Total contractor ERNEplus: New SwissShrimp building
June 12, 2018
High technical requirements for the building fabric of the new building
Hall temperatures of 30°C, high salt water content and a relative humidity of 65% place high demands on the building construction. The ERNEplus project team already consulted with the ERNE construction managers during the planning phase of the total contractor project in order to achieve optimum work preparation. In addition, a special concrete mix with the "seawater" exposure class was produced in collaboration with K+B Münchwilen.
The first Swiss shrimp farm
SwissShrimp AG realized the first sustainable shrimp farm in Switzerland in Rheinfelden. Ecological production in Switzerland without the use of antibiotics or similar was the central idea of SwissShrimp right from the start. This was achieved through a site partnership with Schweizer Salinen AG. The electricity for the rearing farm was obtained from renewable energy sources such as Swiss hydropower and the company's own photovoltaic system. A cross-flow heat exchanger on the roof recovers over 95% of the exhaust air heat. In addition, the waste water was purified using specific water treatment modules and reused in a closed-loop system so that very little waste water is produced. The shrimps were grown in large tanks in a closed saltwater cycle and could then be harvested fresh.
Temperature 30°, humidity 65 % with high salt content
ERNEplus was commissioned to plan and execute the construction project as part of a total contractor contract. The demands placed on the structure of the shrimp farm presented all those involved with a number of challenges. The animals were kept in two halls in sixteen tanks, each with 100m3 of salt water. The temperature in the halls was 30 °C with a relative humidity of 65 % so that the shrimps could thrive optimally. These exceptional conditions with heat, humidity and salt water had to be taken into account during planning and implementation. In winter, for example, when the outside temperature was -10 °C, the difference to the indoor temperature was as much as 40 °C. In addition, the salt water and heat meant that there was also a high salt content in the air. Food regulations also had to be taken into account for the production of shrimps.
Decision in favor of a concrete construction with a building envelope
In order to determine a suitable construction method, Kilian Glauser, who was responsible for the project as senior project manager, put together a team of specialist planners and began the initial clarifications in August 2016. In addition to building physicist Anita Knop from Ehrsam & Partner AG, specialists for heating, ventilation, air conditioning, plumbing and electrical planning as well as an architect were consulted. In addition, the ERNE construction managers, who would later supervise the construction work on the building shell, were already involved in the planning. The ERNEplus team with Kilian Glauser and project manager Kevin Klamp visited a shrimp farm in Munich beforehand in order to get a precise picture of the conditions that would later prevail. Together with the specialists, the team examined which construction system would be suitable for the requirements. A wooden construction did not prove to be ideal. Due to the salt content in the air and the temperature as well as the daily production requirements, the decision was made in favor of a concrete construction with a building envelope, i.e. the roof and façade were constructed by a hall builder.
Special concrete mix from K + B Münchwilen AG
Once the decision had been made to build a concrete structure, a suitable concrete mix had to be produced. The exposure class "seawater", to which the salt water tanks of the shrimp farm are assigned, is not used in Switzerland for obvious reasons. In collaboration with Kies + Beton Münchwilen, a suitable concrete formula was developed and the necessary approvals for use were obtained. For the implementation of the building envelope, the ERNEplus team was able to recruit a specialized hall builder from Germany, who had already been involved in the halls of the shrimp farm in Munich.
Beams and lintels concreted in one working day
The construction work had to be completed quickly so that the building could be handed over to the operators of the shrimp farm on time. Kevin Klamp from ERNEplus took over the site management for the execution of the project. The ERNE construction managers Klaus Fricker and Kevin Hammann had already been involved in the planning and were already familiar with the necessary details, which offered great advantages for the implementation. For example, beams and lintels for the hall girders had to be concreted in a single operation and completed within one day. Specially manufactured wall formwork was used to achieve this ambitious goal. In addition, sophisticated work preparation was required so that formwork could be moved quickly, reinforcement could be moved quickly by crane and the processes on the construction site could be optimized. Thanks to the targeted timing of the work and the rapid processes, the façade work could be started around four weeks earlier than originally planned. This was only possible thanks to the excellent cooperation of everyone involved.
Lean management enabled optimal process flows during the construction phase
In January 2017, the shell construction work was completed, the handover to the client had already taken place and the plant construction company began work on completing the hall. During the remaining construction phase, the hall with an area of around 2,000m2 had to be sealed dust-free and - in the middle of winter - heated to 25 °C so that the tanks could be prepared for shrimp farming. With the help of two construction heaters and remote control, it was possible to ensure that the temperature remained constant and that the heating did not fail. The building services were then installed within just four weeks: ventilation ducts, cable routes and electrical and heating lines were laid, and water pipes and installations were installed. All the specialists worked together under the guidance of ERNEplus using the "Last Planner System", which originates from lean management and enables optimized process flows.
Those involved from ERNE AG Bauunternehmung and ERNEplus GU/TU are delighted that they were able to realize an extremely exciting and challenging construction project for SwissShrimp.
