2009 4/4 Hot Dip Galvanizing International Magazine | ISSN 1363-0148 | www.galvanizing.org.uk
Mar 26, 2016
2009
4/4
This seems to be the ‘tower’ issue. Well, we
have three towers and a visitor’s centre with
fantastic views which makes it a little bit like
a tower. Actually, one of the towers is one that
makes noises as opposed to one that you look
out from, but it is still a tower. But apart from
the use of galvanized steel, the name is about
all they have in common.
One is a water tower which had been conver-
ted into an observation tower. One is covered
in crystal bells, balls and bowls which can be
struck with electronic clappers and played by
a keyboard - it must sound fantastic.
And the one on the back page looks like some-
thing out of a sci-fi film set, or maybe the plans
were folded badly and the erector put it up
wrong. Either way it is weird.
When you build a new visitor’s centre on the
top of Snowdon one thing you have to consider
is corrosion protection for the steelwork as it is
being transported and erected.
The conditions can be so harsh that if you
decide to transport it black or with just a
token lick of paint, it will be rusting by the
time the building is completed.
The tough, alloy layers in galvanized coating
will put up with quite a lot of physical abuse
and still protect the steel underneath.
David Baron, Editor
Contents
2 Editorial
3 Transformer Substation, Frankfurt Vandal proof
4 Builders' Merchants transformed
Semi-translucent façade
6 Observation Tower
7 Snowdon Visitor Centre Hafod Eryri
10 The Singing Tower, Utrecht Unique glass carillon
12 “Grille Royale”, Versailles Galvanized and gilded
14 The Media Wall, Liverpool Digital advertising
16 Galvanizing in Detail
Front cover:
Kraft Baustoffhandel, München
Photo: 03 Architekten, München
Editorial
2 | Hot Dip Galvanizing
Architecture
Transformer Substation, Frankfurt Vandal proof
By Holger Glinde
Operational buildings are part of the technical infrastructure of a town. The Renn-
bahnstrasse transformer substation in Frankfurt am Main, provides power to the
local tram network.
Hot Dip Galvanizing | 3
2009
4/4
Operational buildings are often erected with
no thought for design, and the short-term
assumption is made that this means they can
be built more economically.
These “dummy buildings” or “shells” often act
as focal points for anti-social behaviour and
vandalism, and in the long run they continually
generate renovation and/or cleaning costs,
without ever attaining a really high level of
quality. However, vandalism on structures of
this kind can be prevented by using simple
design solutions within the design concept
of the structure. The Mainz firm of Schoyerer
Architekten, were entrusted with the design
work and the implementation of a new
substation project in Frankfurt.
The architects’ simple solution for vandalism
was to create an external galvanized steel grid
that envelopes the structure.
This was created 11cm away from the core
façade of the building, constructed from
(VGF shade “traffic orange RAL 2009“)
ready-made reinforced concrete elements.
The façade sub-frame is also made of
galvanized steel.
The false façade constitutes an unsuitable
background for graffiti and fly-posting and
consists of individual surfaces with varying
intervals between the support bars. This leads
to varying degrees of transparency – i.e. the
colour of the core structure varies, depending
on the angle of view.
An observer in a moving stream of traffic never
obtains a complete, static image of the object,
but instead perceives a series of changes in
contrast through which the monochrome cube
emerges with varying degrees of intensity.
The galvanized grid façade can be removed for
maintenance purposes.
The substation has been in place for six
months, and it is already clear that main-
tenance expenses are considerably lower
than those for standard operational buildings.
Architects/Photos: Schoyerer Architekten BDA, Mainz
2009
03
2009
4/4
4 | Hot Dip Galvanizing
The builders’ merchants have occupied their
current site for 50 years, next to commercial
and residential buildings. Through its new
corporate identity, the traditional firm has
strengthened its external presence and simul-
taneously optimised its customer service
within. The newly-constructed translucent
façade, made from polycarbonate panels, adds
an interesting profile to the existing building.
