19. Juli 2021
Pflaum & Soehne Bausysteme GmbH join Secured by Design
Pflaum & Soehne Bausysteme GmbH is one of the latest companies to join the official police security initiative Secured by Design.
Since 1954, Pflaum has shaped an entire industry in the Austrian corporate landscape. Appreciating the benefits of the material steel and using it to develop durable products for the future, the company’s first sandwich panels were made from pure Austrian steel, maintaining that focus on their regional strength until today.
In Traun and Neuhofen an der Krems Pflaum manufactures sandwich panels, trapezoidal and cassette profiles for companies and end customers.
Since 2008 and the incorporation into the ArcelorMittal Group, the company has also been operating across Europe and relies on a global network of steel processing specialists. As a brand of the ArcelorMittal Group, Pflaum is able to guarantee the highest level of supply security and best product quality worldwide.
Pflaum join Secured by Design with their Pflaum FI / Pflaum FEI Wall Sandwichpanel Range having achieved Police Preferred Specification.
Alfie Hosker, Secured by Design, said: “It is great to see Pflaum becoming members of the UK Police Service Crime Prevention Initiative. They fabricate a panel walling product which is to be installed across new build Lidl stores across the UK. I look forward to this being the beginning of a successful membership with us”.
André Slowig, CEO of Pflaum, said: “As one of the leading producers for non-combustible sandwichpanels, we are happy that we are able to provide not only fire resistance, but as well fulfill the SBD Police Preferred Specification security requirements. We are looking forward to a long-lasting successful partnership.”
You can find out more about Pflaum and their Secured by Design accredited products here
Secured by Design (SBD) is owned by the UK Police Service with the specific aim of reducing crime and helping people live more safely.
SBD seek to improve the physical security of buildings and the surrounding area using products, such as doors, windows, locks and walling systems along with fencing systems that meet the SBD Police Preferred Specification security requirements.
In addition, SBD work closely with builders, developers, local authorities and registered housing associations to incorporate the police crime prevention standards into developments from initial concept and design, through to construction and completion. Police forces throughout the UK have specially trained Designing Out Crime Officers (DOCOs) who offer police designing out crime and SBD advice free of charge. Over one million homes have been built to SBD standards with reductions in crime of up to 87%.
SBD have many partner organisations, ranging from the Home Office, Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government through to local authorities, housing associations, developers and manufacturers and work closely with standards and certification bodies.
SBD developed a product based accreditation scheme over 20 years ago – the Police Preferred Specification, which provides a recognised standard for all security products that can deter and reduce crime. SBD work with manufacturers and standards authorities to ensure that security standards are current and updated to keep pace with emerging crime trends.
There are currently many hundreds of companies producing thousands of attack resistant crime prevention products, across over 30 different crime categories, which have achieved Police Preferred Specification.
SBD is the only way for companies to obtain police recognition for security-related products in the UK.
Pflaum & Soehne Bausysteme GmbH join Secured by Design
9. Juli 2021
XCarb™ LEADING THE WAY TO DECARBONISED STEEL
Buildings and their construction currently account for 36% of global energy use and 39% of energy related carbon dioxide emissions. Reducing those numbers is obviously key to delivering on the environmental and sustainability commitments which were made in both the 2016 Paris Agreement and the EU’s Green Deal.
As an organisation, ArcelorMittal acknowledges the role that we have to play in that and has committed to reducing own CO2 emissions by 30% by 2030 and to be carbon neutral by 2050. We are aiming to lead the global steel industry on the path to decarbonising steel production and have introduced a number of exciting new initiatives and green innovation projects designed to help us get there.
Under the XCarb™ umbrella brand which encompasses all of the Group’s reduced, low and zero carbon steel making activity, there are a number of programmes aimed specifically at the construction market.
These are: XCarb™ Green Steel Certificates, XCarb™ recycled and renewably produced pioneering products and our XCarb™ innovation fund.
XCarb™ Green Steel Certificates
We’re proud to be the first steel producer in our industry to launch Green Steel Certificates, which will support customers in reducing the Scope 3 emissions that they can report in line with the GHC Protocol Corporate Reporting and Accounting Standard.
Similar in concept to the Renewable Energy Certificates used extensively in the power generation market which certify where energy has been generated from a renewable source, these ArcelorMittal Green Steel Certificates will be available to purchase alongside steel orders placed with ArcelorMittal Europe Flat Products, where big investments are being made in reducing carbon emissions from the blast furnace.
The Green Steel Certificates represent the CO2 savings achieved compared with the average CO2 intensity of integrated steelmaking in Europe and can be attached to physical orders of steel. As a Group, we expect to have around 600,000 tonnes of equivalent green steel tonnes available by the end of 2022.
XCarb™ recycled and renewably produced pioneering products
Customers buying from ArcelorMittal Construction can also now choose products made via our Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) route which uses scrap, recycled steel and is powered by renewable electricity. The carbon footprint of this finished steel can be as little as 300kg of CO2 per tonne if the metallic content is exclusively scrap, so the overall impact on the carbon footprint of a building can be significant.
XCarb™ innovation fund
As well as our own programmes, ArcelorMittal also plans to invest up to $100m a year in companies who are developing their own pioneering or breakthrough technologies which can be scaled to support our journey towards decarbonised steelmaking.
These XCarb™ initiatives are running alongside the ArcelorMittal Group’s ongoing investment in breakthrough Smart Carbon and DRI (Direct Reduced Iron) technologies, both of which offer routes towards carbon-neutral steelmaking by 2050.
Smart Carbon focuses on using circular carbon, clean energies and carbon capture and storage in steelmaking while DRI technologies involve moving from predominantly natural gas towards hydrogen as the key reductant in ironmaking.
Some of these will be ready for commercial-scale use by 2025 and we certainly expect to be partially deploying Smart Carbon technologies across our facilities in Europe by 2030.
XCarb™ LEADING THE WAY TO DECARBONISED STEEL
5. Juli 2021
Not just a pretty façade: there’s more to ArcelorMittal Construction’s vast range of Coatings and Colours than meets the eye
Discover how we’re helping architects and specifiers push boundaries in architectural design, reduce carbon emissions and create high-performance buildings through our wide range of colours and cutting-edge coatings.
Adding colour to the world
In the French town of Bédarieux, nestled between the Orb River and the Espinouse mountain, stands a building that demands attention. The Jean-Claude Carrière cinema is a 3-screen complex with 402 seats; a café; conference room; and at its heart, an open glass-walled atrium.
As you approach, it’s not the cinema’s irregular, barcode-like cladding that first catches your eye. Nor is it the marble obelisks or the tall cypress trees which adorn the grounds, or its sparingly distributed vertical neon lights. No, for all its distinctive aesthetic features, it’s the colour which is most striking.
A range of natural autumnal shades - from strawberry red, to rust brown and orange - complements the surrounding trees and shrubs. These blocks are subtly broken up with a smattering of industrial grey panels.
It’s a fine example of how colour, used bravely yet considerately, can help to create pioneering, seminal architecture.
Limitless possibilities
The customised shades of red which feature predominantly on the Jean-Claude Carrière cinema are selected from more than 2,000 ArcelorMittal Construction Colorissime colours . When you combine this vast palette with an equally impressive range of coatings styles, the aesthetic possibilities number in the millions.
Stardust® adds a celestial gold or silver sparkle to your building; Irysa®, a natural iridescence; while Pearl, as the name suggests, brings a pearlescent lustre which shifts depending on the light and your angle of approach.
ArcelorMittal Construction can help produce the precise finish you’re looking for, giving you the freedom to create structures in the exact colour and style you have in mind.
And with our revolutionary Muralys® steel printing process, the options are literally endless. Using molecular digital transfer, we can take any design, image or text and reproduce it on your building façade in stunning resolution.
How it’s done
The key to ArcelorMittal Construction’s flexibility lies in our uniquely integrated supply chain. It allows us to work with our clients, starting with an idea and a purpose, to develop customised construction products that meet the needs of any project. Whatever the vision of the architect or specifier, we’ll help turn it into a reality. From the product form, to the colour and the coating, every finish can be tailor-made to suit you. And as the only manufacturer in Europe with the necessary facilities to control every aspect of the production process, it’s a level of service you won’t get anywhere else.
