[Translate to Englisch:] IBRB University of Warwick

Coventry (GB)

University of Warwick IBRB

The Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Building at the University of Warwick is a state-of-the-art research centre. The building is a GLT skeleton construction and demonstrates WIEHAG’s engineering skills.

Each of the five floors is dedicated to a different subject: neurosciences, microbiology and infection, cell biology and disease models. The floors are linked by 13-metre long GLT and CLT staircases.

Task

A research centre for the future

On the Gibbet Hill campus at the University of Warwick, the task was to construct a building for 300 scientists conducting research into neuroscience and microbiology. Their work will deepen our understanding of how a variety of medical conditions, from cancer to brittle bones and heart disease, evolve. The construction provides an area of 7,000 m² over 5 floors. It houses a lecture theatre with over 400 seats, numerous laboratories as well as social and conference rooms.

Result

WIEHAG’s problem-solving expertise

The new research building is a multi-storey timber structure in skeleton construction with GLT supports and suspended beams. The ceilings and floors were made of cross-laminated timber that acts as a reinforcement plate. The fire protection requirement of 60 minutes (R60) could be verified for the most part through timber overlays at the joints and precise structural analysis. Refinishing (trimming/coating) on the building site was therefore not necessary and the joints have a high-quality appearance.

The WIEHAG WHB connector was used for the suspension beams that enables extremely fast and safe assembly thanks to its high degree of prefabrication, short suspension distance and immediate tensile strength.

A particular technical challenge was the realisation of the stairs. These span almost 13 m and have load-bearing stringers, which, however, have a kind of zigzag contour due to the intermediate landings. Glued laminated timber elements were selected for the stringers that were connected rigidly at the inflexion points. Complete prefabrication at our factory ensured quick erection on the building site.