Zalmhaven stone cladding case study
At 216m, Zalmhaven is the highest tower of the Benelux – Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg – and highest precast building in the world. The facade was engineered and installed to prefabricated sandwich exterior megapanels using the BILDA rainscreen system and by the Dutch stone subcontractor, our partner Senta International.
Project info
Project: De Zalmhaven Toren, Rotterdam, Netherlands | Architect: Dam & Partners | Main contractor: BAM Bouw en Techniek | Prefabricated wall element producer: Byldis | Stone subcontractor: Senta International | Year of Construction: 2021 | Product: BILDA Rainscreen System, 40-45 mm Granite Cladding
A main feature are the pilasters spanning the length of the 216m tall building, with a 300mm gap inside. They were assembled on the prefab exterior panels off-site in the premises of Byldis B.V.
The main challenge was finding a system that could provide efficient strut support for such a large gap, as well as enough resistance to high wind loads at height.
The system profiles were pre-assembled mechanically and installed onto prefabricated sandwich wall units in the factory. The slot-and-blade method enabled the use of a one-layer system substructure, as opposed to most competing fixing solutions which always employ a two layer grid, horizontal and vertical.
"BILDA stands out from other aluminum systems we've worked with. It could handle the large gap within the pilasters (between concrete and natural stone) and we made together with STOA company special pre-made components that made complex detailing easy.
The system was intuitive to use, with no learning curve for our on-site workers. It was also a very sustainable and cost-effective solution. We doubled our installation speed and ended up saving 45% of facade panel material, while maintaining the same high-quality result.
It was a pleasure to work with the STOA company. The team is always available, and their technical team was a great support. We are already working with BILDA on a new project and recommend them without hesitation.”
Fatih Özgür
Owner and General Manager,
Senta International B.V.
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Stats
- Pre-assembled (mechanically, no welding) profile elements, horizontally installed onto the prefabricated sandwich wall units in the factory of Byldis.
- Mainly “Portrait” positioned Granite slabs 40-45 mm thick, fixed offsite, also in the factory of Byldis;
- Fully finished exterior wall units (max. 3m x 8m) transported on trucks to site and mounted directly on the main structure of the tower with a special innovative hoisting platform (“Lifting Factory”) by BAM Bouw en Techniek
1 week/ floor - See how it was possible in the video below: