Peikko’s DELTABEAM® has enabled the creation of minimal-column floorplans in two prestigious new office buildings in Blanchardstown Corporate Park, North West Dublin.
The six-story, 7,912 m² “1 Stemple Exchange” is complete and now leased by U.S. company Guidewire Software, and the identical “2 Stemple Exchange” is under construction. In this project, Peikko designed and supplied DELTABEAM® for the client O’Reilly Precast, working for the main contractor Bretland Construction.
The architecturally impressive, mirrored buildings were designed by TOT Architects, and have a high profile on the N2/N3 link road, which divides the 40-hectare corporate park.
Stemple Exchange’s structural design uses precast square and circular columns, with the DELTABEAM® composite beams supporting prefabricated, prestressed, and relatively lightweight hollow-core slabs. Having DELTABEAM® spans as long as 12 meters reduced the number of columns required by four per floor.
Both buildings have U.S. Green Building Council LEED Gold certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). Their features include central cores that help to maximize natural light in the office areas, clean uninterrupted floor plates, spacious 2.8 m floor-to-ceiling height, 15 cm raised access floors with power, double-glazed curtain walling, high-speed lifts, and a total of 500 car parking spaces.
Flexible, open floorspaces
Liam Murphy, Regional Director at structural engineer Doherty Finegan Kelly, says: “On this project speed of construction was essential, which is why we chose DELTABEAM® over the originally designed flat slab solution. We minimized onsite wet trades using precast floor slabs with DELTABEAM®, which in turn minimized crane lifts, provided working platforms, and eliminated the need for back propping between floors. DELTABEAM® also gave us large, extremely efficient floor plates and removed the requirement for some internal columns, greatly increasing flexibility in our tenants’ open-plan offices.”
“We found Peikko to be thoroughly professional and have been particularly impressed by the level of detail in the working drawings produced, which has helped ensure the quality of the finished building.”
According to Mike Scott, Peikko Sales Manager DELTABEAM®, potential clients are always impressed with DELTABEAM® product’s fast, straightforward installation and many features, capabilities and benefits including long spans and integrated fireproofing. Mike Scott says: “Stemple Exchange is Peikko’s largest project in Ireland to date, we’re getting very positive feedback and it’s opening the door to further projects.”
Seán Murphy, Development Manager at Blanchardstown Corporate Park developer Channor, says: “Peikko DELTABEAM® has enabled us to achieve a flat slab soffit (critical for ceiling void services) while using the speed and efficiency of precast concrete construction. The superior spans achievable with DELTABEAM® have eliminated mid-point internal columns, thereby giving our tenants maximum flexibility with internal fit-out design.”
Peikko expands in Ireland
In Ireland Peikko has been supplying the precast and cast in-situ for several years. In 2018 DELTABEAM® was used in the Four Ferns Nursing Home project, working for O’Reilly Concrete and main contractor Purcell Construction.
“Everyone’s very happy with Stemple Exchange,” says David Pike, Managing Director for Peikko Ireland. “We’re now speaking with more structural engineers to get DELTABEAM® specified, and we’re speaking with the precast manufacturers and installers, and through them the main contractors and clients. We highlight major benefits such as efficient offsite construction, faster installation using fewer personnel, greater program certainty, reduced need for concrete, and fewer site vehicle movements.”