hoisting operation was subsequently done after we inserted three stainless steel rods of 72 mm diameter inside the concrete columns and after the lift we simply inserted three pins and the structure was in place. From this point onwards we started with laying the 40 mm marine plywood flooring followed with the inner skin made up of 174 triangle panels which has the outer skin in cement boards that were finally plastered at the joints and painted to form a homogenous skin which today can be seen through the glass. Then came the painstaking stage for the glass fixing formed by 120 panes made up of four sizes and fifteen segments. Finally the tiered seating was installed and the wraparound veil in aluminium also completed well in time for the inauguration on the 28th January 2017. From this project I learned that thanks to the new generation of young in house engineers that worked in this project using advanced 3D design cad programs, the Company can with courage and determination embark on even more complex projects of this nature. MBR: What is your personal opinion on the state of Maltese infrastructure? How do you think we got here, and what are the major hurdles towards improving the situation? MP: I have witnessed the early infrastructure of the late 50s and early 60s when in Malta we had the conversion from 100 to 50 cycles and the building of the Marsa power station, together with the building boom of that time particularly at Swieqi, Kappara and the building of the new University at tal-Qroqq. Up to the early 70s the number of cars on the road was just one sixth of what we have today. Since we entered the EU we have seen intensification of the infrastructure particularly in road building, but I believe that we are always getting stuck as the moment roads are made better, we are building more and more, and getting denser to the extent that we end up worse. The major hurdles I see to improve the situation are the mentality of using private cars with the driver only instead of public transport, and parents picking their children from school with their private cars when school transport is available. MBR: What is your personal opinion on the state of Maltese infrastructure? How do you think we got here, and what are the major hurdles toward improving the situation? MP: I believe that as a nation and proportionately to its size we stand at par to other countries in terms of producing geometrically complex steel structure. I have been witnessing this in the works of student architects that come to me for advice on space frames. Such structures can be improvised with the use of modern computerised machinery that are available in Malta or the use of foreign European service Companies that does this work. MBR: How structural steel can be innovatively used in construction to execute aesthetically designed structures and at the same time offer economical solution? MP: Structural steel is the ideal material for innovations in construction of aesthetically designed structures. With the introduction of modern laser cut machines and large scale section benders, pre-engineered components can be produced in complex shapes and assembled on site with bolts, thus rendering the project economical when compared to other designs. MBR: How do you see the role of structural steel being used in construction five years down the line? MP: Steel structures in construction have been in use in Malta for quite some time now. A particular building known as Mamo Brothers in Gzira was built in steel and it had so many steel that whilst being built it was nicknamed ‘La Traviata’ Up to the late 50s all roofs of building were using steel joists and clad with stone, until we had the first pre-stressed concrete factory that multiplied in 20 years later. Now we are seeing an increase in the use of structural steel lately for commercial buildings, and I can predict an exponential increase in use for the coming 5 years. Although sometimes it works out a little more expensive in the long run it pays as it is faster to erect and the project is finished before and more clean for the environment. A case in point is the new building being built at Portomaso just before entering the Hilton. Supervision of the Mariche Metro Cable station in Caracas Venezuela MBR: If there was one thing you could change or recommend others change, what would that be? MP: Lately an excise duty of €50 per ton was introduced on the importation of steel section for building, but you can import a preengineered steel building ready for erection and pay nothing as it falls under a different HS code. This is against the local industry and as members of the EU this duty should never been introduced. I strongly plea to be removed. All rights reserved - Copyright 2017 MBR www.maltabusinessreview.net 31
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LOW RES MBR ISSUE 36

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