In the middle of the desert in Sharjah, UAE, German formwork specialist Peri is lending its support for the construction of a futuristic building designed by the late Zaha Hadid, who used sand dunes as an inspiration for the landmark.

Peri is providing an individually designed planning solution, project-specific formwork elements in addition to comprehensive support through its local team of experts.

After completion, around 7,000 sq m of usable space will serve as the headquarters of the award-winning Bee’ah company, which has made a name for itself in the environmental and waste management sector. The complex uses state-of-the-art technology in all aspects. In addition to the exceptional spatial perception, the architecture impresses with its reduced energy and resource consumption.

The shape of the structure mimics dunes crossing each other. The dome above the entrance hall is 23 m long and 17 m wide, and plays a central role in the design concept of the project. While giving a feeling of spaciousness, the design also promotes energy conservation. The building’s entrance hall has been designed in a way that it receives an optimum supply of natural daylight. Meanwhile, the area of glass surface subjected to direct exposure to the desert sun is reduced. As a result, the shape of the building provides optimum protection against the shamal winds that occur several times a year.

Through the use of proven formwork and scaffolding systems, the Peri team created a very efficient solution for constructing this huge vaulted section, according to a Peri spokesman.

He explains: “As shoring for the slab formwork, the modular Peri Up Flex scaffolding system provides a cost-effective solution. The continuous 25 cm or 50 cm system grid as well as the possibility of combining with SRU steel walers taken from the Variokit Engineering Construction Kit, allows the load-bearing construction to be optimally adapted to different geometries and loads. In the centre of the dome, the steadily increasing height of the shoring reaches its maximum level of 15.3 m.”

The entire dome is realised in four formwork sections. The demands placed on the architectural concrete quality are very high and the tolerance in terms of joint pattern, anchor points and screw heads remained extremely low, he adds.

“Peri engineers, therefore, precisely adapted the formwork solution to accommodate these planning specifications. Both the positioning of the anchors as well as the formation of the formwork joints were defined in great detail.

“For the load-bearing substructure of the individual segments, primarily Vario GT 24 system components, SLS heavy-duty Spindles and SRU steel walers are used. The high-quality plywood formers and panels were achieved using a customised production process in each case and correspondingly adapted to match the arched slab dimensions. In addition, the tailor-made formwork solution takes into account all required recesses.

“Thanks to the well-coordinated cooperation between the entire planning and assembly teams along with the jobsite crew, an excellent architectural concrete result has been achieved in the course of the execution of the work that fully complies with the strict architectural requirements,” says the Peri spokesman.

He says during construction, the focus has been on the very latest technological and safety options.

“The Peri Up Scaffolding System has been used to create safe working platforms in various areas. The metric system grid and the possibility to change the direction of the decking allows the modular scaffold to be easily adapted to suit all local conditions and geometries. In addition, the self-locking ledger connections on the rosettes and the integrated protection to prevent the decks from lifting allow the Peri Up Flex to be mounted extremely quickly.

“The modular scaffolding also offers a high level of safety during use as the end-to-end guardrails, yellow toe boards and non-slip decking ensure a high degree of workplace safety,” he elaborates.

In addition to the planning and engineering services, Peri is also providing the Bee’ah headquarters project with a comprehensive range of other services. This includes a Peri supervisor to support the jobsite team to ensure its system equipment is used efficiently and safely right from the start.

Moreover, a Peri project manager ensures the optimised coordination of the formwork and scaffolding planning as well as the management of timely material supply.

“In this way, the quantity of materials can be continuously adjusted in order to match the actual construction progress. This individual on-site project management not only guarantees complete transparency and planning reliability but also increases the cost-effectiveness,” concludes the spokesman.