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2 | 3 built Speed and precision The construction of a new administrative building for a tax consulting firm illustrates that pre-fabricated wall solutions can fulfil all the economic, ecological and structural requirements to be met by modern building materials. The shell of the 56 metre long three-storey office building in Hanover was completed in only six weeks. In particular, the use of pre-fabricated Ytong wall panels permitted this short construction period. Autoclaved aerated concrete, a building material with a very high heat insulation factor, moreover enabled energy-saving construction in accordance with the German Energy Conservation Act (Energieeinsparverordnung – EnEV) as well as optimum noise insulation and fire protection. The use of pre-fabricated wall elements for the new Alcontas office building offered numerous advantages. Alcontas office building, Hanover - Architect: Dipl.-Ing. I. Schierz, Hanover - Owner: Steuerkanzlei Alcontas, Hanover - Building contractor: Bausatzhaus van Elst GmbH & Co. KG, Bergisch-Gladbach - Products: Ytong wall panels in a custom format (h = 2.925 metres, d = 36.5 centimetres), Ytong solid roof The new administrative building of the Alcontas tax consulting firm is located at the intersection of several main roads in the centre of Hanover, Germany. The narrow and long three-storey building with a recessed storey at the top was fitted into the trapezoid plot of land. Its plain facade is structured by staggered rows of large windows of different sizes. Initially, the building was to be erected using traditional masonry construction. However, for cost reasons, more efficient construction methods that permit to build high-quality buildings in a short period of time were also considered. Finally, the client and the architect opted for Ytong autoclaved aerated concrete, which reduced the construction period by three months. The wall panels were made precisely to measure by computercontrolled machines at the factory and laid in bonds by programmed brick-laying robots on the building site. With its clear cubic form, the new Alcontas building was ideally suited for the use of Ytong wall panels. While three weeks had initially been allowed for the completion of each storey in conventional brickwork, the use of wall panels permitted this period of time to be reduced to one week per floor. It thus took only six weeks to complete the shell of the building. Pre-fab elements for faster construction The time required to complete the subsequent construction phase was also reduced. For example, the high dimensional and angular accuracy of the wall panels meant that windows and doors could be ordered well in advance and the windows could be installed right after completion of the building shell. In total, some 478 cubic metres of wall panels were needed. The outer walls were 36.5 centimetres thick, while the inner walls had a thickness of
The very high dimensional and angular accuracy of Ytong wall panels allowed the windows and doors to be ordered well in advance. Ytong wall panels Ytong wall panels are pre-fabricated wall elements made of autoclaved aerated concrete. They are made precisely to measure in a computer-controlled production process. The elements are laid in bonds like traditional bricks. Programmed brick-laying robots apply mortar and lay the bricks. They precisely adhere to the required height, length and overlap, thereby ensuring a dimensional accuracy that cannot be achieved at the building site. Openings for windows as well as lintels and recesses for other structural members are also taken into account. 17.5 centimetres. The wall panels used for this building had a special height of 2.925 metres. As a result, a levelling layer at the top and at the bottom could be dispensed with. The pre-fabricated elements were delivered on time in line with the building progress and daily requirements and installed level and flush in accordance with the assembly plan. The wall panels were set in mortar beds on slabs that had previously been levelled out. After they had been secured, the butt joints were filled with mortar. Due to this fast assembly, only very little building moisture penetrated into the shell, which resulted in a short drying period. A crane on the construction site or a truck-mounted crane moved the panels from the truck directly to their final location. For time reasons, solid concrete ceilings in the statically required thickness were used. This also had advantages for the construction of the setback storey: It permitted to distribute the existing loads to the wall structures below it. The solid roof made of Ytong roof tiles speeded up construction even further. Moreover, the Ytong roof ensures heat insulation in the summer and prevents excessively high temperatures within the building. Freedom of architectural design The use of pre-fabricated Ytong wall elements had numerous advantages – starting with the freedom of architectural design, which was fully preserved. The architect was not subject to any planning constraints and could realise his original plan while taking the owner’s requirements into account. Computer-controlled production meant optimised consumption of materials and low manufacturing costs. At the same time, the building progress could be precisely planned and schedules could be adhered to, which provided the basis for
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Page 5 and 6: Reduction of CO 2 emissions Accordi
Page 7 and 8: Award: ahoch4 Architekten Ingenieur

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