1. The project: Erasmus Medical Centre Rotterdam

The Erasmus MC is a university medical centre in Rotterdam, linked to the Erasmus University Rotterdam. The hospital is, both in terms of turnover and number of beds, the largest of the seven university medical centres in the Netherlands.

2. Byldis contribution to this project

Byldis contribution: The engineering, supply and assembly of 1,700 sandwich elements, 1000 single-shell elements and 8,800 'grey' elements. During this project, the low-rise precast concrete was combined with concrete poured on-site (hybrid).

3. Why was Byldis chosen?

Erasmus Medical Centre Rotterdam chose to work with Byldis because we are able to deliver the engineering, production and assembly of the precast concrete elements. The commissioner saw the engineering in our own company as adding additional value to the project.

A building as large as the one in this project, with phased construction, demands a precast concrete builder of a certain level. Byldis meets this requirement due to our extensive experience. All precast concrete components were divided into manageable, repeating elements that could be easily transported, hoisted and installed in place. By using a hoisting platform, we were able to assemble one storey per week for this project.

4. Challenges & solutions

Self-climbing hoisting platform
For the assembly of Erasmus Medical Centre, we used a self-climbing hoisting platform with two 40-ton overhead cranes. As the tower was being built in the hospital, a special hoisting unit was needed. Our lorries delivered all facade elements, columns, wide slabs, internal walls and stairways just-in-time beneath the crane, after which the overhead crane hoisted them directly up from the lorry. Once at the desired level, the elements were placed on a yoke and then transferred to the assembly crane and put into place. After pouring the wide slab flooring, the construction unit is shifted up to the next storey where the hoisting and assembly cycle is repeated. This makes it possible to work quickly and in a sheltered environment. In actual fact, the skyscraper is constructed entirely indoors.

Decorative concrete
However, these elements had to be handled with extra care due to their while colour. People would normally have been able to touch the concrete in the production factory, but this time there were warning signs displaying the message: ‘Beware, decorative concrete’. Because white really has to be white. The finishing of the facade was also special. There were different kinds of facade elements. Some were polished, some were sandblasted. And the tower also had a different finish.

'Wobbly' facade
In between the higher tower and low-rise is an extra 'facade' that has to be able to move as the building itself settles. The higher tower is so heavy that it will actually sink several centimetres further into the ground over time. The facade in between must 'follow' this building and therefore be flexible. This is why a ‘wobble’ has been installed between the two buildings.

5. Facts & figures

6. Footage

7. More information about Erasmus Medical Center

In the news (Dutch)

• "Het Erasmus Medisch Centrum Rotterdam als eerste ziekenhuis genomineerd voor het Beste gebouw van het Jaar". 02-04-2019. Source: FMT Gezondheidszorg
• "Slimme fabriek op hoogte". 28-04-2011. Source: Cobouw

More information

• https://www.erasmusmc.nl