A lightweight solution for a heavyweight hotel

Building a building on top of another building is a challenge at the best of times, but the developers of the Hype Park Shopping Centre in Johannesburg were determined to complete their exclusive service offering with the construction of a four star hotel atop the shopping complex, and to do it in record-breaking time.

“Building the three-floor, four star Southern Sun Hyde Park hotel, with its additional restaurant and entertainment level using more traditional construction methods would have created considerable headaches for the structural engineer and the construction teams,” says Carl Bartleman, the head of business development at Saint-Gobain Construction Products South Africa. “The two-layer RhinoWall system that we suggested for the hotel only weighs 66 kilograms per square metre, compared to the upwards of 220 kilograms per square metre of a conventional wall that would offer the same thermal and acoustic insulation values.”

The two layer RhinoWall system in the hotel sees the boards spaced 102mm apart on an UltraSteel stud and track system, offering a nominal thickness of 165mm and a solid, neat finish. “We specified 14 kilogram per cubic meter density, and 102mm thick Isover CavityLight Batt as insulation between the layers of 15mm FireStop RhinoBoard, which already met fire safety regulations before the addition of this product,” says Carl. “This combination offered an improved thermal insulation value, as well as boosting the acoustic insulation to Rw 55 dB, well in excess of the Rw 49 dB that is required by hotel industry standards.”

All the internal walls in the hotel are made of RhinoWall systems – even the walls in the bathrooms where a special moisture resistant 15mm RhinoBoard is used. “The shower trays are made of cement, but were easily abutted to the gypsum walls using our range of complementary waterproofing products,” says Carl. “The team also created a party wall for the bathrooms, allowing a sliding door to slip between the two layers of the wall, saving significant space in the room’s layout.”

Carl and his team worked closely with the developer and his professional team to create a solution that would meet the needs of their vision. “Our business development team discusses a project with a developer and his architect, after which we create a solution for their requirements that offers all the advantages of lightweight construction methods,” says Carl. “Our Tech and Spec team then creates a comprehensive Project Pack that offers detailed drawings and instructions for every installation, making sure that the maximum potential of our products are realised.”

Saint-Gobain Construction Products South Africa also provided a technical specialist on site during the construction of the Hyde Park Hotel. “Having a technical expert on site to supervise the contractors saves the developer time and money, by making sure that every installation was done correctly the first time,” Carl says. “He also helped with coordinating the various subcontractors, like the plumbers and electricians, to make sure that they approached our building solutions correctly.’

The Southern Sun Hyde Park was completed in record time by JT Ross construction led on site by their contracts manager Naran Pillay, with construction made all the more time-effective with the construction methods allowed by the RhinoWall system. “Large sheets of lighter-weight material, fitted to pre-manufactured studs and tracks meant that the construction process was time-efficient, and relatively clean,” says Carl. “This hotel is a landmark project, and we are proud to have contributed to its success.”

For further information about Saint-Gobain Construction Products’ range of lightweight building systems, call Carl Bartleman on 082 655 5081