PROJECTS
Warehouse
of durable steel
Making a strong appearance in the industrial sector, the
Pepkor Warehouse is a sterling steel example.
By Candace Sofianos King
The mixed-use 82 000m² Pepkor Warehouse makes use of steel in an innovative way.
T
he recently completed Pepkor
Warehouse in Hammarsdale,
KwaZulu-Natal presents a solid case
for steel. Featuring the innovative usage of
steel on many levels, the warehouse is
roofed and clad with a high tech, premium
grade of coated steel that provides not only
long life in service but also an attractive
and energy efficient finish.
Serving as a distribution centre for the
Pepkor Group, the warehouse offers an
82 000m² mixed-use area consisting of
covered warehouse space; office space of
3 000m² and 1 800m² respectively for
companies Ackermans and Speciality SA;
and an additional four 500m² office nodes.
18
SEPTEMBER 2018
CLADDING // CONCRETE // INSULATION // STEEL // THATCH // TIMBER // TRANSLUCENT // WATERPROOFING // COMPONENTS
A closer look
“The brief called for about 17.35m clear
height to the underside of the eaves. The
materials of construction used consist of
reinforced concrete and structural steel –
to the structural engineer’s design with
appropriate corrosion protection where
necessary,” explains GD Joubert, senior
associate at EDS Engineering Services.
Joubert continues, “It was envisaged
from the outset that the warehouse would
be constructed largely of structural steel.
The main support columns of the
warehouse are concrete reaching up to
12.6m and 17m from FFL. The remainder of
the structure was constructed from
structural steel which was strengthened
locally to allow for the installation of solar
panels to a roof area of about 15 000m².
“The structural system used for the
building was based on a girder truss system
carrying lateral trusses that makes up the
main elements of the roof. Various steel
profiles were used for the building,
including the structural, roofing and
cladding elements.”
According to Arno Hanekom, regional
manager of BlueScope Southern Africa, a
critical element of the roof design is the
selection of steels. “The metallic coating
used on our ZINCALUME steel in coating
mass AZ150 comprises 55% aluminium,