It wraps the entire site in a uniform envelope
that simultaneously functions as soundproo-
fing. The business premises are contained
within a single building - offices, a training cen-
tre with a market, and a storage and customer
area in a hall, all brought together by the faça-
de. The lining principle is continued internally,
using expanded metal, and here too it creates
a uniform, clear framework. Simple materials in
a pure form are used as construction materials,
such as are offered for sale by the company
itself.
In the same complex of buildings, the storage
hall has been designed using the same archi-
tectural principles.
This construction method, which provides a
structure and at the same time is robust,
optimises the storage hall design.
Thanks to the improvement in efficiency, the
customers and the staff alike have a better
shopping/working experience.
The firm’s products can be seen from out-
side as an interplay of colours through the
semi-transparent façade, and thus act as
their own advertisement.
DesignThe design brief for the architects was to
concentrate on the type of goods sold by their
client and try to make this the focus of their
design philosophy.
The internal design focuses on making the
storage areas stand out in their own right.
The builders’ merchants array of materials with
their different colours and textiles have been
emphasised. Each shelf contains a different
example, distributed at random. A material’s
aesthetic is displayed here such as could not
exist anywhere except in a builder’s merchants.
In an ever-changing display, depending on
how full the shelves are, the purely functional
high bays compete with each other and
move into the foreground or the background;
Architecture
Builders' Merchants transformed Semi-translucent façade
By Holger Glinde
Commercial projects in an urban context constitute a challenge for clients and plan-
ners – in particular when commerce is involved. A good example of the architectural
transformation of an existing business is the Kraft builders’ merchants project by
03 Architekten of Munich.
2009
4/4Architecture
Hot Dip Galvanizing | �
2009
04
the rigidly mounted cantilever arms form a
framework for the changing image of the con-
struction materials which emerge, or, when
the shelves are empty, make their mark on the
architecture through the galvanized, silvery,
shimmering steel surfaces.
Here architecture represents the frame, the
background for this. It restricts itself to
achromatic shades and to a strong, clear
arrangement of components. The customers
can concentrate on the things which are
essential for them.
The patchwork can be appreciated in the
abstract as a visual impression from outside.
The translucent polycarbonate panels bring the
stored goods in their colourful packages to life.
The enclosure wraps itself around the entire
structure like an envelope and creates multi-
plicity within a uniform picture.
Depending on the time of day and the weather,
trees and clouds are also reflected within the
plastic panels.
A superimposition of the images takes place:
the outside world reflected on the façade,
the shimmering, galvanized sub-frame
lying behind it, and the gleaming coloured
construction materials in the interior.
Each element is established through its
pure functionality and is appreciated
in abstract terms through the
superimpositions.
ConstructionSo that the construction project could be
carried out quickly, the administration and
sales building was constructed entirely from
prefabricated components.
Filigree wall elements were used for external
walls and staircase walls. Moreover, the inner
load-bearing skeleton, the ceiling joists, the
columns and their foundations were made
entirely from prefabricated components.
The largest clear span of the ceiling joists
is 19.3 metres.
The storage hall was erected as a steel
skeleton structure. The supports are subjected
to partial shearing restraint, so that the escape
routes for the rows of shelves can be arranged
on the street side.
The maximum clear span of the load-bearing
structure is 24 metres. The hall’s load-bearing
structure is based on point foundations and
the high bays are dowelled onto a base plate
which is suspended from this.
Due to the requirements of stacker operation
and the load distribution of the shelves,
the base plate was manufactured without
joints.
The building is subjected to continuous
stress-loading; the use of hot dip galvanized
elements, with their specific characteristics,
was able to meet the constructional and visual
demands in an ideal fashion.
Architects/Photos: 03 Architekten, München
6 | Thermisch Verzinken
Architecture
Observation Tower
By Holger Glinde
2009
4/4
The plans drawn up by petersen pörksen part-
ner architekten + stadtplaner bda, who were
appointed to carry out the job, were intended
to strengthen the covers over the tanks and to
incorporate a new ring beam above the window.
A new, 10m high steel structure was positioned
on this ring beam, so that an observation
platform could be created at a height of
approximately 15m.
