2011-09-09
New-generation office makes its maiden voyage

The complete three-storey office, based on NEAPO technology, was first assembled at a shipyard….

A three-storey office built by NEAPO at a shipyard in Turku in south-west Finland was recently transferred in one piece by sea to its final location nearby. This is the first time that a complete multi-storey building has ever before been built indoors like this.

Measuring 33 metres long and 12 metres high, with 861 m2 of floor space, the structure weighs only 220 tonnes, between three to five times less than a concrete one of equivalent size – thanks to the use of NEAPO’s advanced FIXCEL® steel sandwich structure technology, which is both extremely durable and rigid as well as light.

Assembly of the steel sandwich elements started at the shipyard in December last year. The steel foundation was constructed during the first phase, after which the structure itself was assembled from three large blocks and lifted onto the foundation. As the sandwich structure is self-supporting, no separate frame was needed.

HVAC and electrical work, together with the installation of light fittings and the tiling of the building’s sanitary facilities, were all done at the shipyard, as was the fitting of external cladding.

Following transportation to the site, all that was left to do was to move the structure onto eight reinforced concrete piles and hook it up to the local utilities.

… and then transported to its final location by barge. Photos courtesy of NEAPO.

For more information on NEAPO’s patented new-generation steel sandwich construction technology, see our article or visit the company’s Web site.