Every challenge welcomed

Parking areas at the Institute of Science and Technology

<p><strong>Demanding to the very end </strong></p><p>The new parking areas at the Institute of Science and Technology (IST) in Maria Gugging were a demanding project. So, absolutely perfect for us as specialists who thrive on exceptional challenges. Varying construction heights, an interior and exterior area, custom parts virtually everywhere, and a wealth of trades, including on-site welding work, are just some of the parameters that went into this project. Added to this came the entire site supervision of the drainage system through BG-Graspointner all the way down to the final acceptance.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong>At home on new ground</strong></p><p>Robert Eder from BG-Graspointner had overall technical control over the project, which ran for practically the whole of the year 2020. He recalls:</p>

<p><strong>Drainage over two levels</strong></p><p>In his plans, the architect had designed a poured asphalt structure (external dimension 5 cm, internal 3 cm) for the parking areas. The majority of the surface water would be able to drain through the channel grates. However, since poured asphalt is slightly water-permeable, some five to ten percent of water would seep in. Knowing this, a double bitumen seal has been installed under the poured asphalt to direct the water into the channel body underground. The result is a drainage system over two levels. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong>Efficient development thanks to CAD </strong></p><p>Each channel component is made of stainless steel and custom-made. Travelling across it required that it comply with load class C (25 tonnes). Using computer-aided design, BG-Graspointner was able to design complex geometries and calculate the acting forces before start of production and thus achieve the required load class.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong>Skilled welding work</strong></p><p>The top and bottom drainage levels were welded together at BG-Graspointner and then supplied to the building site as piece goods by the metre. Once on site, the individual pieces were slowly but surely further welded together to create the long channel bodies. To eliminate the possibility of subsequent corrosion occurring, the weld seams needed to be pickled. Nitric acid was used in the plant for this purpose, for example. Building sites are not conducive for working with or draining off nitric acid. With this in mind, Robert Eder and his colleagues used the TIG Brush system as this allows weld seams to be suitably treated after the event.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong>We work with millimetre precision</strong></p><p>The varying substrate heights within the building&apos;s interior posed yet another challenge. Some of the substrate acts as a foundation, with other parts forming a ceiling over a parking level below. These disparities were evened out using insulation material. To create the millimetre-accurate channel structure, special height-adjustable feet were developed, produced and precisely aligned using lasers. The entire structure was then fully embedded in grouting.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong>Developed and supplied in record time</strong></p><p>Once the CAD models had been checked and reviewed, we carried out the first load tests on the prototypes in June, received clearance in August and were able to deliver in September. All told, six weeks were all that were needed to develop and deliver the numerous custom parts. The speed of turnaround even caught us by surprise.</p><p> </p><p><strong>A satisfied client</strong></p><p>Our client, Gerald Berndl from the Swietelsky construction company, was equally very happy with the outcome.</p>