To emphasize the design detail, vertical steel
cantilever segments are attached to the vertical
external columns of the load-bearing system,
between which horizontal timber cantilever
segments are incorporated in 16 sections.
These have been mounted in such a way that
it is relatively difficult to see through them in
the lower area, but there is more and more
transparency towards the top of the building.
The steel spiral staircases at the entrances
combine strings made from steel plate and
screwed-on steps made from tilted stud plates.
The steel railing is screwed on, and the top and
bottom flanges, together with the vertical rods,
are made of steel flats. The combination of
galvanized steel with the untreated larchwood
timber cantilever segments transform what
was a drab brick structure into an elegant
transparent tower.
Architects/Photo:
petersen pörksen partner architekten + stadtplaner bda,
Lübeck
This simple design for an observation
tower incorporates an existing rainwater
pumping station from the 2008 State
Garden Exhibition in Schleswig.
2009
4/4Architecture
Snowdon Visitor CentreHafod Eryri
By Iqbal Johal
How do you build a sustainable visitor centre on top of a mountain summit?
The Snowdon team solved this problem by creating a meccano design constructed
at ground level. To protect the steel on its journey to 1,08� metres and subsequent
harsh weather conditions, the entire frame was constructed from galvanized steel.
The existing visitor centre, designed by Clough
Williams-Ellis, had come to the end of its life.
After long deliberations, a competition to
design a new summit (visitor centre and café)
building was commissioned by Snowdonia
National Park Authority.
The competition was won by Ray Hole Archi-
tects with the building being finally completed
in June 2009.
At 1,085 metres, this unique visitor centre is
the highest building in the UK, responding to
one of the most extreme climatic locations:
the mountain endures facing winds of 120mph,
temperatures that can go below -20°C and 5m
of rain every year.
The combination of extreme weather conditions
and the logistical difficulties of building
on top of a mountain meant a collaborative
effort was needed by the design team and
client. Some of the design criteria that would
have to be considered included capital costs,
life cycle costs, projected building life and
sustainable development principles.
Visiting the peak of the mountain is helped by
a railway line laid in 1896 which today is used
by more than 140,000 people each year and
400,000 who visit the café. There can be more
than 250,000 climbers on the mountain on any
given day.
When the existing café came to the end of
its life – described by Prince Charles as
“the highest slum in Wales” there were
campaigns to leave the site to its natural state.
This seemed economic folly of the highest
order and after extensive local consultation,
the architects arrived at the final design.
This was not the end of their travails – the
extreme weather meant that the summit could
only be reached during the summer months
from April to October. This led the design team
to carry out a dry run at sea level.
The building was assembled in a warehouse
where the overall design and construction
techniques were perfected. This enabled the
whole structure to be prefabricated so that it
could be transported to site on the existing
train.
Hafod EryriHafod Eryri – meaning 'A summer residence in
Snowdonia' – was chosen from 500 entries in
a competition to name the new visitor centre.
The final design resembles a rock-hewn bunker
emerging from within the mountainside.
There are two key components: a building
that forms the spine running alongside the
railway line that houses the ancillary equip-
ment and a main building that includes the
visitor facilities.
Special Design ConsiderationsThere were many special design considerations
that needed to be taken into account for
Hot Dip Galvanizing | 7
Galvanizing Awards
8 | Hot Dip Galvanizing
this unique project: The entire frame was con-
structed from galvanized steel sections which
had to be sized to resist the significant wind
speed and snow loadings that the building
would be subjected to. In order to optimise the
frame design, special 3-D software was used
to model the building and efficiently calculate
load paths. This also had to take into account
the temporary stability of the frame as it was
being erected in stages. This was perfected
during the trial erection of the frame.
The external envelope of the building was clad
in local granite with each granite block being
scheduled and pre-cut before being taken to
the summit. The granite is left with a rough
finish to merge comfortably with its surroun-
dings and arranged at varying heights around
the perimeter to mimic the sedimentary nature
of the formation of the mountain.
