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Bridge over public road is an eye-catcher in new TVH project

To handle the growing volume of orders and deliveries of parts for off-road machines, TVH is building an additional logistics site on Brabantstraat in Waregem. The eye-catcher is the 75-meter-long, two-story bridge over the street that connects the new building with an existing one.

Between 2016 and 2023, the number of packages shipped daily tripled from 8,000 to 27,000. From Flanders, TVH ships parts to 180 countries. The new site is intended to meet current needs more efficiently while also preparing for further growth.

 

 

Spacious grid and yet slender columns

The site consists of three parts: the logistics building, a high-bay warehouse, and the bridge that connects the new and existing buildings. In the logistics building, there are several work islands where employees inspect received parts, repair them if necessary, and assemble packages for shipment. The building has a footprint of 140 x 104 meters and comprises four above-ground floors.

One initial challenge was the required floor load of 1 ton per square meter, in combination with the grid for the columns. We worked out several variants for the grid, even up to 16 meters. In consultation with the client and the construction team, we opted for 14.8 by 12.8 meters. This allowed us to avoid the need for very thick floor slabs of 50 cm. This has an economic advantage: the cost of 50 cm slabs is not proportional to that of 40 cm slabs, and there are few manufacturers able to supply them, which could influence pricing.

To build the grid, beams based on the cantilever principle were chosen. This way, the beams could be made less deep, allowing the client to combine four floors with generous interior heights, while keeping the total building height under 25 meters.

 

 

VCC piles and truss structure

For the foundation of the logistics building, a technique was applied that is common for, among other things, bridge abutments, but has only been used a few times in industrial construction in Belgium: vibro concrete columns, or VCC piles. A total of 1,066 times, a steel tube was driven 12 meters deep into the ground and then filled with dry concrete. Under each column – which must bear 15,000 kiloNewtons – 12 VCC piles were grouped. Because dry concrete remains workable longer than cast-in-place concrete and can simply be stored on site, and because no reinforcement is needed, VCC piles turned out to be the most cost-effective solution for this project.

Another important structural solution is the large steel truss in the façade above the truck loading and unloading zone near the waste containers. To allow smooth manoeuvring, a 30-meter façade span without columns was provided. Resting on it are three floor levels with a load of 1 ton/m² and the concrete panels that clad the exterior façade.

 

 

Self-stable high-bay warehouse

Adjacent to the logistics building, but structurally completely separate, a 30-meter-high fully automated warehouse with a footprint of 75 x 55 meters is being built. TVH chose to make the building self-stable, meaning its stability does not depend on the racking system inside. Given the great height, wind loads can become very significant.

To maximize interior space, we reduced the standard columns from 80 x 120 cm to dimensions of 80 x 65 cm, with a height of 30 meters. This refinement to the essentials is crucial in Evolv’s approach. Complementary to the slender columns, we provided various wind bracings in the façades and roof to ensure the structure is fully stable.

An additional challenge was that the racking system would later be installed from above into the building, requiring several large openings in the roof structure.

 

 

Bridge over Brabantstraat

The eye-catcher is the bridge that connects the existing and new buildings and has two levels: at the bottom, a steel deck with a concrete floor is provided for pallet conveyors; above it is a wooden floor over which trays with packages will move. The first challenge was that the floor heights of the two buildings were not the same. Therefore, a concrete lift structure had to be built at the connection to the existing building. This is placed against the façade but has eccentric foundations, since foundations of the existing building were already present at that location. The second was ensuring that the conveyors connect to the lift in a straight line, even though the two buildings are not aligned. As a result, the bridge consists of two sections, 45 and 30 meters long respectively, with an angle in between. The walls have a glass finishing.

At 12 meters high, this bridge is also a potential wind catcher. While the vertical load is carried by the slender central pier, the wind load is absorbed on one side by the new lift core at the existing building and on the other side by the new building. Since the steel contractor only came into play after the new building was erected, we took responsibility for the design and coordination of the concrete consoles, embedded parts, and anchor plates to secure the bridge. We also had to take into account that, during installation, the bridge had to be slid over the newly built lift shaft.

 

 

Finally, we also looked far ahead. To allow for deformation of the bridge, it rests on sliding bearings. These have a guaranteed lifespan of 50 years. To make them easy to replace later, we designed the bridge so it can be jacked up, after which new bearing elements can be installed.

 

Outdoor space

Excavation work began in January 2024. By the end of 2025, TVH aims to have the new buildings fully operational. For Evolv, this is a comprehensive project, also including the design of all exterior paving and the bicycle and pedestrian path adjacent to the buildings.

 

Construction Partners: