Munich’s Arnulfpark project: a major job for Hünnebeck formwork systems

Wall shuttering on an XXL scale

Manto wall formwork elements are big and effective. 54 of them have contributed to rapid progress on a Munich construction site. Almost 13 m² in size each, these elements are ideal particularly for the construction of large walls. But that's not all. In our example, they were also used for the efficient construction of perfectly aligned façade columns. Thanks to the oversized panels, it was possible to concrete them together with the joists in a single pour.

In the heart of Munich, very close to the main station and on the site of a former container rail terminal, a new quarter has been emerging since 2004. Its name: Arnulfpark, and it consists of residential and office buildings, cultural amenities, shops, green areas, etc. The urban developers are counting on 1,000 homes and over 4,000 jobs to be gradually created on about 18 hectares of gross building terrain. General contractor Bilfinger Berger has, in fact, just completed on a ground area of 7,700 m² the fabric of a triple-section building complex with a gross storey area of 45,000 m².

The new multifunctional office and administration building has a length of over 230 m, its three sections a width of between 20 and 40 m. These latter consist of a 14-storey high-rise and two buildings each seven storeys tall, connected by atriums and arranged in a row. Each has two basements with quite dissimilar plans for accommodating underground garages and rooms for the heating, plumbing systems, etc. The ground-floor plans also differ and allow maximum variability in use. The upper floor plans then repeat themselves. The ceilings, the stiffening stairway and elevator shafts are cast in-situ; the perforated facade consists of prefabricated elements.

This is certainly a complex construction project, if only on account of its size. Vast quantities of formwork had to be moved inside a very short time: 45,000 m² slab and 34,000 m² wall surfaces were shuttered in the period October 2008 to July 2009. The exclusive formwork provider was Hünnebeck's Munich branch which also worked out all the shuttering and concreting plans. In use were around 7,500 m² of Topflex timber beam formwork besides Hünnebeck's quick-lowering tubular steel props for shuttering the slabs, 2,500 m² Manto large-frame panels for the walls and shafts, 350 m² Rondo circular formwork, 500 running meters of bracket scaffolding and around 1,000 aligning struts for supporting the prefabricated columns.

Major assignment for large-frame formwork

The Manto system, in particular, proved to be the accelerating force of the project. In use were virtually all panel sizes from the lineup of this formwork classic and, especially, the oversized Manto panels that in the initial phase of the construction process helped to speed up the work. On the Munich construction site were altogether 54 of the 2.70 x 4.80 m XXL panels for the differing heights of the basement and ground storeys, in some cases vertically positioned (horizontal tie profile) and in others horizontal (vertical tie profile). This setup allowed a maximum wall height of 4.80 m without any upward extensions.

This was an advantage skillfully applied in constructing the in-situ cast facade columns on ground floors. The original plan had been to use conventional formwork for constructing the 62.5 x 25 cm columns. But having appreciated the virtues of the large Manto elements in the basements, the contractors changed their minds and boxed out the 4.80 m tall Manto elements to allow space for the columns. In this way, it proved possible for the required storey height of 4.20 m, to concrete the columns including the joints in one pour. The outcome: neatly aligned columns and a smooth transition between columns and joists.

Site management is thoroughly impressed by Manto's performance. "Thanks to the oversized panels we were able to shutter at a much faster rate; we also needed fewer connectors and tie points." These are in fact the key advantages of the large Manto elements. Where necessary, the XXL parts can readily be combined with all the other panels and accessories of the Manto range. The sole difference is the size and the especially strengthened anchor profiles. In all other aspects, there is 100-percent compatibility.

The connection between the Manto panels, including these large ones, is formed by the proven Manto aligning clamp that creates flush, tension- and vibration-resistant joints in one go. Connected in this manner, up to 40 m² of Manto panels can be repositioned in one lift of the crane. Even on such giant these panels, no back-up walers are required for alignment purposes.

Ingenious: the Manto shaft corner

Large Manto formwork was also used on the Munich site for shuttering the staircase cores and elevator shafts. There were altogether seven different shaft cross-sections. A great advantage in this respect was the innovative Manto shaft corner that facilitates easy stripping even under tight conditions. The shaft corner is manipulated from the top with an easily accessible set-screw. To turn and position this as required, no special tools are needed, simply the Manto aligning clamp or an anchor rod. When stripping, the 30 cm sides of the corner are simply shortened by about three cm, a process that completely frees the formwork from the surrounding concrete walls. This provides sufficient clearance between concrete and formwork so that the interior shaft formwork can be conveniently lifted out by crane, even from tight shafts.

These are product advantages enabling Hünnebeck shuttering systems to score heavily on the construction site. "Of course, the price has to be right," says site management. However, what counts at the end of the day is the overall package: timely on-site delivery of the materials, the quality of the formwork, the efficiency of the proposed shuttering solutions and any accompanying support services such as on-site assistance and shuttering plans.

Download: PM Arnulfpark e.rtf

Christian Henkel
Marketing/PR Hünnebeck GmbH
chenkel@harsco.com

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