References – Building and vibration insulation

Seismic impacts, winds or human footsteps can trigger vibrations, causing high stresses on buildings and bridges, which can even result in their collapse. To reduce vibrations and to ease tension, we develop special compression springs, tension springs and HIFO springs for dependable vibration insulation.

The city may pulsate.
But the cinema hall must not.

The IMAX cinema in London, opened in 1999, is an architectural heavyweight with 5,300 tonnes and features the largest projection screen in the UK. Designed by Bryan Avery and the recipient of several awards, the cinema is located in the centre of a roundabout and is surrounded by multi-lane roads, railway tracks and the underground, causing constant vibrations that detract from the building and cinema experience.

GRUEBER has worked with GERB to develop special compression springs that form part of the building safety system designed by Avery Associates Architects. By combining steel springs and tuned mass dampers, GERB has succeeded in supporting the building safely and vibration-free.

Vibration isolation – for buildings

Vibrations place extreme strain on buildings and bridges and may cause them to collapse. To reduce vibrations, we develop special compression, tension and HIFO springs for reliable vibration isolation. The IMAX cinema in London is impacted by constant vibrations from surrounding roads and railway lines. GRUEBER has developed special compression springs which, as part of the GERB tuned mass damper systems, support the cinema without vibration.

Special aspects:

Case Studies

Only the music may swing.
The Elbphilharmonie (also called “Elphi” by the locals) was completed in November 2016 and opened in January 2017. The concert hall in Hamburg was planned with the aim of creating a new landmark for the city and a “cultural monument for everyone”. Rising 110 metres above Hamburg’s HafenCity district, the building is located on the banks of the Norderelbe between the mouths of the Sandtorhafen and Grasbrookhafen docks. The brick body of the former Kaispeicher A warehouse, built in 1963, was incorporated into the building. It provides the base on top of which a modern structure with a glass façade resembles sails, water waves or a quartz crystal.

The concept of the concert hall is based on an idea by Hamburg project developer Alexander Gérard. Design and planning of the Philharmonic Hall were largely the work of architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron. The building was constructed by Hochtief. On behalf of our partner GERB, we developed precision springs for complete elastic suspension and isolation of the 2 concert halls to prevent the transmission of vibrations from the environment. In particular, vibrations from ships and from the nearby underground must not be transmitted to the building, let alone the concert halls. For only the music may swing here.

Elbphilharmonie concert hall, Hamburg
Elastic bedding of 2 concert halls
(room-in-room solutions)

GRUEBER
3,000 compression springs with a rod diameter
of 36 mm are installed in the Philharmonie.

Gerb.com

The city may pulsate. But the cinema hall must not.
With a weight of 5,300 tonnes, the IMAX in London is a small heavyweight. The cinema, which was opened in 1999, features the largest screen in Great Britain, at 20 x 26 metres. The building was planned by architect Bryan Avery and has been awarded numerous prizes, including a Design Council Millennium Product Award in 1999 and the Civic Trust Award in 2000.

Situated in an extremely high-traffic location (in the middle of a roundabout), the cinema is exposed to permanent vibration. Multi-lane roads around the building with tracks running alongside, the underground running only 4 metres below, as well as the nearby Waterloo Station and ship traffic on the Thames all contribute to this exposure. Neither cinema audiences nor architect or structural engineer would want these vibrations to be transmitted into the building.

Together with the Avery Associates Architects team and our partner GERB, GRUEBER has developed tailor-made compression springs for these special requirements. These springs are components of the innovative and proven GERB Tuned Mass Damper Systems, which provide a safe and vibration-free basis for the building. When staying in London, the cinema experience is always worth a visit.

BFI IMAX Cinema London
Elastic and vibration-free foundation for the entire centrally located
building with impacts from road, rail and underground traffic.

GRUEBER Compression springs
Dampening mass: 5,300 tonnes
> 650 outer springs with ø 36 mm rod diameters
> 250 inner springs with ø 17 mm wire diameters

The Bosco Verticale, also known as the vertical forest, is considered one of the most innovative high-rise buildings in the world, with Architect Stefano Boeri now planning further green high-rise projects in China. Thanks to their spacious balconies, the twin towers in the new Porta Nuova district provide space for 900 trees and more than 20,000 plants. This green architecture corresponds to a forest area of 7,000 square metres, with the Bosco Verticale trees growing up to a height of nine metres.

“The vertical forest goes towards improving the microclimate on the balconies and in the apartments. The plants generate moisture, absorb dust particles and carbon dioxide and release oxygen,” states Stefano Boeri, the architect of the twin towers, about the ecological benefits of the Bosco Verticale.