Easier and faster building rehabilitation with steel structures
Steel structures can play a very important role in the growth of the rehabilitation sector.
The urban rehabilitation sector, and in particular the building rehabilitation sector, has shown a dynamic growth throughout Europe in the last decade. There are several factors driving this demand, from the outset, a need to reconvert buildings with more efficient and sustainable solutions, the increase in tourist demand, and also requalification policies aimed at rejuvenating the population in urban centers.
Construction companies have taken advantage of this expanding sector, specializing increasingly in this niche, which presents numerous operational challenges.
In dense urban centers, space limitations severely compromise the ability to implement a proper construction site, storage materials, as well as the supply of materials to the works.
All this set of restrictions calls for prefabrication solutions, among which steel structures stands out, with enormous flexibility of applications.
From foundations to shoring
In specific situations, steel structure is a quick solution for vertical shoring of facades when excavations are required for the construction of lower floors. In addition to being an important contribution to the safety of works, shoring structures provide greater flexibility in the execution of definitive structures compared to concrete solutions.
(Photo: Foundation work at the Hotel Bragança Building, at Rua Victor Cordon , Lisbon – Portfolio Vesam 2017)
Facades containment
Maintaining the original or existing facades is, in most cases, a mandatory condition in the rehabilitation of a building, either by determination of heritage regulation, or by mere architectural choice.
In order to carry out the demolition of floors while maintaining the stability of the original facades, it is necessary to carry out the containment of these. Steel structures adapts easily and quickly to the various containment techniques, either through an exterior or interior peripheral containment.
This flexibility also allows the introduction of the definitive steel structure without interfering with the temporary structure.
(Photo: Containment work on the facade of the Hotel Bragança Building, on Rua Victor Cordon , Lisbon – Portfolio Vesam 2017)
Fast floor construction (structure + collaborative slab)
The technique of digitizing the interior of buildings and the use of BIM technologies allow for the prefabrication of steel structures in ideal conditions, including the application of anti-corrosive and intumescent paints in the factory.
Normally, these off – site operations are carried out simultaneously with the work on site, allowing the building structure to arrive at the site ready to be assembled, at the opportune moment. This technique presents an incomparable speed when compared to the traditional construction that requires a set of time-consuming specific works (formwork, reinforcement and concreting.
The collaborating slab is one of the most interesting solutions for the execution of floors, because in addition to the significant reduction in the amount of reinforcement, thanks to its collaborating effect, it eliminates the need for formwork.
(Photo: Execution of definitive floors and collaborating slabs, in parallel with the temporary facade retaining structure, Hotel Bragança Building, at Rua Victor Cordon , Lisbon – Portfolio Vesam 2017)
Building roofs
Steel structure solutions are widely used in the construction of complex volumes on roofs, such as multiple pendants, mansards or chimneys. The ease of three-dimensional modeling of the covers and the consequent division into small-sized elements, allows for a very fast, accurate and safe assembly.
(Photo: Roofing structure of the Hotel Bragança Building, at Rua Victor Cordon , Lisbon – Portfolio Vesam 2017)