Commercial & Industrial Building by the Volken Group

Constructing commercial buildings is a real challenge. On the one hand, the environment is becoming increasingly complex and global, and on top of that there are demanding conditions in terms of access, space, execution details and very tight deadlines. Safety, planning and execution, logistics and coordination also demand the highest degree of professionalism. Here, the Volken Group has been proving for years that it is a reliable, committed partner for both the local industry and international chemical groups.

The larger the construction site, the harder the requirements

An industrial building requires far more extensive installations than ordinary building construction projects. Where huge building areas are created, only a few cranes can reach every nook and cranny of factory and industrial halls. At the same time, the construction equipment is also more extensive: several excavators are working on the excavation, a large number of elements are used for formwork, and the scaffolds are much higher and longer. Tight space constraints also often prevail, especially in densely built-up cities or industrial zones. Here, much depends on well thought-out logistics and just-in-time delivery of components.

Those who think holistically can also handle complex orders

The more extensive a construction project, the more preparation and planning is involved. On the one hand, we often work with prefabricated elements for industrial orders in order to speed up the construction process. On the other hand, a wide variety of work is carried out in parallel on large construction sites. The project managers, construction managers and foremen of the Volken Group can handle such tasks. Thanks to many years of experience, they know what high demands complex construction works entail. In order to maintain this high level and to constantly improve, our company continuously relies on internal and external training. Our clients also benefit from this bundled knowledge: With the Volken Group, they have a competent and reliable construction partner to work with.

If there is a strong foundation, the whole building sits

Buildings with several floors are extremely heavy and need reinforced foundations. Here, the floor slab is thicker and has several meter-long depressions where the columns are later placed. On unstable subsoils, the floor slab is additionally supported with piles. In this case, the load of the building is transferred to two places: via the friction of the pile with the foundation soil and via the peak pressure of the pile into the soil.

Safety from depth to height

Because industrial buildings have higher ceilings, they also have higher fall edges. To ensure that employees are also completely safe at the top, they must be specially trained to work on ropes and with safety harnesses. Our teams check daily to ensure that occupational safety measures are being observed, even in high-risk situations. In many places, a large number of people are at work on such construction sites, which is why access controls are carried out on site entrances.

Even long stages must run smoothly

Large-scale floor plans need more time to pour their floor slabs and ceilings. For particularly large components, we have already poured several hundred cubic meters of concrete in one piece. Logically, all work steps have to run smoothly here. The ever-larger spans with more weight are also demanding, requiring stronger reinforcements with thicker iron bars.

High rooms need suitable formwork

In industrial buildings, rooms can have a height of up to 8 m, so we set formworks that are over 3.3 m high. They are either expanded on the ground before setting, or we cast the walls in 2 sections. For certain projects we also have customized formwork produced. To ensure that everything is done safely, ladders are strictly prohibited. Instead, temporary scaffolding towers with railings are erected or workers are secured with safety harnesses.

Prefabricated elements are practical, but planning-intensive

Industrial buildings often contain prefabricated elements: The cement plant prefabricates columns, cover plates or facade elements, which are then transported to the construction site and moved or installed. The Volken Group's Gamsen cement plant also produces a wide range of these, while other elements are sourced externally. Ceiling panels and wall elements already contain the openings for vents and sockets as well as cable lines. All this noticeably accelerates the progress of construction of industrial buildings, but it is also a challenge: The molds in which the prefabricated elements are later placed must be manufactured exactly according to plan. This is the only way the components will fit later. In addition to strong cranes, this construction method also requires smooth interaction between the suppliers, transporters and employees on the construction site.

Benefits with the Volken Group

A contact person

Whether it be excavation support, shell construction, or scaffolding, a contact person will be there to assist you.

Modern machinery

We use the newest machines and happily take advantage of high tech.

Proven specialists

Whether it be structural or civil engineering, hydraulic engineering or scaffolding, our specialists are masters of their trade.

Contact persons

Erhard Burgener

Head of Civil Engineering
Member of the Executive Board

+41 79 744 68 16

+41 27 948 05 48

erhard.burgener@volken-group.ch

Stefan Volken

Member of the management

+41 79 658 63 33

+41 27 948 05 05

stefan.volken@volken-group.ch