Protea Glen Secondary School 2
MITEK INDUSTRIES SA LIGHT STEEL FRAMED BUILDING CATEGORY
The Gauteng Department of Education gave out 9
Alternative Building Technology (ABT) Schools in 2018,
with the aim to adjudicate the various building systems.
Abacus Space Solutions was awarded one school,
Protea Glen Secondary School No. 2, following their
submission of a SANS 517:2013 based school. Local
Studio Architects, who have a number of LSF projects to
their name, were appointed as the architects.
The architect worked according to the GDE’s structure
and space requirements, with the brief to create flow
and harmonious structures conducive to learning. The
advantages of LSF capitalised on for this project were:
• Speed – the project started in August 2018, with the
structures (3,421m 2 ) being completed by the 15th
December. This was the first of the 9 schools to achieve
works completion.
• Acoustics – this is particularly important in a school and
the superior acoustic properties of the walls stop sound
transmission between classrooms.
• Temperature – the rooms are temperate and noticeably
cool in hot ambient temperatures.
• The flexibility of design – Local Studio was able to
capitalise on the flexibility of the building system to
create lofted ceilings and acentric roof lines to create
unique aesthetic structures.
Structural Framing
The structure is a Framemaster 90mm by 38mm
cold rolled section in 0.8mm galvanised steel. The
roof structures are Structural Insulating Panels with
Chromadek® finish. Walkways are mild steel C, and
rectangular hollow sections.
The LSF system is in line with the requirements of
SANS 517:2013. The inner skin is 15mm Gypsum, with a
110mm cavity batt, Tyvec, building wrap, 21mm shutterply
runners and 12mm fibreboard external sheeting. The
joints are treated with a two-part epoxy, with expansion
joints where detailed. The external paint is Weatherguard
82
PVA. As there are a number of repeated building elements,
or minor variations, there is a huge advantage in using LSF,
as the rollformer needed to merely manufacturer multiple
of the same buildings, thus saving on detailing time.
The large span capacity of the 125mm SIP panels, in
conjunction with LSF beams, allows for elevated internal
spaces that create open light classrooms.
The inclined wing walls on the buildings would not
have been as easily achieved with conventional building
methods. The design choice of the inclined Chromadek®
clad Structural Insulating Panel roofs provided unique
architectural features.
The experience of the Architect and LSF Contractor in
using LSF, allowed for accurate design and detailing work
to be done relatively easily.
Client: GDE
Architect: Local Studio
Quantity Surveyor: Diva Sync
Structural Engineer: The Structural Workshop
Engineer: Luleka Consulting Engineers
Project Manager: Pro-Plan Consulting Engineers
Main Contractor: Abacus Space Solutions
Steelwork Contractor: Emkay
Steel Erector and Cladding Contractor: SMCAfrica
Cladding Manufacturer: Marley
Steel Awards