The construction industry has been growing sustainably for many years and with it numerous companies. The Geiger Group is also expanding and insists on the highest quality of construction for its new office complex near Kempten im Allgäu. The four-storey building is of huge strategic importance for the German company. By combining several business areas, it will be possible to take advantage of the resulting synergistic effects and to make the building a real flagship project, and not just in terms of its appearance. MEVA was the formwork of choice to achieve this goal.

From the foundations upwards, the construction company Geiger used MEVA formwork throughout. The lightweight aluminium elements of the AluStar wall formwork enabled crane-independent work from the very start. The ceilings and walls of the new building were also constructed fully using MEVA products. The Mammut 350 wall formwork allows unlimited pour speeds of up to 4 m/h irrespective of the concrete formula, weather conditions and temperature. It was, therefore, possible to concrete large surfaces in just one pour and construction work was completed effectively and efficiently. The client expressed the desire to have a neat form-tie and joint pattern and the building was designed from the beginning with this in mind. Site manager Stefan Mair was delighted with the outstanding results: “There were no problems despite work commencing in the winter. We achieved excellent concrete results with the rented panel framework.”

 

Exposed concrete is standard

The result meets the approval of the critical construction experts; and only about 50m² of the overall wall surface was subsequently plastered to enhance its design aesthetics. The high exposed concrete quality class SB3 was also used in the offices. This was possible due to the alkus solid plastic panel that is integrated in all MEVA formwork systems as standard. The panel sits flush in the frame. In contrast to timber panels, the frame profile does not need to protrude, thereby eliminating leading edges in the concrete finish. Any mechanical damage to the formwork can be repaired with identical material. This is a particular advantage, especially for large-scale projects with exposed concrete requirements. Besides replacement parts, the repair case supplied with the formwork includes all the tools necessary to rectify any defects quickly on-site. Site foreman Maik Lange was also surprised by just how easy it was to use: “The repair case contains everything you need. After receiving some basic instructions from the MEVA formwork specialist, we all immediately understood the principle and were able to repair the panels.”

 

Special designs - not a problem

A high level of quality was demanded in the stairwell. MEVA therefore manufactured a special formwork to create smooth and even surfaces within this open-plan area up to exposed concrete quality class SB4. The formwork unit was shaped like a rectangular external corner and consisted of two 3.5m high Mammut 350 wall formwork elements. The applied alkus solid plastic panels were welded together at a 90° angle to prevent laitance escaping and unwanted patterns forming. The completed new building stands as a first-class testament to the work carried out by Geiger and the formwork from MEVA.

 

This article was first published in July 2018 under the title “Meva: A new building as a reference object” at www.baumagazin-online.de.