HeidelbergCement Headquarters

This year Byldis proudly presents project Heidelberg. The head office of one of the world’s largest cement companies covers no less than 7,000 m2. Byldis created the precast facade elements for the building that houses 1000 employees. This precast building is unique in terms of colour. It is bright white! Furthermore, the concrete mixture contains TX Active®, that absorbs nitrogen oxides from the air. And that’s better for both humans and the environment.

The canopy element of the entrance to the building is very special in terms of its shape. This form is not standard and therefore caused several challenges during the process. The architect provided the main shape of the canopy element from the design model in an IFC file. Byldis Engineering has imported this geometry into Tekla and then further developed the canopy element so that it is technically feasible in terms of production. The team communicated through the 3D models. For the reinforcement mesh, the rebar principle of the structural engineer has been translated into a complete reinforcement model. Based on this model, the machine was automatically driven for the production of the reinforcement.

The fabrication of the reinforcement mesh is quite a challenge for such a shape as the canopy element. For the production of the reinforcement mesh a negative-mould is used. The 3D model was constantly consulted in order to fabricate the coded reinforcement in the predefined working order. Once the reinforcement mesh and other components have been placed in the mould, the concrete is cast. After 16 hours of drying, the element is lifted out and placed in the workshop. These elements are then transported to the construction site and put into place!

The facade elements are also special in terms of shape, reinforcement, moulding, production, transport and assembly. For the complex shapes in Tekla, the curved vertical parts have been taken from the Architects model and added to the cast units. From this concrete form, further work was done on the anchoring system, moulds and the reinforcement. The anchors to the supporting structure were calculated by the supplier and then elaborated by us in Tekla. This information was exchanged in IFC with the client for coordination to the main building structure.

Several facade elements were not only curved, but also produced as corner-elements. By carrying out pre-productions and advanced engineering of the reinforcement, maximum use has been made of automated reinforcement parts from the reinforcement machine in our own factory.

Our supplier of the moulds is guided with 3D information for the engineering and production of the moulds.

We are Byldis
Byldis is changing the construction world as a market leader in Modern Methods of Construction (MMC). Byldis offer an off-site alternative to traditional construction methods within the European high-rise construction segment. This is the result of over 50 years of experience in engineering, precast concrete and facade technology. Together with more than 450 professional colleagues, we work extremely hard on innovative construction concepts. From the initial request and design through manufacture and assembly in one of our factories, to installation at the construction site. We aim to half the construction programme of traditional construction! We are keen to get involved at an early stage of your project, so that you get the most out of our work and our solutions.