Redevelopment former Telegraph Building | 340,000 pounds of steel for rebuilding Telegraph Building

For 80 different projects

For the renovation of the former De Telegraaf building on the Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal in Amsterdam, Vic Obdam Staalbouw supplied and assembled all the steelwork. This was commissioned by and in collaboration with BAM Bouw en Techniek, with whom Vic Obdam Staalbouw had previously carried out an assignment for the Kroonenberg Group.

In total, Vic Obdam Staalbouw produced and assembled 340,000 pounds of steel for the renovation. This was used for 80 subprojects, from a spiral staircase to the roof construction of the winter garden. "That construction consists of beams, which are composed of plates that in turn are invisibly linked together using bolts," says director P. Klijn of Vic Obdam Staalbouw.

The 80 subprojects were implemented in phases. Says Klijn, "We were involved in the engineering from November 2017 until the end of 2019. For each phase, we first made the detailed calculations and drawings, followed by production in our factory and then assembly on site, after which the next phase started. Before that, we used a 3D scan to completely scan the building and process all the data to get the exact dimensions right, so the steelwork actually fits properly."

A special subproject was the portal that had to replace a concrete column that was in the way. Klijn: "For this, in collaboration with the main structural engineer, we devised not only the temporary structure to absorb all the forces during construction, but also the permanent solution to divert all the forces. All this was put into an outrigger, jacking and assembly plan. Because you identify all the risks well in advance and have a good Plan of Action, you can eliminate the risks."

A project like this is all about the interplay between structural engineer, contractor, client and architect, says Klijn. "We sat around the table every week to make a Plan of Action. You can then also reach decisions faster and provide answers to questions that keep cropping up along the way. The faster such a process goes, the more beneficial that is for a client."