Large and complex: 90,000 m² of sandwich panels

The new distribution center commissioned by ASK Romein Bouw comprises almost 50,000 m². Including the total sandwich panels previously delivered and assembled for the Hoogvliet bakery, it adds up to some 90,000 m². "Never before have we had a larger project, but in terms of size and complexity we can handle it well," said Paul Pallandt, Commercial Director of Roma Netherlands.

Challenging it is, though. Pallandt: "The building is dynamic, with different disciplines, production and logistics zones, temperatures, foodcare areas and logistics systems. We actually build a packaging around this complex design, against and between the main architectural structures. This places high demands on the building physics such as the prevention of condensation problems in combination with the desired fire resistance, airtightness and the performance of the optimally insulating outer shell. We entered a later construction phase of the distribution center. The steel structure was leading and the schedule was very short. The challenge for our engineering was to visualize and solve the bottlenecks to make the insulation envelope perform optimally. Between the temperature zones, the walls and doors must be airtight, but also vapor-tight. This is to prevent warm air from creeping through gaps and condensation." 

Architectural masterpiece

The size of the complex also brought logistical and execution challenges. Pallandt: "We even needed golf carts to move our people around. With sometimes as many as 30 of our own employees on site, it comes down to good organizational skills to keep everyone working simultaneously and efficiently." Aesthetically, the choice of exterior panels was especially critical. "With hundreds of meters of sight lines, the colorways have to be consistent across the three phases. When the bakery was built in 2015, this was actually already established. With the insulated Roma M-panels with blind fastening, this resulted in a beautiful architectural facade image."