Accelerated commercial building

The Goal

To build a 14-storey office building as efficiently as possible
The Attura office building is located in the Plaza Quintanilla of Cochabamba, Bolivia’s fourth-biggest city. The contractor wanted to construct the building efficiently, in order to ensure delivery on time.

The Project

Summary:
The new 14-storey office building’s structural works were delivered on time thanks to the early stripping and time-saving advantages of MonoDec. 

The Solution

1. Early stripping saves time
   The MonoDec slab formwork is not only easy to assemble and dismantle, but also allows early stripping of the formwork. Apart from accelerating progress on site, this also streamlines inventory management, as the system comprises only three components: panels, primary beams, and props with a drop head.

   The high load capacity EuMax props provided support for constructing the building corners. Long pins were inserted to secure the connections to the primary beams. After the concrete had cured sufficiently, the primary beams and panels could be lowered earlier than traditional formwork with just a few hammer blows against the drop head wedge rings.

   This enabled their removal and immediate preparation for reassembly at another location, while the props remained in place as shoring for the newly cast slabs. The generous standard spacing of the EuMax props below the slab formwork (200 x 165cm) also provided the site operatives with ample circulation and working space. This method significantly accelerated the construction programme.
    

2. Optimal formwork usage
   Espinoza Construcciones used just 900m² of the MonoDec system to create the slabs for the new building, which had an 800m² footprint per storey. Thanks to their low concrete adhesion, the MonoDec panels are quick and easy to clean after stripping so that they can be re-used elsewhere on site. Not only did this help accelerate the programme, but also ensured that the optimal amount of formwork was used, thereby reducing the amount of equipment on site. With a thickness of only 65 mm, the slim panels also simplify storage and logistics.
    
3. Lightweight, yet strong
   Despite its low panel weight of only 19kg/m², the aluminium MonoDec system is extremely robust and is suitable for casting up to 44cm thick slabs. The light metal is resistant to moisture, corrosion and fungal attack, thereby guaranteeing a long service life. It is also 100% recyclable at the end of its lifespan. As well as minimising fatigue during transportation, the standard 50cm panel width facilitates handling and installation by a single operative, freeing up staff to take on other activities.
    
4. Excellent flexibility and superior finishes 

   MonoDec’s flexibility was a considerable benefit on this project. While the system was readily adaptable to all required geometries, the smooth form face also delivered a high-quality surface finish for the beams and slabs. 

   Alongside the cost-effective MonoDec system, the contractor also deployed MEVA’s AluFix wall formwork. The lightweight, crane-independent system similarly ensured quick and successful casting of the columns for the 14-storey Attura office building.

The Outcome

October 2020 saw the completion of the structural works, on time and to the specified quality. Espinoza Construcciones managed to accelerate the site operations by using the cost-effective MonoDec slab formwork system and the drop head method which enables early stripping.

Featured Products

• Slab formwork MonoDec
• Wall formwork AluFix

Client:
Espinoza Construcciones

Project:
Attura Office Building

Location:
Cochabamba, Bolivia

Principal:
Canedo Desarrolladores

Engineering & Support:
MEVA Sistemas de Encofrado S.A.S., Bogotá, Columbia