SANT JOSEP BUILDING REFURBISHMENT

ECCS Biannual
European Steel Design
Awards 2011

SANT JOSEP BUILDING REFURBISHMENT
IN VALL DE NÚRIA

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Estrucad Metàl·lics SA c/ Alemanya 37 - 43 Pol. Ind. Pla de Llerona
08520 Les Franqueses del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
www.estrucad.com
+ 34 93840 48 18

“The house from the roof”

Project Description :

Technical data
Where is Vall de Núria
Background
The building
Chronology
Descriptive report
Photographs, drawings
Acknowledgements

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1 – TECHNICAL DATA

PROJECT TEAM:

Owner: Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC)
Address: Cardenal de Sentmenat 4, 08017 Barcelona, Spain

Architect(s): A&M Arquitectes
Address: Trafalgar 10, 1º and 2nd D, Barcelona , Spain

Steelwork Contractor(s): ESTRUCAD METÀL.LICS SA
Address: Alemanya 37 – 43, Pol. Ind. Pla de Llerona, 08520 Les Franqueses del
Vallès, Barcelona, Spain

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+ 34 93840 48 18

NAME OF THE PROJECT: SANT JOSEP BUILDING REFURBISHMENT

LOCATION: VALL DE NÚRIA, Girona, Spain

PROGRAMME OF CONSTRUCTION:

PHASE 0 : Structural reinforcement and roof

PHASE 1 : Outdoors rehabilitation

PHASE 2 : Indoors rehabilitation

COMPLETION DATE: 31 / 12 / 2010

GENERAL DIMENSIONS: 60 x 13 x 21 m

LAMINATE STEEL TOTAL TONNAGE: 350 Ton

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2 - WHERE IS VALL DE NÚRIA

Vall de Núria is located in the
municipality of Queralbs,
Ripollès, in the heart of the
Pyrenees. Many fountains and
streams are born in the valley,
where there is an artificial lake
and the Sanctuary of the Virgin of
Nuria, with a church that was
opened n 1911.

The sanctuary is situated at an altitude of 1964 meters above sea level, at the place
where three valleys of nearly 3000 m high converge. Due to its geographical location
and climate, typicall high alpine flora and fauna are found there. Endemic plants and
animal species from the Pyrenees are found there.

The valley can only be accessed by foot, following one of the mountain trails that
lead up to Nuria or by the rack railway, which has become an iconic feature of the
valley and the Ripollès region. There is only one more similar rack railway in Spain,
which is located in Montserrat.

The Sanctuary of Núria is mainly formed by the church and a set of interconnected
buildings (Sant Josep, Sant Justí, Sant Antoni and Sant Gil), designed by the
architect Josep Danés and built during the period between 1923 and 1955.

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A few later an hotel was added and in 1931, in room number 202, it was drafted what
would be the Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia after ratified by the voters on August
the Second of 1931 and finally approved by the Parliament on the 9th of September
of 1932. Soon after, the construction of the Via Crucis began in the path of Coma del
Clot. It was not finished until 1963. It is characterized by a monumental and diverse
sculptural style and a surprising characterization of the seasons.

3 - BACKGROUND

Railways of the Generalitat of Catalonia (FGC) promotes conservation and
maintenance tasks since1982,when the Generalitat of Catalonia through FGC began
the rehabilitation and the improvement of Núria´s heritage.

The initial interventions aimed to stop the progressive degradation of
insfraestructures These initial interventions showed serious structural deficiencies
that remained hidden and serious deficiencies in facilities, services and
infrastructure.

Sant Josep building is the longest wing of the building. It has been closed for the
general public for a long time due to structural deficiencies. During this period it has
been a warehouse. All interventions are targeted towards :
- The preservation of herotage and historic appearance of the Vall de Nuria
- The improvement of communication, accessibility and comfort for visitors.
- The improvement of quality in hotel service
- The use of geothermal energy and the achievement of the maximum energy rating.

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4 - THE BUILDING

Sant Josep's building was conceived as a rectangular building 58.95 x 10.96 m. It
really is the conjunction of two buildings : the main one, north connected by the
façade wall with the building of Sant Justí, and the Rectoria, which was added later
on the other facade wall. All of them had ground, main, first and attic floors. The
Rectoria also had a low height basement.

Side view of Sant Josep building

Structurally the building was resolved with three galleries: the central one and two
aside, which housed the old cells. The ceilings made of wooden beams with a
special brick mixture covered all three galleries, and were supported by outside walls
from 50 to 60 cm thick and inner brick walls of 14 cm thick. The geometry of the roof
consists on two slopes with an approximately 50% inclination.

The structure of the three galleries is repeated on the attic floor, where you can
appreciate the proficiency of the ancient master builders in covering the building :

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short length wood bars with strut braces are used to form some kind of lattice where
the central lower pair, the roof of the lower central corridor compresses so the indoor
light can be reduced and with rather scarce sections manage to withstand the load of
the two slopes roof. The maximum height of the building in relation with the ground
floor level was 12.30 m.

5 - CHRONOLOGY

Initial stage: structural strength, future structure and new roof execution.
Execution: July 2007 - December 2009.
Works: Demolition of roof, ceilings, walls and inner partitions.
Consolidation of façade walls.
New structure with bolted metal frames
New panel roof with nerves
Consolidation of land with low-pressure injections.
Reduction and basement excavation and implementation of perimeter walls.

Phase 1: Outdoors renovation and indoor adaptation.
Execution: July 2007 – December 2010.
Works: Isolation and improvement of facades with enclosures
Roof slate
Inner structure holes to pass through installation
Concrete frameworks
New metal structure body access
Assembly of spiral emergency stairs in Sant Josep Tester

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Assembly of inner metallic stairs
- 10 stairs access to attic
- 1 main Hotel stairs
- 1 access stairs to basement
- 1 Body Ladder Access

Phase 2: Internal Reform
Implementation: November 2009 – December 2010.
Works: Divisions
Facilities
Finished in general

Phase 3: Furniture, equipment and interiors
Execution: September 2010 – March 2011.

