Africarium-Oceanarium in the Wroclaw-based

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The construction of the Wroclaw-based Africarium-Oceanarium started in spring 2012. The new structure will comprise a large pavilion having the length of 160 m and width of more than 50 m, with its main building reaching the height of approx. 15 m. The investment will be worth around PLN 350 million. Inter-System S.A. from Wroclaw became the general contractor, while ULMA Construccion Polska SA was the main supplier of formworks and scaffoldings.

The new structure will be divided into thematic sections. Animals from

different regions of Africa will be on separate exhibitions. The largest attraction of the Oceanarium will be constituted by an acrylic glass tunnel where everyone will be able to “watch furtively” the oceanic world. One of the largest predators – a shark will live in the aquarium. Apart from the shark, the Oceanarium will become home for fish from African lakes and animals living in the Nile basin.

The Africarium building was seated on a single-level reinforced concrete slab having the average thickness of 120 cm, which was built with the use of ORMA modular formwork. This system was also used to erect straight reinforced concrete walls, both with pilasters and without them, as well as a conference room of reinforced concrete structure – worth particular attention – which is composed of external inclined walls made with the application of architectural concrete technology.

All pools and technical basins of the Africarium, including outdoor pools,

were formed in curvilinear geometry as independent structures based on the so-called “white tub” technology. Each pool is an independent load-bearing structure. Basins were made with the use of ORMA and BIRA formworks. BIRA formwork was also applied to erect the remaining circular walls of the building.

Special attention should be paid to external curvilinear wall in the A axis, having the height of 15 m, which was constructed with the use of ORMA

formwork supported on BMK climbing brackets. The brackets spacing was 1.2 m.

The pillars constituting props for roof

girders, shifting very large horizontal forces, were made with the application of ORMA universal panels, which prevented from collision of ties with reinforcement. During the works on pillars, also BRIO scaffoldings and stairways were used.

The formwork of floor slabs and binders was executed in the ENKOFLEX slab formwork system on EP steel and ALUPROP aluminium props. Locally T-60 shoring system towers were also used.

In the north-eastern part of the building there is an arcade in the form of

reinforced concrete body mounted on reinforced concrete pillars. At the stage of execution of this part of the Africarium building it was necessary to support the arcade for the entire construction time, which was made with the use of ALUPROP props as well as ALUPROP and T60 towers. The curvilinear wall was supported owing to the MK shoring system and ALUPROP towers. This solution is also used as a prop for subsequent concreting stages. The formwork of the curvilinear wall of the arcade was an individual solution having the length of 8 linear metres, based on the ORMA system.

The completion of works and opening of the building is to take place before 2016, when Wroclaw will be the European Capital of Culture. This Africarium-Oceanarium will be the first structure of this kind in Poland and the largest in Europe.

ULMA Construccion Polska

July 2013