Residential complex Handelskai 214A

GERSTL reduces its material and time requirements using MevaDec

WIGEBA, Vienna´s construction company for municipal housing, commissioned GERSTL BAU GmbH & Co. KG with the construction of the residential complex Handelskai 214A. The rectangular building layouts are arranged in a line, like pearls strung on a thread, on the narrow, 450 m long plot of land in the bustling district of Leopoldstadt. Seven houses, each with two parking levels, ground floor and six to ten upper storeys, were completed on schedule in the summer of 2022. A number challenges had to be mastered: demanding construction site logistics, a tight schedule and intensive coordination. Six cranes were in use at the same time and as little material as possible had to be used while relocating the formwork storey by storey.

The experienced construction company GERSTL used wall formwork, slab tables and platforms from its own stock. For the total of 54 standard floors each with a surface area of 490 m² – corresponding to a total slab surface of more than 26,000 m² – plus two parking levels each with 7,000 m², GERSTL purchased 1,800 m² of ­MevaDec slab formwork. This was the correct choice, as it soon became clear: MevaDec enables less material stock to be stored on the construction site. And because the price of wooden facings has increased immensely in the meantime, the alkus all-plastic facing fitted as standard paid off right from the start. It is durable, repairable and easily cleaned, can be nailed, does not absorb water, and does not swell or shrink. Its surface finish guarantees top-class concrete quality even after more than one thousand applications. Furthermore, it comes with a 7-year long-term warranty.

Only as many props as required

The prop spacing is predefined by the primary beams. The construction team thus only had to install and store the number of props that was actually required. This reduced the material and time requirements and provided the personnel with ample freedom of movement under the formwork. MevaDec is not bound to a fixed grid pattern and the ability to freely select the beam orientation reduces the number of compensations. The panels can be installed and positioned freely, even over the drop heads, thus enabling the formwork to be adapted flexibly to suit every building geometry.

With as little effort as possible

A big plus during this project in the capital city of Austria proved to be the early-stripping option using the drop-head-beam-panel method. This requires only three components: panels, primary beams and props with drop heads. The panels and primary beam were lowered, stripped and moved to a new position with just a few hammer blows while the props remained in place for reshoring purposes until the concrete had set. It was thus possible to save a lot of time with a minimum of effort.

The slabs poured during the Handelskai 214 A project required approximately 30% more rebar material than normal. Background: The balconies were produced in GERSTL’s prefabrication plant and hooked into the slabs, which not only have a large overhang but also transfer large loads due to large openings in the outer walls.

Featured Products:

• MevaDec slab formwork

Contractor:
GERSTL BAU GmbH & Co. KG, ­Vienna, Austria

Principal:
WIGEBA – Wiener Gemeindewohnungs-Baugesellschaft mbH

Project:
Residential complex Handelskai 214A

Engineering and support:
MEVA Schalungs-Systeme Gesellschaft m.b.H., Pfaffstätten, Austria