Coop Distribution Centre, Schafisheim

Images 1–4: Jean-Jacques Ruchti, Schönenwerd

The existing Coop production and logistics centre in Schafisheim (AG) was expanded and modernised at a cost of over CHF 600 million. The core of the expansion—which, at the time of construction, was Switzerland’s largest private building site—is a new building with a footprint of 185 x 100 m and a height of 58 m, 28 m of which is below ground in a former gravel pit.

The new building comprises a distribution and returnable packaging centre, a national deep-freeze warehouse, as well as a large bakery and confectionery facility. A 162 m-long, two-storey pedestrian bridge will connect the new building to the existing buildings across a cantonal road.

Structural highlights include, among others, the 10.8 x 9.2 m long-span slab supporting the deep-freeze high-bay warehouse with an imposed load of 7 t/m² with a 1/1000 deflection limit; the 20 m-span ribbed slab beneath the building circulation route, drivable by 60 t trucks; over 100,000 m² of heavily loaded floor slabs with an 8.4 x 8.4 m column grid in partial precast construction (Alsace slabs); as well as the 75 m long-span, two-storey connecting bridge in steel–concrete composite construction with a total length of 162 m.

Details

Realisation

2012 through 2015

Owner

Coop Cooperative, Real Estate Directorate, Bern

Architect

IE Industrial Engineering Zürich AG, Zurich

Task

Structural design from concept through to and including execution (in an engineering consortium)