Heavy Cargo Storage Halls, Berlin westport

Client: BEHALA Berliner Hafen- und Lagerhausgesellschaft mbH, Berlin Project volume: appr. 2,000 m² ground floor area appr. 33,000 m³ cubical content with integrated office and social facilities Services: design, tender documents, contracting assistance, site control und project management Period: 2006

Restrictions in transporting heavy and oversized goods on public roads lead transport flows to use waterways. Handling and storage of these goods require adequate harbour facilities with capable gantries und heavy duty pavement of traffic and storage areas. BEHALA Berliner Hafen- und Lagerhausgesellschaft mbH is about to strengthen its facilities in Berlin Westport for future heavy cargo handling. Works comply the implementation of 2 heavy cargo storage halls with upgrading the quay apron at basin II.

Special features of the project are prevailing peat layers at the site, the rather high load impact of 10 t/m² and respecting existing infrastructural facilities as well as ancient monuments.

The halls are founded on 240 precast concrete piles. Both halls are made of steel frame works with insulating facade panelling and partly lucid upper sections. Roofs are flat and consist of insulated panels as well. The applied thermal insulation of the halls together with an installed heating capacity of 450 kW guarantee internal temperatures of at least 18? C.
The dimensions of the larger hall are 55 by 26 m with a free height of about 20 m. Access to the hall is given by 5 sliding doors 7 x 7.8 m. The outfit of this hall includes an overhead crane with 2 x 100 t resp. 2 x 5 t hoisting capacities. A 2-storey building made of lime-sand bricks and housing office and social facilities is being integrated in the hall.

The other hall is smaller: dimensions 34 by 17 m with clear height of 9 m and 5 sliding doors 7 x 7 m.

The implementation of the halls was given to a general contractor. The halls were put into operation after a construction time period of 5 months only.