But it’s not just about aesthetics; having control of the entire supply chain has other benefits too. Firstly, it allows us to be more responsive with quicker turnarounds and shorter lead times. Secondly, it results in better quality products and service.
A holistic knowledge of the entire construction manufacturing process helps us to better understand every element of the products that are specified in finished buildings and how these different elements (for example, the raw materials, paints and coatings) relate to one another and function together. Our customers don’t just come to us for the things that we make – they also come to us for our comprehensive expertise.
Beyond what you see
Of course, organic coatings can be easy on the eye. Sparkle, texture or glistening sheen can all be achieved with the right approach. But coatings do so much more.
Our Tectova® polyurethane coating with its non-slip properties is ideal for safety on rooftops and beside swimming pools. Flontec® can be wiped clean of spray paint and marker pens to keep buildings graffiti-free without the need for hazardous chemicals. Our radiative coatings with TSR (Total Solar Reflectance) ratings of up to 83% reflect heat from the sun, significantly reducing the energy required for cooling. And Sinea®, with its distinctive grainy appearance, boasts incredible durability, colour resilience, and resistance to UV exposure and corrosion.
ArcelorMittal Construction supplies products for coastal structures, chemical plants, cold stores, nuclear facilities, agriculture and anything else you can imagine. Whatever the application, we’ll provide the solution that works best. And with warranties of up to 40-years on our coatings, you can be assured that your structure will stay looking as good as it did the day it was built.
ZMevolution® - functional, beautiful, sustainable
Impressive though our range of coatings may be, there is no risk of ArcelorMittal Construction becoming complacent. Thanks to our integrated supply chain, we are able to constantly push boundaries through the products we develop and the methods we employ. ZMevolution® is a prime example. Designed especially for the construction field, this galvanized coating process uses a patented alloy blend for a corrosion resistance three times higher than standard galvanized steel. It is stronger, lighter, thinner and more malleable than comparative products and - with a consistent, even surface-quality - it looks beautiful too. But perhaps most significantly, ZMevolution® is better for the environment; the production process results in 46% less CO2 than typical galvanized steels, making it a far more sustainable option. Since its introduction, ArcelorMittal Construction have managed to mitigate carbon emissions totalling more than 90 million kg.
A finger on the pulse
The parking facility at the AZ Sint Jan Hospital in Bruges goes to show that even highly functional buildings can be beautiful. Its Perla (pearlescent) coating, combined with asymmetric waves on a perforated façade, catches the light in a new and spectacular way. The SLAB Center is unapologetically bold, with jet black blocks offset by bright red detail. And just southwest of here, at the Niemeyer Center, is Room 2030: a prototype hotel room assembled in just 4 hours which showcases a resplendent Hairexcel® gold finish. Each of these buildings is unique, radical and unforgettable.
Our extraordinary range of colours and coatings provides total freedom of aesthetic style and helps deliver exemplary building performance. Safe, strong, sustainable - ArcelorMittal Construction can provide products that meet any design challenge. We have the agility to keep pace with market trends and develop new solutions which leverage the latest technology. Because of this, we help architects and specifiers lead the way in exploratory architectural design.
To find out more about our colours and coatings, speak to one of our experts today.
Not just a pretty façade: there’s more to ArcelorMittal Construction’s vast range of Coatings and Colours than meets the eye
21. Juni 2021
Introducing Cofraplus® 80
Introducing Cofraplus® 80
A LIGHTWEIGHT ALTERNATIVE TO PRECAST CONCRETE FLOOR SLABS
Introducing Cofraplus® 80 - ArcelorMittal Construction's brand new lightweight alternative to precast concrete floor slabs: a new flooring solution for contractors who want to build differently.
Using an 80mm high trapezoidal steel profile combined with a lower volume of poured concrete, Cofraplus® 80 outperforms a traditional precast floor in a greener and more environmentally conscious package.
It offers an estimated 25% reduction in the overall weight of the slab, which positively impacts the surrounding load-bearing beams, columns and even foundations, resulting in a more cost-effective, less massive and ultimately more sustainable structure. Cofraplus® 80 even reduces CO2 emissions by 15% compared to a conventional precast floor.
The cost savings and environmental benefits also extend to efficient transportation, storage and installation. Because the lightweight elements can be stacked efficiently, Cofraplus® 80 requires only one truck delivery to site and 12 crane movements to unload for a 1400 m2 ceiling, compared to 8 deliveries and 96 crane movements for a precast ceiling.
Also during installation, a single Cofraplus® 80 profile weighs only 52 kg, while the equivalent precast slab weighs 1875 kg. A single team can safely install up to 600 m2 manually in just one day, while a crane is needed to install the same area of precast slab.
Thus, logistics is one of the key areas where Cofraplus® 80 really scores over the precast alternative.
Cofraplus® 80 is so flexible that it can be customized to meet specific project requirements and detailed design specifications. It can be used in conjunction with any structural material - including steel or timber beams and concrete, and with any type of modern construction.
ArcelorMittal Construction has developed a new range of specialized system accessories that provide a complete solution for installing the slab and pouring the concrete.
Suspended elements such as pipes, ducts and suspended ceiling fixtures can be anchored with a special accessory, eliminating the need to drill holes in the concrete during installation or renovation. This saves time and money on floor adjustments and reduces noise levels for people living or working nearby.
The standard version of the system is compatible with continuous welded connectors, or it can be supplied in a pre-cut version suitable for shear connectors welded to the beam.
The Cofraplus® 80 system can span up to 4.5 m without supports and more than 6.5 m with supports. The geometry of the prefabricated steel means that it can serve both as formwork during the concreting phase and as reinforcement during the operational phase. Its special geometry means that it acts optimally in conjunction with the concrete.
Cofraplus® 80 is flexible enough to be adapted to specific project requirements and detailed design specifications. It can be used together with all construction materials.
21. April 2021
DRIPSTOP® - Installationguide for anti-condensation fleece
Installationguide for anti-condensation fleece on trapezoidal steel sheets
For proper execution, we provide installation instructions for anticondensate fleece.
Installationguide for anti-condensation fleece
4. März 2021
Hotel Motto – Cofrastra composite ceilings used for refurbishments and roof extensions.
From an architectural perspective, Vienna is increasingly becoming known for its roof extensions. Alongside the refurbishment of historic building stock, that’s leading to a modernisation and revitalisation of many inner-city properties. Many of the designs are characterised by contemporary, often multi-storey, roof structures sitting on top of distinctive, traditional facades.
A typical example is the former Hotel Kummer, a Gründerzeit era property steeped in history, situated on the corner of Mariahilfer Strasse (71a) and Amerlinstrasse. With a 50 million Euro investment from Wertinvest in partnership with Schadekgasse 20, it has been gutted, refurbished and extended, with a new two-storey, barrel-shaped roof structure added. This new structure links all the different parts of the building, coordinating with the magnificent, original façade and connecting with the new, modern cityscape.
The building is remaining as a hotel. Under the new name ‘Hotel Motto’, it will be operated with 91 rooms, a restaurant, bar and meeting areas. A branch of a well-known clothing brand has taken a lease on the ground floor and an organic bakery and outdoor café area will move in directly next door. The striking roof structure, designed by architect Arkan Zeytinoglu and set back slightly from the façade, will house a restaurant and roof terrace which will be open to the public.
In structural engineering terms, the project has been a considerable challenge. During the course of the work, a wide variety of ceiling constructions were uncovered within the fabric of the historic building, including in-situ concrete ceilings, wooden beam ceilings and brick ceilings. In planning for the additional roof levels however, the civil engineers Thomas Lorenz ZT GmbH decided to use steel, or more precisely a steel composite ceiling construction, because of the many advantages it offers.
Working in partnership with the manufacturer, the engineers chose Cofrastra composite slabs from ArcelorMittal Construction Austria. This composite slab profile, made from galvanised sheet steel with additional embossed cams, serves as both the formwork for the in-situ concrete and the lower reinforcement layer to absorb the bending moments. The stackable trapezoidal shaped panels are ideal for the inner-city site because they can be easily transported and stored efficiently without taking up unnecessary space. The ribs also reduce the dead weight by up to 15% for the same static height, crucial for the deflection of the slab and resulting in a slim construction with lower loads on the building stock below. Fire protection (REI 90) is achieved by simple bar reinforcement in the ribs (Ø12mm) without additional, time consuming measures, in line with EN1994-1-2.
