core sector communique

First use of adhesive bonding to attach stainless steel facade panels to outer building walls

The construction of a new office complex in Hanover included two premieres: For the first time in Germany, stainless steel panels were attached to the outer walls of the building using an adhesive bonding system. The facade panels are bonded to the aluminum liner tray substructure without the need for additional mechanical fastening. A special building permit was granted to allow the use of the innovative process on this particular project. The panels used in the construction of the new headquarters building were made from Nirosta 4404 stainless steel with a special finish combining the metallic shine of a bright annealed surface with the hardwearing properties of a pickled surface. It was the first time ThyssenKrupp Nirosta supplied this finish for facade paneling.

Work on the six-story office building, which will accommodate almost 2,000 people, started in June 2009. The plans drawn up by "ingenhoven architects" (Düsseldorf) aimed to minimize consumption of energy and resources and provided for the use of geothermal and other renewable energies. The architects also took an innovative approach to the construction of the facade and the choice of material. For the first time, a new adhesive bonding system was used to install the panels. "This process enables us to give architects greater latitude when designing facades," say facade contractors Ebener. 110 metric tons of stainless steel were required for the facade construction, which will be completed shortly. The panels were between 1,000 and 1,250 millimeters wide, two millimeters thick and had an average length of 2,500 millimeters. "The surface finish for this project was chosen after an extensive selection process," says Heinz Koch, a technical customer service advisor at ThyssenKrupp Nirosta. "Our newly developed finish won over the architects and matched their ideas."

Krefeld-based ThyssenKrupp Nirosta manufactures stainless steel flat products in a wide range of grades, sizes and finishes and has supplied materials for numerous international architecture projects. The company has several sites in Germany and employs around 4,100 people.

Ebener Fassaden-Profiltechnik (Bad Marienberg), established in 1989, has over 120 employees manufacturing modern products for building applications at the company's 6,000 square meter production facility.