Panoramic ViewsThe timber lined interior offers a welcoming,
practical and comfortable feel with the sedi-
mentary theme continued internally via the
granite floor. The dramatic, sweeping fabric
ceiling adds movement and fluidity to the inter-
nal space. Unlike any of its predecessors, the
new building provides unrivalled views of the
summit and surrounding landscape via large
slanting windows. These also help to bring light
deep into the building. Small details such as
the engravings on the granite floor and screen
printed words of Welsh poet Gwyn Jones add a
nice finishing touch to the warm interior.
In order to make the windows secure during
the winter, shut down galvanized steel roller
shutters were integrated into the window and
cladding assembly. The severity of the weather
conditions, with high levels of water saturation
and constant freeze thawing, called for an
extremely robust shutter design. The shutter
assembly including guides, access panels and
running gear, were all exposed to the elements
so achieving the correct levels of material
protection was critical.
One interesting concern was that locals thought
that the galvanized shutters would cause glare
and reflection problems. For this reason, all
components were pre exposed so that the
finish had a chance to dull down to its normal
blue/grey colour before installation. The roof
also fits in with the rest of the design ethic.
It is curved both in plan and profile and looks
tough and instinctive.
The necessity of every detail of the structure
needed to be taken into consideration due to
winter shutdown of the centre imposed by
weather conditions. The external balustrade to
the platform is constructed from galvanized
steel components which are designed to be
easily dismantled for winter removal. If they
were left in situ the weight of the horizontal
sheets of wind driven rime ice build would
cause them to buckle. The simple key clamp
system with mesh infill panels provided an
elegant and durable solution.
The debate of whether there is a need for a
visitor centre on top of a mountain may never
be resolved. What this new design succeeds
in providing, is an unobtrusive building that
not only fits comfortably into its external sur-
roundings but also exudes warmth and a cosy,
welcoming feel internally. Maybe for the first
time in the long history of buildings at the
summit of Snowdon, one has been erected
that does justice to the spectacular views
that the mountain provides.
Architects: Ray Hole Architects
Photos: Ray Wood
2009
4/4
10 | Hot Dip Galvanizing
On the cultural campus in Vleuterweide, an
extension of the Leidsche Rijn town in Utrecht,
a concert is being held complete with a choir,
soloists, numerous musical instruments and
a 30 metre high tower with many blue, red,
brown, green and yellow glass objects.
Electrically controlled clappers produce the
sounds on the objects. I am listening to the
creation of glass artist and architect Bernard
Heesen, who has created a strikingly expres-
sive work of art as well as a special musical
instrument: The Singing Tower.
The Singing Tower is a 30 metre high structure
in which fifty crystal bells, fifty crystal sound
bowls and 750 glass balls have been suspen-
ded. The combination of sound bowls and
bells, the largest of which weighs 25 kg acts as
a unique carillon.
The chimes have a range of four octaves. Once
the bells had been blown the correct pitch was
obtained by accurate polishing which in turn
led to a particular timbre. The sound bowls vary
in shape and have not been subjected to any
particular finish.
ConstructionThe tower consists primarily of a steel suppor-
ting grid in which the coloured glass elements
(bells and sound bowls) have been suspended.
The tower has been constructed in situ from
a number of pre-fabricated hot dip galvanized
steel components. It consists of a number
of elements which are stacked on top of one
another.
Each element is shaped by three galvanized
steel poles on which a galvanized steel ring has
been placed. The whole construction has then
been covered in a segmented cladding.
Architecture
The Singing Tower, Utrecht Unique glass carillon
By M. Franke/Gerard Reimerink
On a warm summer’s evening I can hear a mixture of musical sounds and background
noise from houses being constructed on a new estate in the distance. I think I can
hear bells but I’m not sure. A carilloneur is playing on a console underneath the tower
construction. When I get closer, it all becomes clear.
2009
4/4
Hot Dip Galvanizing | 11
Architecture
The blue coloured glass balls were fixed onto
the cladding. Finally the carillon was hung in
the tower.
A floor consisting of galvanized steel grids was
constructed at various heights.
