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The new BNP Paribas Fortis headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, accommodates 4,500 workstations, which is about 70% more than the previous capacity. The building boasts an overall floor space of 95,000 m² and about 35,000 m² of reinforced masonry.
Clement Rabeux, Project Manager at Eiffage, explains their need for masonry reinforcement and how Murfor® Compact steel cord reinforcement met all their needs.
“We needed materials that were easy to carry and safe to use,” says Clement Rabeux. “Murfor® Compact stood out because it is compact, light, and easy to use. We required effective steel reinforcement for concrete masonry to ensure the structural integrity of our high-density masonry structures.”
Traditional masonry reinforcement methods often involve heavy and cumbersome materials, which can slow down the construction process and pose safety risks for workers. The BNP Paribas Fortis project needed a solution that combined efficiency with ease of use, ensuring that the construction could proceed without delays while maintaining the highest safety standards.
For example, 76 km of Murfor® Compact reinforcement weighs only 2.7 tons. In contrast, the same length of traditional reinforcement weighs over 23 tons. This massive reduction in weight not only facilitated easier handling and installation but also reduced transportation costs and logistics complexities. The compact nature of the product meant that delivering the reinforcement for each phase of wall construction required only one truck, minimising site congestion and improving overall efficiency.
Murfor® Compact’s design allows it to unroll directly onto the brickwork and cut easily to size. This feature significantly reduces the amount of waste generated during installation. Traditional reinforcement methods often result in significant trimmings and waste, as overlaps are required to maintain structural integrity. However, with Murfor® Compact, the reinforcement is used efficiently, and effectively minimises waste.
“We need less product because no overlaps are needed,” Rabeux notes. “Each centimetre of the reinforcement is used, unlike traditional methods that often result in trimmings and waste. This product ensures better handling of tensile stress and meets the required reinforcement sizes for optimal performance.”
The use of Murfor® Compact also contributed to meeting the building code requirements for the project. Its innovative design and superior performance characteristics provided the necessary corrosion protection and structural support, ensuring the long-term durability of the masonry construction. The product’s ability to handle tensile stress effectively made it an ideal choice for the high demands of the BNP Paribas Fortis project.
