Magna Tyres, Waalwijk | A work with challenges

Impressive numbers, high quality standards and BREEAM 'Excellent'

The Magna Tyres Group is building a new distribution center along the A59 motorway. In doing so, the tire specialist is opting for a center that meets the highest quality requirements and BREEAM 'Excellent' certification. This creates special challenges.

The total area of the Magna Tyres Group's new distribution center - including offices - is 57,671 m². The DC includes a loading pit on both sides with a total of 48 docks. The office area will be equipped with every convenience. The employees here will soon be able to enjoy a luxurious canteen, professional kitchen, fitness room and associated sanitary facilities. The builder of the distribution center is Willy Naessens Nederland. From the very first moment they will be involved in the construction.

Hybrid construction

"Originally a steel structure had been chosen," says Herman Wijgerse, project manager of Willy Naessens Netherlands. "By converting this to a concrete shell, two rows of columns and foundations could be dropped. This provides Magna Tyres with considerably more space. The steel roof plates and sandwich panel cladding were retained. So it has become a hybrid structure."

Converting the steel structure to a concrete shell allowed the elimination of two rows of columns and foundations.

Impressive numbers

Willy Naessens first had to make the muddy terrain suitable for construction work. Using immobilization, a cement-bound raw material, they made the subsoil suitable for the heavy equipment. Then the piling work could begin. "It is the biggest job we have done in the Netherlands so far," says Wijgerse. "That makes for impressive numbers. For example, we put over 1,000 precast piles into the ground with an average length of 10 m. The foundations and loading pits count some 300 piles and 500 m of foundation beams. The 17,000 floor piles went into the ground at a rate of 300 piles per day."

Logistical challenge

The concrete construction of Hall A presented a challenge in terms of assembly and production. Wijgerse: "The concrete elements were produced in our 15 plants in Belgium. It required 900 transports to get the concrete elements to their destination in 60 days. That meant 15 freights per day." After construction of the concrete shell, facade cladding, steel roof panels, insulation and PVC roofing were installed at a rate of 5,000 m² per week.

BREEAM 'Excellent' challenges.

BREEAM 'Excellent' certification is an ongoing challenge. This requires issues such as CO₂-emissions, traffic movements, natural phenomena, waste streams and energy consumption are closely monitored and recorded.    There must be bat boxes, an insect hotel, appropriate plantings and amphibian steps. And then the construction site has to be tidy, too. Wijgerse: "It is a big job, but it is well prepared. Everyone knows what is expected of them. Now we just have to make sure the train keeps moving at pace. In this context, a big work requires less energy than three small works. So for me, a work cannot be big enough." Magna Tyres is expected to be able to occupy the distribution center in early November. The office will be completed around March 2020.