Heavydrive in action for futuristic NEOM project
Heavydrive installs differently curved glass panes on the luxury island of Sindalah (Saudi Arabia)
In the northern Red Sea, on the holiday island of Sindalah (Saudi Arabia), a spectacular golf club with large, differently shaped and curved façade elements is emerging as part of the NEOM project. The Bavarian company Heavydrive oversaw the complex installation of the glass panes.
The job was a complex one due to the diversity of the façade panes. The glass elements, weighing up to two tonnes, were both concave and convex and some were polygonal with angled edges. This not only called for special systems for extremely large and heavy curved panes. An efficient assembly solution was also crucial to minimise the number of systems used. Heavydrive had the perfect combination of assembly devices ready for the job.
Operators used the VSG 2000 KR-35 and VSG 800 KR-20 vacuum suction systems, as well as the VSG 3000 counterweight beam with extension to reach up to 4.8 metres of overhang. The suction systems were developed specifically for curved panes. The suction cups of the systems can be deactivated individually, allowing the vacuum suction system to be adapted to the size of the glass in just a few simple steps. This meant that the differently sized panes could be completely placed using just two Heavydrive suction systems.
The counterweight beam accurately balanced the glass elements, before the panes were guided and installed beneath the four metre deep building overhang with millimetre precision. To guarantee safe and timely installation, a Heavydrive expert travelled to the site, trained the local installation team and supervised operations. The installation work was expected to take three months, as the weather and delivery conditions on the island are very difficult. Due to the island's small size, it was only possible to deliver material being used that very day. Strong winds for days on end often prevented materials and personnel from travelling to the island by ship. This also extended training by the experienced Heavydrive expert to two weeks.
Despite all the difficulties, all the glass elements were safely installed. "We are thrilled we were able to participate in this forward-looking project and win over the customer with our assembly solution", says Günter Übelacker, Managing Director of Heavydrive.
Sindalah, an exclusive holiday resort of 840,000 square metres, boasts several luxury hotels, villas and a marina in addition to the nine-hole golf course. The resort is expecting to receive 2,400 well-to-do visitors per day by 2028. Sindalah is part of the futuristic Saudi settlement project NEOM. In the north-west of the country, an innovative metropolitan region is set to emerge on 26,500 square kilometres along the Red Sea coast. NEOM was unveiled by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2017 and comprises several construction projects. The most spectacular – "The Line" – is a megacity extending 170 kilometres in length and just a few hundred meters wide along the coastline. Nine million people are expected to make their home there in the future – without any road infrastructure or vehicles. The NEOM project also includes the Trojena winter and mountain sports centre and the coastal town of Oxagon.
#Sindalah #NEOM #curvedpanes #RedSea#Golfclub #Alec
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