22 Jun A first for Africa: Peikko SA’s COPRA technology used in an award-nominated aquatic centre
June 2022: Peikko South Africa is excited to be associated with Webber Civil & Structural Engineers (WCSE) for the King Edward VII School Aquatic Centre in Johannesburg, which was nominated and a finalist in the recent Concrete Society of Southern Africa (CSSA) Fulton Awards.
The prestigious awards ceremony, held in mid-June, recognises and rewards excellence and innovation in the design and use of concrete.
Peikko South Africa is a leading global supplier of slim floor structures, wind energy applications and connection technology for precast and cast-in-situ. Peikko’s innovative solutions offer a faster, safer, and more efficient way to design and build.
This is a first for Peikko in Africa, in which its COPRA Anchoring Couplers were used. Presented with a structural challenge on the construction of the King Edward VII School Aquatic Centre in Johannesburg, WCSE chose to embrace innovation and make use of modern connection technology from Peikko.
Peikko South Africa’s MD, Daniel Petrov, explained that the first use of COPRA technology in South Africa and the continent is a milestone, and bears testament to the quality, sustainability and efficiency of Peikko’s products. “Our solutions are being used increasingly in the country, and we look forward to seeing this develop in the coming months”.
He added that considering the size of the Aquatic Centre, which features various pools as well as changing facilities, the large-span roof needed to be strong and stable without using much of the floor space underneath. “Our COPRA couplers transfer tensile, compression, and shear forces through the connection during erection and in the final stage. They require no welding, which means a safer installation process with no labour working with welders at dangerous heights.”
Kevin Webber of WCSE adds: “The junction between the reinforced concrete elements and the structural steel rafters is not only critical in terms of structure but is exposed. We needed a solution which was robust, but also attractive and elegant. We struggled to find the right solution but, in the end, Peikko’s COPRA Anchoring Couplers were the obvious choice.”
Webber added that the use of these COPRA Anchoring Couplers was done in such a way to create significant moment transfer at a concrete and structural steel high moment interface of a long span portal roof. “This is a first in Africa and one that the Peikko South Africa project team can be particularly proud of.”
ENDS
About Peikko Group:
Peikko Group Corporation is a leading global supplier of slim floor structures, wind energy applications and connection technology for precast and cast-in-situ. Peikko’s innovative solutions offer a faster, safer, and more efficient way to design and build. Peikko has sales offices in over 30 countries in Asia-Pacific, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and North America, with manufacturing operations in eleven countries. Peikko generated a turnover of EUR 230 million in 2019. Peikko is a family-owned and managed company that employs over 1,800 professionals. Peikko was founded in 1965 and is headquartered in Lahti, Finland. Further information: www.peikko.com
Contact:
Daniel Petrov, Managing Director
Tel. +27 83 608 5534
Media Contact:
Nikita Blaauw, Account Manager
Tel. +27 81 025 4408
nikita@swmcommunications.co.za