Platform on new construction, renovation, restoration and transformation
In May, Intracare’s new, state-of-the-art innovation hub and production facility was completed along the A50 in Veghel. The climate-neutral factory was built on a 15,000 m² lot and includes chemical and microbiological laboratories, pharma GMP+ cleanrooms, an experience center, production lines, storage areas, R&D facilities, and logistics facilities. With this expansion, Intracare is once again able to meet growing demand, and its growth capacity is secured for the coming years.
Van de Ven Construction was awarded the project through a competitive bidding process and was responsible for the entire construction, including the coordination of the electrical, mechanical, and sprinkler systems. Significant optimizations were implemented during the preparatory phase, explains project manager Ad van der Linden. For example, the firewater basement was reoriented, and additional floor drains were added to efficiently drain liquids in the event of an emergency. “The liquids are first collected in special collection chambers, which are accessible via heavy-duty floor hatches,” he explains. “This allows leaks to be handled locally and prevents contamination from entering the main basement directly. At the same time, the collection areas function as a siphon, preventing odors and fire from spreading through the drains.”
The Veghel site has been designated a “Seveso facility,” which means that large quantities of hazardous substances are handled there and that strict European safety regulations apply. As a result, oversight lies with the province rather than the municipality. Intracare already has an established relationship with Bouwbedrijf van de Ven, which completed an expansion back in 2014 and has remained involved in smaller projects and renovations ever since.
The new complex on the A50 consists of a production hall of approximately 2,866 m², a warehouse of 779 m², a PGS-15 storage area of 522 m², and approximately 2,152 m² of office space spread over three floors. In total, the office can accommodate approximately 78 employees. The industrial hall features an open production area with storage facilities and three separate PGS-15 areas for hazardous substances. The site will be equipped with 82 parking spaces, with the potential to add 45 more. The production facility has also been designed to accommodate future growth wherever possible, according to Van der Linden. “This will allow Intracare to expand by approximately 1,060 m² in the future.”
The new hall was constructed using a steel frame, steel roof panels, and an insulated concrete foundation topped with sandwich panels and a sloped concrete floor. “For the office, a steel structure with hollow-core slabs was chosen for the first and second floors and the roof deck, as well as an insulated concrete plinth topped with sandwich panels. The PGS rooms, in turn, are constructed with 120-minute fire-resistant concrete walls and doors with liquid barriers.” Two of these rooms are equipped with fire suppression gas systems, and one is equipped with a sprinkler system. “In addition, there is a separate ATEX room. The floors in the production and shipping areas are laid with a steep slope, so that firefighting water is drained directly into the firewater basement.”
One particular challenge was the design of the floor drains and their connection to the firewater basement, Van der Linden explains. “Because of the liquids used, plastic drains had to be avoided, so concrete solutions were chosen. What makes this new construction project unique is that a wide variety of construction methods and techniques were applied within a relatively small area, each with its own requirements, regulations, and client specifications.”
