Presented with a structural challenge on the construction of the King Edward School Aquatic Centre in Johannesburg, Webber Civil & Structural Engineers chose to embrace innovation and make use of modern connection technology from Peikko. The recently completed project made use of Peikko’s COPRA® Anchoring Couplers for a strong and reliable connection between concrete columns and steel roof beams.
“Considering the size of the Aquatic Centre, which features various pools as well as changing facilities, the large-span roof needs to be strong and stable without using much of the floor space underneath,” explains Peikko South Africa MD, Daniel Petrov. “Our COPRA® couplers transfer tensile, compression, and shear forces through the connection during erection and in the final stage. They require no welding, which means a safer installation process with no labour working with welders at dangerous heights.”
Kevin Webber of Webber Civil & Structural Engineers adds: “The junction between the reinforced concrete elements and the structural steel rafters is not only critical in terms of structure but is exposed. We needed a solution which was robust, but also attractive and elegant. We struggled to find the right solution but, in the end, Peikko’s COPRA® Anchoring Couplers were the obvious choice.”
The structural innovation of the project has been noticed by the wider industry and was nominated for a Concrete Society of Southern Africa (CSSA) Fulton Award. The prestigious biennial awards recognise and reward excellence and innovation in the design and use of concrete. Unfortunately, the 2021 instalment has since been postponed, but Petrov says this has not diminished his pride over the first use of COPRA® technology in South Africa.
“Our solutions are being used increasingly in the country, and we look forward to seeing this develop in the coming months,” concludes Petrov.
About Peikko Group:
Peikko Group Corporation is a leading global supplier of slim floor structures, wind energy applications and connection technology for precast and cast-in-situ. Peikko’s innovative solutions offer a faster, safer, and more efficient way to design and build. Peikko has sales offices in over 30 countries in Asia-Pacific, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and North America, with manufacturing operations in eleven countries. Peikko generated a turnover of EUR 230 million in 2019. Peikko is a family-owned and managed company that employs over 1,800 professionals. Peikko was founded in 1965 and is headquartered in Lahti, Finland. Further information: www.peikko.com
Contact:
Daniel Petrov, Managing Director
Tel. +27 83 608 5534