With a facade stretching 300 metres, FACQ’s new headquarters in Merelbeke is already grabbing the attention of anyone driving along the E40 motorway. FACQ enjoys a strong position on the Belgian market as the specialist in bathrooms, heating and energy-saving solutions. And in Merelbeke, they recently decided to build a brand-new head office in Flanders.

The major engineering challenge for this facade engineering project revolved around an entire steel structure having to be supported by a standard curtain wall, with no support on intermediate levels.

This meant the entire weight had to be borne on the ground floor. All possible forms of kink hazards therefore had to be checked down to the finest detail.

In view of the 300-metre-long facade, much attention was given to its thermal behaviour and the differing thermal expansions of the materials used. The building’s expansion joints were also discreetly incorporated into the structure.

WB&E was also asked to carry out studies on all other facades on the entrance side of the building, looking at anchoring to the building’s shell in particular.

Need help in developing your own facade project? WB&E’s specialised team is at your disposal for expert facade engineering.