FERMACELL materials in the largest school facility from the Algeco modular system in Dolní Břežany

The largest educational facility in the Czech Republic built from the modular construction system of Algeco, s.r.o. has emerged in Dolní Břežany near Prague. The new two-story building was successfully handed over on July 15, 2010, and the new school year began successfully on September 1, 2010. The new kindergarten and primary school in Dolní Břežany with an area of 800 m² can accommodate up to 100 children.

In 2009, the municipality of Dolní Břežany succeeded with two projects in obtaining support from EU funds. The result was the construction of two classrooms for primary school students and two classrooms for the kindergarten from the modular construction system of Algeco, s.r.o. The project was realized in the second quarter of 2010. The total value of the contract reached 894 thousand euros including VAT.

"Dolní Břežany is our third and so far the largest project by Algeco, s.r.o. realized with the modular construction system in the Czech Republic. The demand for this fast and cost-effective building method is continuously growing," stated Róbert Bordás, the General Director of Algeco s.r.o.

The main contractor of the modular construction system extension and simultaneously the coordinator and organizer of secondary works (with subcontractors) was Algeco, s.r.o. The object is constructed from 44 individual modules (800 m²) and the building is designed with two floors. On the ground floor, there are two kindergarten classrooms, along with all the required service facilities for this age group such as specially equipped restrooms, a kitchen, or a food preparation area, and a space for teachers. On the second above-ground floor of the new building, two classrooms for primary school students are placed mirror-wise across from each other, along with complete service facilities for students and teaching staff in the form of restrooms, staff rooms, cleaning rooms, and changing rooms. Algeco, s.r.o. also realized modifications to the immediate vicinity of the kindergarten, including a new playground.

All activities related to the preparation and realization of the construction, as well as the parameters of all used materials meet the strict standards and regulations of the Czech Republic regarding the health and hygiene safety of buildings and materials and fire safety, and are in mutual compliance with the European Parliament and Council Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 and No 89/106/EEC on food hygiene. The use of FERMACELL fiber-cement boards, which were used for the safety lining of walls and ceilings covering a total area of 6,000 m² at thicknesses of 10, 12.5, and 15 mm, contributed to meeting the strictest safety standards in the field of fire protection. In accordance with the requirements for high fire resistance, the walls use tested and certified types of constructions made from 1-2 layers of FERMACELL boards, while the ceilings use 2 to 3 layers of these boards. FERMACELL fiber-cement boards are considered non-combustible building materials with fire reaction class A2-s1 d0 according to ETA-03/0050, and according to ČSN EN 13 501-1, they come in thicknesses from 10 to 18 mm, including appropriate surface treatment.

According to Miloš Kincel, the Director of Fermacell GmbH, which supplies FERMACELL materials in the domestic market, modular construction is favored due to advantages such as turnkey construction within a short period at an agreed date for a favorable fixed price, individual solutions, and the use of tested and certified materials. "FERMACELL materials fully meet these criteria. The main advantages of our materials include the low weight of constructions, high strength and durability, thermal comfort, excellent fire resistance, and last but not least, great acoustic comfort. We have extensive experience in supplying FERMACELL boards to domestic modular system manufacturers, and our suppliers also have numerous excellent references abroad."

According to demographic studies, it will be necessary to expand capacities in 2011 - specifically in kindergartens - by approximately another seventeen thousand places. This opens up a fairly large space for the construction of new or the expansion of existing educational facilities through the modular construction system, which is significantly faster, cheaper, and more efficient compared to other options. An undeniable advantage of this system is - in addition to favorable price accessibility and speed of construction - particularly significant variability. Each building or facility is assembled from individual modules - the assembly can remind a layman of assembling a Lego set, and the object can similarly be disassembled, reconstructed, expanded, or modified. Individual walls can consist of interchangeable segment panels, which again increases the variability of the system. Individual modules and entire assembled objects can be rented (currently, Algeco's rental park in the Czech Republic consists of 2,900 modules) or new manufactured modules can be purchased exactly according to the customer’s specifications.