Project · industrial construction · Hasselt
For Zuidzicht in Hasselt, Glansbeton contributed to an extensive concrete floor for the temporary joint venture Cordeel–BWK. The execution combined concrete delivery, processing and power-trowelling in a deep construction pit. A future resident followed the works and documented the site with photos.
A large concrete pour for a residential project
According to our project description, the first phase included a floor area of approximately 2.000 m² and a slab thickness of 60 cm. This corresponds to about 1.200 m³ of concrete in one pouring day. These figures show the scale of this specific execution: it concerns a heavy structural slab, not the usual thickness of a visible residential floor.
During such a pouring phase, the team must be able to work continuously. The supply of concrete and its distribution on the floor must match the capacity of the people and machines in the construction pit. An interruption at the wrong moment affects the further work rhythm. The site photos show how large the distance between delivery, pumps and the actual floor surface can be.
Polishing in a construction pit requires organisation.
The future residents looked down from above at a construction site two floors below them. For the execution, such an environment means that access, lighting and the movement of materials must be arranged in advance. Working around walls, reinforcement and other structural elements also requires a different approach than a completely free floor in a hall.
The polishing follows the behaviour of the fresh concrete. The concrete team cannot arbitrarily postpone the finishing to a later time: as soon as the surface has sufficient load-bearing capacity, the next operation must be carried out at the right moment. That is why the execution in this project continued from day into evening and night.
We tell more about that preparation in our explanation on preparing a site for concrete works. The exact scheduling always remains dependent on the project and the circumstances during execution.
Zuidzicht through the eyes of a future resident
Marie-Claire, who would later live in Zuidzicht, regularly visited the site. After months of earthworks and preparation, she saw during one of those visits how the concrete was poured. That same evening she returned with her camera to follow the finishing.
In her report, she described how Davy handed her his work shoes and guided her when she was allowed to take a look downstairs. For her, it was a special moment: she stood for the first time on the concrete of the place where her future apartment would be. Her photos therefore not only show machines and concrete, but also the involvement of a future resident.
From construction pit to future living space
Marie-Claire especially remembered the reception by the team and the visit during the evening work. Afterwards, the team shared melon with the visitors: a small human detail at a large concrete pour.
Zuidzicht on the Blue Boulevard
Zuidzicht is part of the development at the Blauwe Boulevard in Hasselt. Glansbeton carried out concrete works here for THV Cordeel–BWK. Previously, our team also worked for Kumpen at De Kaai, also in the Hasselt canal basin.
For a new project, we review the plans, accessibility, structural requirements and desired finish together. The scale of Zuidzicht illustrates our experience with large concrete works; the correct execution for your building follows from the concrete design. More about the finishing can be found at polished concrete floors.
Zuidzicht in pictures: power-trowelling on the site at 2014
The Facebook page Zuidzicht grew out of the enthusiasm of future resident and amateur photographer Marie-Claire. Davy created the page after seeing her site photos. Her images show the people and machines behind the concrete work.
These three photos come from the public album Polishing!, published on 12 February 2014. You see the team between the stay reinforcement and the double power-trowelling machines on the floor slab. The photos complement the earlier project report from 2012.
Photo source: Facebook page Zuidzicht, album Polishing!. View the complete album with seven photos.
First De Kaai, then Zuidzicht
Glansbeton already worked in 2006 on The Kaai on the Blauwe Boulevard, for Kumpen. The original site text announces a subsequent floor slab for 1 December 2006. The report on our concrete works for Cordeel–BWK at Zuidzicht was published on 19 November 2012. The Facebook photos from 2014 show a later moment in the construction history of Zuidzicht.
Concrete floor for Zuidzicht in Hasselt: execution for Cordeel–BWK