PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Fornale Engineering was responsible for the structural and construction design of the timber frame and CLT structures for the new headquarters of the Elkartea cooperative in Laudio, Spain.
The building covers approximately 330 m² per floor over two levels and is located within an industrial complex.
The ground floor is organized around a central area that serves as a meeting place and, when needed, as a performance venue.
From the central area, access is provided to the commissary, kitchen, archives, restrooms, and the stage with its platform.
The upper floor houses the classrooms and meeting rooms as well as service areas.
VERTICAL STRUCTURES
The vertical load-bearing structures are constructed with platform-frame timber walls with a single structural panel.
On the ground floor, CLT timber walls are used in the stage area and the common area. These walls are of exposed quality.
All walls on the upper floor are frame construction.
The frame walls, in addition to the structural panel and type F plasterboard panels to ensure fire resistance, are clad with exposed-quality timber panels.
The ground floor walls are clad with exposed-quality fir panels, while the upper floor walls, including the pitched surfaces, are clad with exposed birch panels.
TIMBER FLOOR
The intermediate floor is constructed with 80×200 mm C24 glulam beams with closing panels on the soffit and top surface.
In the central area, corresponding to the plaza below, we designed a floor with 160×280 mm glulam beams with an 80 mm thick CLT panel on top.
This choice was made to ensure R60 fire resistance without the need for additional protection.
The roof floors are constructed with glulam beams of various sections with cladding on the soffit and top surface.
BIM – FEM – CAD/CAM DESIGN
In this project, we fully implemented integrated design and our working methodology.
Working remotely with Spanish colleagues allowed us to optimize the project and information exchange phases.
We started from 3D files prepared by the architects, which we then developed in BIM.
The FEM modeling is based on the BIM models, progressively updated until transitioning to CAD/CAM modeling and DFmA once the architectural design was completed.
DFmA to shop drawings-lists
Thanks to the CAD/CAM model, we were able to extract all the information and various lists required for structure installation.
We prepared the DFmA model for both the timber frame wall structures and all cladding panels.
Given the complex and articulated geometry, this enabled the building to be constructed with great accuracy, particularly considering that exposed birch wood panels were used on all visible walls.
PROFESSIONAL ASSIGNMENT
Fornale Engineering was commissioned to:
- detailed structural FEM design and related structural details;
- DFmA construction design with production of .bvn files;
- fire safety design for R60 structures;
- assembly plan;
- preparation of cutting lists for glulam beams, hardware, insulation, and exposed fir/birch cladding panels.
