Roof cladding manufacturers Global Roofing Solutions had to measure and calculate every individual roof sheet’s curved sections to ensure a correct radius for the curved sections of the striking, winding metal roof of the new terminal building at the Kasane Airport in Botswana.
The striking, winding metal roof of the new terminal building at the Kasane Airport in Botswana was announced as the Winner of the Metal Cladding Award at the SAISC Steel Awards 2017. The awards honour innovative use of steel and innovation in design, fabrication or construction, and technical prowess that is required for realising exemplary steel projects in Africa. Zip-Tek from Global Roofing Solutions was specified for the cladding of this challenging roof design.
The Kasane Airport in Botswana is currently mainly used for tourism. The goal of the airport’s strategic growth plans is to increase its capacity for international flights, which led to the design and development of a new terminal building.
The curving roof design was especially challenging. The project team and roof cladding manufacturers, Global Roofing Solutions, had to measure and calculate every individual roof sheet’s curved sections individually to ensure a correct radius for the curved sections.
“7 050m² of Zip-Tek 420 and Chromadek in Dove Grey was supplied for the project. With this roofing solution, hot-dipped galvanised sheets are produced on continuous zinc coating lines to the requirements of ArcelorMittal South Africa’s ISQ standards. What made the new terminal building at Kasane Airport particularly challenging was the use of tapered sheets that were custom designed for the project. The solution that Global Roofing Solutions provided enabled the design team to meet their aesthetic goal, which was to avoid lines of hip capping on a roof that curved both on plan and elevation,” explains the project team leaders from Global Roof Solutions, Graeme Jefferys, Mark Coulter and Dale Ellitson.
The judges agreed that the complex geometry of the Kasane Airport’s new terminal building is what made it stand out from other entries in the category.
Judge Dennis White commented: “With cladding being continuously rolled, the profile is parallel. This building, because of its serpentine shape, requires the profile to be fanned. The profile used for this project is a single pan that can be shaped to meet the requirement of curves.
The project team included architects, structural engineers and quantity surveyors from AECOM, with the main contractor being Stefanuti Stocks and Cadcon being appointed as the steelwork contractor, structural steel detailer and steel erector.
Martin Smith, Managing Director of Global Roofing Solutions, says that close collaboration with all project stakeholders, meticulous attention to detail, and a commitment to technical excellence is what brought this project to life.
“Designers are becoming increasingly visionary and as leading steel cladding manufacturers, it’s our goal to find ways to make their ideas a reality. Technological advances in steel construction, combined with a deep history in the engineering sector and a problem-solving attitude, means that virtually anything can be achieved. Congratulations to the entire project team on this award,” comments Smith.