In order to avoid ongoing maintenance costs
and the practical difficulty of access to all parts
of the complex structure galvanizing was cho-
sen to provide a long maintenance-free life.
The bells of The Singing Tower can be played
using a keyboard and are controlled by a
computer.
Electronic controls are used for the connection
to the glass bells in order to avoid the tower
being defaced by a network of metal wires.
The advanced wireless system uses small
servo motors.
The system used ensures the carilloneur does
not have to climb into the tower, instead he can
operate the carillon at ground level. The carillon
and the untuned sound bowls can be played
individually as well as collectively.
Architect: Bernhard Heesen, Acquoy/Leerdam
Photos: G. Reimerink, Amersfoort
2009
4/4
12 | Hot Dip Galvanizing
2009
4/4
Although there may have been an argument
to replace the original “grille” with a more
contemporary design, any such debates were
quickly overlooked and a replica was designed.
This was only the first step in what became
a very complex project. It is an extraordinary
testament to the blacksmiths art that it was
still conceivable to reproduce designs from over
300 years ago.
In the days of the “Ancien Régime“, the “Grille
Royale“ separated the nobles’ courtyard from
the royal courtyard in Versailles. Entry was
forbidden to all those who did not have explicit
permission. The “Grille Royale“ was created
in around 1680 by the greatest smiths of
their time.
The destruction of the railings and the gates
during the revolution resulted in a fundamental
change to the site. Ten years ago, the decision
was taken to recreate the old footprint for
the site.
Under the direction of the architect-in-chief,
Frédéric Didier, a study was carried out of the
historic construction, so that original sources
could be used to create an identical copy.
Eighty continuous metres of new royal railings
had to be forged, culminating in the monumen-
tal gates which were 6.40m high in the centre
of the structure. Sixteen tonnes of pure iron
were used. There were 1,600 iron castings
and 2,970 bronze castings, as well as 4,300
leaves of chased black plate. The aim of the
project was, as far as possible, to make the
copy identical with the original. The task was
entrusted to the Saint-Jacques de Saint-Rémy-
lès-Chevreuse studio, who are specialists in
historic structures. Drawings were produced to
the original sizes and to the architect’s graphic
standards. These were used as the basis for
models on a 1:1 scale, forming the transition
from two-dimensional representation of the
project to the authentic dimensions.
Once these models had been established as
the templates to be followed, the manufacture
of the components could begin.
All wrought elements, as well as the recreated
decorations, were created using traditional
techniques.
To protect the gates from corrosion, all
elements and decorations were first hot dip
galvanized and painted. The steel elements
were then erected on site, following which they
were gilded with gold-leaf.
Here the oil gilding was in large part carried out
on-site after erection, under giant umbrellas.
A total of 100,000 sheets of gold leaf was
applied, which corresponds to 2,300g of
pure gold.
Smithery:
Atelier Saint-Jacques de Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse
Photos: (page 12/13) Cabinet Didier, (page 2, right)
Arnandet/Lewandowski
Craft professions
“Grille Royale”, Versailles Galvanized and gilded
By Holger Glinde
Large-scale construction sites offering work for Blacksmiths are rare: The reconstruc-
tion of the “Grille Royale“ at the chateau of Versailles was just such a project, and a
quite extraordinary one. The railings and gates were destroyed during the French
Revolution and only recently, replaced with a replica of the original design.
14 | Hot Dip Galvanizing
2009
4/4
During its time as European Capital of Culture, Liverpool launched the largest media
wall of its kind. The wall is �0 metres long and features a high resolution digital
LED screen. The wall welcomes visitors to the city, being located in a prime site
opposite the main Liverpool Lime Street railway station. The screen is capable of
generating a high quality image even in bright sunlight.
Hakes Associates Architects and Price & Myers
were appointed by Land Securities to design
an art hoarding and digital media display as
part of a £100 million redevelopment of the
St John’s Shopping centre – one of Liverpool’s
biggest shopping destinations.
The brief was to create a bold sculptural
statement that would have an immediate
impact on visitors to the city.
