New transport system for precast elements developed
In working with precast concrete elements, problems during transport and storage often arise. Wooden beams, for example, as commonly used for stacking precast elements, leave marks or impressions on the concrete surface when wet.
An architect, commissioned for one large-scale project of Innogration GmbH, explicitly requested prevention of such optical defects, since the exposed surfaces of the floor were not to be subsequently painted. In response, the managing director of Innogration GmbH, the construction engineer Thomas Friedrich, developed in 2020 the registered StapelFlex as solution.
StapelFlex is the solution for transporting stacked precast concrete elements. The customary wooden beams or boards, depending on the weather and residual moisture of the concrete and/or wooden elements, leave permanent impressions on the concrete surface.
StapelFlex, a combination of wooden beams and thin metal sheets 100 x 2900 x 24 mm in size, prevents these problems by using only slight supporting points on the beads. Accordingly, precast elements with high-quality architectural concrete surfaces can be properly transported and stored.
StapelFlex promotes sustainability in construction. Production in Bernkastel-Kues in Germany takes place with native woods from the Hunsrueck Mountains and with sheet metal from the region. In this way, transport over long distances in production is avoided. High product quality assures repeated use of the individual pieces, and StapelFlex, after attaining its service life, can be simply disassembled and forwarded to recycling (cradle-to-cradle principle).
Advantages of Stapelflex:
No smudges left by storage wood
Protection of the concrete surface from imprints, scratches and dents
Fast and simple utilization
No tools necessary
Use in any weather possible
Suitability for all standard sizes and lengths
Extreme ruggedness and reusability
Complete recyclability
High packing density and
Low weight.