03/10/2024
Romania: the first institute dedicated to artificial intelligence research is under construction
SBR is proud to participate in the development of the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, in close collaboration with the KÉSZ Romania engineering team.
The aim of the project
SBR and KÉSZ Romania are constructing a building entirely dedicated to the Artificial Intelligence Research Laboratories. Located on the university campus, this structure will cover an area of 2,028 square meters and includes 30 laboratories, 15 support rooms, conference rooms and collaborative spaces. All these rooms will be equipped with the most advanced research facilities, high-performance equipment, and state-of-the-art IT infrastructure. The institute will focus on developing AI solutions for critical sectors such as healthcare, transportation, cybersecurity, and other fields, to make a significant contribution to the region’s economic and technological progress.
Work carried out by SBR:
For this project, SBR carried out several types of work:
- Earthworks: Preparation of the site, protecciones de pendiente
- Preparatory works for piling: Installation of the stable working platform
- CFA pile wall: Installation of distanced CFA piles
- Excavation under steel struts: Excavation of underground parking areas (2 levels), with the use of struts to support and stabilize the excavation walls.
- Levelling and compaction: Final ground preparation including levelling to ensure an even surface and compaction to improve ground stability.
Project figures
- 341 CFA piles ranging in length from 9.4m to 12.3m
- 3850 ml of drilling
- 260 ml guiding beam
- 240 ml capping beam
- Excavation of ~30,000 m3
- Struts ~ 60 tonnes
Challenges:
The teams faced three major challenges on this project:
- Redesign from a watertight diaphragm wall solution to a not-sealed excavation pit:
In order to improve the technical content, SBR underwent to execute additional pumping tests which concluded in a lighter design, distanced CFA pile wall, reduced dewatering and additional monitoring measures, overall, with significantly reduced concrete and steel consumption, thus reduced CO2 footprint and higher net margin
- Tight deadlines: Deadlines were particularly tight due to the site’s location right in the center of Cluj, where the Untold music festival takes place every summer. The city’s overcrowding during this period added to the pressure to meet deadlines.
- Site organization: Continuous coordination was essential to ensure seamless collaboration between subcontractors, while fully integrating them into the project specifications and schedule. Subcontractors’ contributions had to be perfectly aligned with the general contractor’s objectives and priorities. Rigorous management was crucial to ensure efficiency, meet deadlines and maintain the quality standards required for final construction.
Congratulations to the teams on the successful completion of this project!