The media wall stretches over 90m across the
façade of St John’s shopping centre and car
park.
The length of the media wall helps to conceal a
variety of disparate façade elements including
a multi-storey car park and access ramps,
while rising 12 metres in the air and finishing
adjacent to a Grade 1 listed hall.
The sculptural form of the undulating fabric
screen is reminiscent of ripples on the
surface of the Mersey River, billowing sails
or flags.
This was then conceptually ‘frozen’ to retain
a sense of movement and create a dynamic
sculptural screen which wraps around the
Lime Street elevation of St John’s.
ConstructionThe media wall is made up of a number of
separate elements: the 31m long x 7m high
LED media screen, displaying images of iconic
Liverpool people, places and events, is enca-
sed within a psychedelic printed, undulating
fabric and a steel support structure.
Architecture
The Media Wall, LiverpoolDigital Advertising
By Iqbal Johal
HOT DIP GALVANIZING
An international journal published jointly by the galvanizing associations of Germany,
The Netherlands and Great Britain. It is licensed to associations in Spain.
Edited by: G. Deimel, H. Glinde (Editor in Chief), I. Johal, D. Baron,
Drs. G. H. J. Reimerink
Published by: Galvanizers Association, Wren’s Court,
56 Victoria Road, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands B72 1SY, UK
Tel: +44 (0) 121 355 8838 Fax: +44 (0) 121 355 8727
E-Mail: [email protected] Internet: www.galvanizing.org.uk
This magazine may not be copied without the written permission of the editor © 2009.
Distributed in Australia by: Galvanizers Association of Australia, 124 Exhibition Street,
Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia, Tel: 0396541266, Fax: 0396541136,
E-mail: [email protected]
2009
4/4
There were a number of significant challenges
in the design of the structure for the project.
Where it spans over the car park entrance
ramps, a prismatic steel ‘mega truss’, 12m
tall and 60m long was constructed to span
between two braced steel cores.
These are founded on mass concrete founda-
tions woven into and around the foundations of
the existing building. Where the façade wraps
around the existing car park, it is propped back
to the existing reinforced concrete structure by
means of steel struts. The primary structure is
made up of CHS sections of various sizes.
This supports secondary steel props which in
turn support extruded aluminium sections that
hold the fabric in place.
These extrusions are shaped to give the fabric
its curvature. The use of steel allowed the
various elements of the structure to be erected
during out-of-hours periods. The structure was
designed to be stable through the various
stages of erection.
Geometrically complex connections were resol-
ved using a simple system of nodes formed
from straight lengths of CHS. All the steelwork
was galvanized to provide both long term
corrosion protection and a simple aesthetic
to the structure.
The launch of the wall featured a specially
commissioned film produced by creative
agency Un.titled, using a mixture of black and
white photography sequences and colourful
graphics featuring famous landmarks around
Liverpool. The screen is capable of generating
over 1 billion colours even in the brightest
sunlit conditions.
Architects:
Hakes Associates Architects, London
Photo: Peter Carr
Architecture
‘Belvedere’ and ‘Rechtop in de wind’ [Upright in
the wind]. Two names which have been given to
this dynamic 22 metre high construction along
the A16 near Breda.
The artist, Martien Kuipers, has made
reference to the high-speed railway line and
the fast motorway traffic by using the zigzag
shape to give this observation tower a
high-tech image.
The tower consists of two tapered open truss
plates with stairs in between.
The top and bottom edge as well as the dia-
gonals of the truss plates have been made
from hollow sections varying in size from
160 x 160 x 10 mm to 400 x 200 x 10 mm.
Stability is obtained by interconnecting both
protruding truss plates with tie bars.
Diagonals have been used for the connection
of the transparent expanded metal covering.
Design: Martien Kuipers, Breda
Steel construction: De Klerk, Werkendam
Construction:
Ingenieursbureau Boorsma, Drachten & Amersfoort
Client: Breda Council
Photo: Mw. Akkermans
Galvanizing in Detail
Galvanizing DelightBy Gerard Reimerink
2009
4/4