6 - DESCRIPTIVE REPORT – INITIAL PHASE STRUCTURAL REINFORCEMENT

The intervention was to solve structural and building problems from the old building
and at the same time would allow maximum flexibility of spaces, both now and in the
future.

Considering the weather conditions in Núria, it was decided to design the
reinforcement with bolted metal structure. The workshop allowed manufacturing
speed and better quality control. The assembly of the structure with high strength
bolts easier control of erection.

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The design of the arcade geometry responded to a number of factors:

Basement floor : Avoid pillars from descent on this floor so as not to pierce the
double support, conflicting element from the point of potential entry of water.
Maximum freedom of the whole plant and prediction of the location of the geothermal
plant.

Ground and main floors : Maximum freedom on the ground, where the arrangement
of pillars does not involve any functional or visual restriction of space. These plants
would hold public reception, nature workshops, the bar, exhibition halls, etc.

Second floor and mezzanine : Maximum high of the ceiling only limited by the
dimensions of the building of Sant Justí. Here it is not as important to minimize the
number of pillars, but must be carefully modular disposed to achieve the maximum
integration with the distribution of future apartments or hotel rooms.

All floors : The elevation of pavement on each floor must suit with the building of
Sant Justí in order to achieve a functional connection, and also with the covered link
step to connect with the rest of the Sanctuary Building.

Land consolidation : Land should be able to withstand the loads resulting from the
rehabilitation, allow digging a new basement and secure from runoffs and
decompressions of the terrain.

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There were a number of conditioners that hindered the performance with traditional
systems:

The foundations: They were only the continuation of the front wall up to about 1 m
deep. There was material filling with gravel and pebbles before finding resistant layer
of rock

Proximity of the Eina torrent : It was necessary to execute the work from inside the
building to minimize the impact abroad.

The treatment and improving system of land conditions finally chosen were injections
at low pressure. This technique allowed :

- To inject according to land needs
- Can be run from inside the building and the machinery required is small.
- At the same time gives some waterproofing to the ground.
- Micropiles available where needed.
- You can immediately control the movements of the building.
- No concrete at low temperatures.
- The collection of material is easy : pipes and cement.
- The cost is fixed price.

INITIAL PHASE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS

Given that the building can not be completely demolished, anything profitable from
the renovation will be maintained, so it seems appropriate that both the roof and
ceilings to be demolished given its state of degradation, while at the same time we
maintain the front walls which define the building areas and its historical image. The

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Walls and interior walls are demolished to facilitate the functional spaces of Sant
Josep building. The construction process was as follows :

1st Delineation of work area.
2nd Fulfill inner and front walls holes and gaps.
3rd Assembly of the scaffolding and disconnection of live installations
4th Assembly of the temporary work panel and water supply.
5th Assembly of debris pipes and location of containers
6th Workshop manufacture of interlocked structural profiles
7th Roof and mezzanine walls demolition
8th Assembly of the interlocked structure of the attic floor and roof
9th Demolition of the second floor
10th Assembly of the interlocked structure of the second floor
11th Demolition of first floor
12th Assembly of the interlocked structure of the first floor
13th Demolition of the main floor
14th Assembly of the interlocked structure of the main floor
15th Roof panel with insulating nerves
16th Pull out and lower ground level to ground floor
17th Drilling and injection
18th Deep – rooted ground holes
19th Assembly of structural ground floor porch
20th Ground floor and basement walls concrete
21st Mounting of ceiling plates and concreting of the roof
22nd Removal of debris and final dismantling of the scaffolding and cleaning work

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Greenbuilding Programme from the European Union

This project has been submitted to the Greenbuilding Programme. Railways of the
Generalitat of Catalonia has been recognized as a full partner of this prestigious
program that since 2005 recognizes the best practices in sustainability and energy
efficiency of all buildings in the European Union that at least achieve a 25% energy
saving in relation with conventional buildings. The Programme promotes at a
European level even the candidate even the project.

Promotes best practices throughout the
media machinery of the European Union. So
then, is a European-level program with a
great reputation in Germany, Sweden,
Austria and France. In Spain, energy
consulting firms are in charge of the
dissemination of this prestigious sustainable
label. For this reason the award to a Catalan
building takes even more importance, after
having competed with over 120 buildings and
won the prize of one of the existing 12
categories.

Sant Josep building has an area of 3990.45 m2 spread over 5 floors plus basement,
where the geothermal facilitie and the picnic area are located. The ground floor is
dedicated to restoration, the main one is versatile and has the hotel lobby located in.
The remaining floors belong to the hotel.

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With the implementation of a mixture of passive and active solutions we have reach
a 55.8% saving (GreenBuilding requires a minimum of 25%). This project has
obtained a grade A calification according to energetic standards.

Energy excellences of the building.

Geothermal energy : Heat harnessing from the subsoil. 36 wells of 100 feet deep
used for heating and hot water. Underfloor distribution system at low temperature
and support fan-coils throughout the building.

The management and control system is fully computerized. Among other things, it
allows turn the heating off automatically if detects that a room window is opened.
Light control of rooms through radio frequency. Computer scan of the entire
installation, which improves maintenance tasks.

Efficient lighting with motion detectors and energy saving lamps (LED).

Improving of the thermal coating of the building, with stronger insulation of roofs,
facades and walls and soil of the basement. Installation of high density wooden
frames protected with aluminum and glass with air chamber to secure a very low loss
factor.

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SANT JOSEP BUILDING REFURBISHMENT

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