Assembly of the 1100m2 composite slab could largely be carried out by hand, without the use of a crane, saving valuable crane capacity and construction time. The special dovetail geometry allows for a reversible installation of building services and suspended ceilings, so that the new composite ceiling, as well as the original ceiling constructions, remain hidden from view.
Complex construction taking place at height – Cofrastra 70 composite ceiling over 5.20m, with temporary support during concreting.
The widened lower flange on the Cofrastra 70 allows the steel girder to be integrated flush with the slab
Facts: Cofrastra 70 composite slab:
Loads:
Permanent extension loads: 2.7kN/m²
Live loads: 5kN/m²
Plate thicknesses : variable between tN=0.75mm and tN=0.88mm
Spans : 1,60m double span system - 5,20m single span system with 2 supports in construction condition
Slab thickness : 15cm and 22cm
Concrete requirement: 200l/m2 - 125l/m2
Slab weight: < 500kg/m2 - approx. 320kg/m2
Multiple advantages:
Ceiling weight and reduced depth
Fire protection REI90 - bar reinforcement in rib Ø12mm
Dovetail geometry reversible installation of building services and suspended ceilings
1100m² Cofrastra 70
Info collection
Roof extension Falkestraße, Vienna
"This roof extension is the world's first deconstructivist architectural project to be realised," says Wolf Dieter Prix, co-founder of the architectural firm Coop-Himmelb(l)au together with Helmut Swiczinsky. The roof extension in Vienna's Falkestraße was completed in 1988, at the same time that the exhibition "Deconstructivist Architecture" was running at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Completed: 1988
Architecture: Coop Himmelb(l)au
Address: 1010 Vienna, Falkestraße 6
"This project was presented as a model and the funny thing is that many colleagues stood around the model and said, you'll never build that," Prix recalls, "because it's impossible to build. I laughed, because at that very moment the very first curved windows were just being put in here.”
Coop-Himmelblau designed the roof extension for the law firm Schuppich, Sporn, Winischhofer on a Viennese Ringstrasse building in Falkestraße. With this build, the architectural firm achieved an international breakthrough, and the roof extension effectively became the most famous piece of Austrian post-war architecture - an architectural landmark and a pilgrimage site for architectural enthusiasts from all over the world.
So how would you describe the Falkestraße roof conversion? It’s either a dynamic-looking glass sculpture with steel struts that extend beyond the building or it’s a glass sculpture that virtually tears open the historic roof.
Plan
COOP HIMMELB(L)AU
But how would the star architect himself describe it? "In the same way as Roman Polanski, who said that if he could describe the film, he wouldn't make it. You can't do it verbally or in pictures. A steel backbone holds the whole construction, which you might call a dome, but it's not a dome, it's a reinterpretation of a dome. Obviously, it wasn’t easy to build this volume here on this building, neither from the position of the authorities or from the construction point of view. Today, I doubt whether this project would be achievable" says Wolf Dieter Prix, adding: "The roof extension is thirty years old, but I am always surprised by how young and fresh it looks."
https://oe1.orf.at/artikel/644852/Dachausbau-Falkestrasse-Wien
Hotel Motto
Roof extensions have given a historic city like Vienna the opportunity to modernise and revitalize inner-city properties like the former Hotel Kummer that will open again to the public as the “Hotel Motto”. This project from Wertinvest will have a new two-storey, barrel-shaped roof structure which is coordinated with the magnificent façade.
The civil engineering company Thomas Lorenz ZT turned to ArcelorMittal Construction Austria to use its Cofrastra 70 composite slabs to serve as the formwork for the in-situ concrete as well as the lower reinforcement layer to absorb the bending moments. As a result, the extension has a slim construction with lower loads for the building stock below.
Find out all the details of this project in the first 2021 special supplement from @Handwerk+Bau.
Hotel Motto Cofrastra composite slabs for refurbishment and roof extensions