Lightning-fast installation with attention to detail

Distribution centers are becoming larger, more complex and more sustainable. At the same time, these buildings often have to be realized under time pressure of commissioning. During realization, construction organization is no sinecure. Cooperation with the coordinating contractor and ancillary contractors on a daily basis is a necessity, say installers Ronald Duits (Kromwijk Elektrotechniek BV), Peter Moddejongen (vanPanhuis Hoogeveen) and Martien van de Beek (Unica Fire Safety). "Only as a team can you realize such a complex under time pressure."

The three project leaders are working together on the realization of the new main distribution center c.q. office of clothing giant Scotch & Soda in Hoofddorp-Zuid. In a 'pioneering area' of the Schiphol Area Development Company (SADC), between the A4 and Schiphol Line and with numerous voluminous business premises in the planning. The warehouse for Scotch & Soda is being built for Minerva Development and comprises approximately 20,000 square meters. The new building features 16 loading docks, a 1,200-square-foot office and is fully subterranean, with parking for 100 cars. The buildings will be constructed in a traditional manner in steel with a concrete plinth, steel roofs and sandwich panels. An all-electric building that will be completed at lightning speed between October 2021 and May 2022 under the WELL Building Standard sustainability certification. This is the first and only certification system specifically focused on the health and well-being of building occupants.

Intensive meetings

This spring a veritable final spurt in execution is taking place. To point out: at the end of March, the facade closure of the office section had yet to take place, while the warehouse is already being delivered in April. "The cooperation with main contractor DIJKHAM bouw is excellent," says German, project leader E-installations. "Our client subcontracts almost all executive work to subcontractors, which means that the facade closure, installation and finishing work run parallel in the final phase. Everyone wants to get into the building at the last minute." The project managers of the construction parties therefore have joint meeting days (once a week). "That cannot be anything but necessary," says Moddejongen. "Only as a team can you realize such a project on time. The human touch is also important.   

We have had to deal with rising material prices, longer delivery times and corona-related absences, among other things, in the last year. At the same time, the architect has wishes and requirements and the end user wants to occupy the building on time. Then you really have to work together to create momentum when you have to."

Fire Installations

Moddejongen is involved in the project as project leader for W-installateur vanPanhuis Hoogeveen (part of Top Installatiegroep) from sewerage to control technology - from start to finish, in other words. Duits does the same for Kromwijk Elektrotechniek BV, the company responsible for most of the E-installations, including an extensive lighting plan with daylight control and presence detection. Van de Beek is responsible for the sprinkler systems, as well as related fire safety provisions in the building, such as alarms for the sprinkler and fire alarm systems, fire hose reel facilities, fire department connections and the sprinkler pump room with the water supply. "The level of fire safety provisions is high because of insurance requirements, so that was placed with a total installer like Unica Fire Safety," says Van de Beek. "The certification obviously has to take place before commissioning, and sprinklers are a specialism. With us it's a specialty; we prefabricate all the piping for our installations here and that goes in ready-made."

Heaters and heat pumps

The DC for Scotch & Soda is designed all-electric. The warehouse is heated by heaters that blow warm air into the building and are controlled by air-to-water heat pumps. The roof will also soon be full of solar panels. Moddejongen: "There is an enormous amount of overlap between our activities. In any case with all-electric construction, with heat pumps as the primary energy supply, you have overlap between E and W. We also do the control technology and remote monitoring, so cooperation on all fronts is necessary." For example, within BIM, with clash checks, continues German. 'E' has the most to do with logistical time pressure in the delivery phase, says the project manager of Kromwijk Elektrotechniek BV. "Many installations cannot be finished until the building is completely wind and watertight. In the case of the office section, which is equipped with a VRF system for climate control, among other things, that is an extremely short period of time. Most of the work is done manually; only the rail ducts are prefabricated." In addition, Haarlemmermeer faces capacity shortages when it comes to power supply, a matter that lies with the grid operators. Moddejongen: "All construction projects in the area are affected by this. An 'energy square' has therefore been set up for the peaks in use, with a gas turbine as support."

Pipes in plain sight

While the planes in front of Schiphol pull out their landing gear at mere hundreds of feet, Haarlemmermeer is growing like cabbage. Almost literally: in six months, a state-of-the-art distribution center stands here. "But it's still human work, best done with permanent teams," says Van de Beek. "This building will be delivered according to the American WELL certification system; a kind of BREEAM, also with a points system, but more focused on people and well-being," Moddejongen says. The installers will also be scrutinized in this area, and eventually even the sandwiches served in the office section. In the same building section, the piping in sight must meet aesthetic requirements. "A lot of piping is deliberately left in plain sight, but there can't be one bend too many," says Moddejongen. "And also every screw must be exactly in place." At the same time, the Scotch & Soda building must be certified to high standards for timely occupancy at the end of May. "That will only succeed if the various subcontractors work together as a construction team under strong coordination," the three conclude.