8

Architecture in
Yin and Yang
fischer anchors holding the facade of
Hyundai’s European headquarters

Rockwool Concrete SXS 10 x 60-F US

Yin and Yang – the con-
fluence of two opposite poles
into a harmonious entity – is
not only the expression of in-
ner equilibrium, at times it al-
so reflects the philosophy of
far eastern corporations. The
South Korean Hyundai Motor
Company has been inspired
by Yin and Yang in the design
and construction of its new
European headquarters in
Rüsselsheim. Standing on
spacious grounds, the ro-
tunda of the administration
building and the clear lines of
the function buildings merge
into a complementary whole.
When it came to anchoring
the facade elements, the
planning engineers and
craftsmen were in full agree-
ment: fischer.
Built on an area of 35,000 m2,
Hyundai’s new European head-
quarters includes the Sales and
Marketing Division as well as
Development and Design. The
rotunda of the admin building
rises prominently from the sur-
rounding area, designed with
plenty of greenery and water.
The experts from NR Metallbau
clad the four full floors and the
staggered floor in glass, with the
straight elements shaped into a
7,800 m2 concave sweep with a
vertical and horizontal member
construction. The construction is
fixed with stainless A4 fischer
Anchor bolts FAZ 10 and with
fischer Universal fame fixings
FUR.
The facade sub-construction is
fixed to the wall holders with
about 30,000 fischer FABSA drill
screws. The drill screw genera-
tes its own core hole with the
integral drill tip, requiring just a
single work step for the entire
installation. In place of the usual
4 mm aluminium profile sec-
tions, the makers of the sub-con-
struction, Gaubatz Fassaden
Systeme, used 3 mm stainless
steel profile sections. Since
stainless steel conducts less
heat, no additional thermostop
boards were needed.
The stainless steel holders also
have twice the load-bearing ca-
pacity of aluminium holders,
and, in spite of the size of the
aluminium Cobond boards, no
central backing was needed. By
using the stainless steel profile
sections, the number of fixed
points was halved from two to
one.
Thermostar
Additional cost savings were
stainless steel
made in the wall holder instal-
lations, which were fixed with Aluminium carrier
about 30,000 fischer long shaft profile section 40/50
fixing SXS 10/60. Compared
with the conventional frame fix-
ings, the new fixing has substan-
tially higher resistance values
(see Quantum Leap in the Drill
Facade board
Hole), with the effect that the
number of fixing points were
halved. “Clearly, this saves time
Capping profile
and money”, says Norbert
section
Repscher, project manager of
AS Fassaden GmbH.
Clamping profile
The base of the facade is lined section
with natural stonework. The
slabs sized 1.20 x 1.10 metres
Self-tapping bolt
are held against the fischer Sys-
tem One subconstruction with
fischer Zykon plate anchors
which, in turn, are fixed with the
fischer SXS.
Volker Simon
Self-drilling bolt
FABSA 23 4.8 x 22

The geometric designs of the

function buildings complement
these round forms. The 7,000 m2
surface area is clad with alu-
minium Cobond boards (1.20 x
1.70 metres), while the facade is
designed in a visual coffer-type
appearance with horizontal cap
profiles. The edges of the boards
are folded on one side only, with
concealed riveting on top and
wedged at the bottom. This
mode of construction was ac-
complished by a vertical sub-
construction with a vertical cap
construction. With the interplay
between subconstruction and
stainless steel wall holders, the
experts from AS Fassadenbau
have managed to bridge distan-
ces of as much as 40 cm.

connect it · fischer January 2004

 9
Quantum leap in the drill hole: fischer SXS
First approval for plastic fixings in cracked concrete

Plastic fixings approved for cra-
cked concrete – a true quantum
leap in fixing technology. The fi-
scher SXS is the first fixing of its
kind awarded this approval by
the German Institute for Con-
struction Engineering. This long
shaft fixing offers planning engi-
neers new options in terms of
safety and applications.
The fischer SXS for the light-
weight load range is designed
for use in applications which
have so far been the domain of
steel anchors. Awnings, railings,
gate systems or large window
and facade elements can now be
fixed with a plastic anchor – with
Hyundai’s construction supervision appro-
val.
European headquarters This was made possible by the
fact that the fischer SXS is the
Project: Headquarters Hyundai Europe
only plastic fixing which is also
Location: Rüsselsheim, Germany
approved for non-redundant sys-
Client: Hyundai Motor Company
tems. With optimised planning
GU/Planning: Takenaka Europe GmbH
using the fischer Compufix de-
Inauguration: September 2003
sign programme (version 6.3 and
Total area: 35,000 m2 later), the relatively high loads for
a single anchoring of the SXS
can now be used to the full. This this expansion pressure is kept
means that, compared with con- up. These properties lend the
ventional frame fixings, fewer screw its attributes: conical post-
fixing points are necessary. expanding.
With an anchoring depth of Both the plug and the screw are
50 mm in cracked concrete, the available in effective lengths
SXS is now approved for loads from 10 to 210 mm, pre-assem-
up to 1.7 kN under centric ten- bled with countersunk head,
sion and for shear loads of as hexagonal head or with integral
much as 2.1 kN for each fixing washer. The CO-NA screw is
point. The holding values, unique available in zinc-plated design or
for a single fixing, are the result in A4 stainless steel. vs
of a new generation of screws.
The fischer-patented CO-NA
screw has no wood-screw
thread. The thread is conically
shaped instead, with the expan-
sion pressure directed against
the inside drill hole wall. The
thread geometry also provides
an entirely new property for a
plastic fixing: when put under
tensile stress, the SXS actively
post-expands. In other words:
the stronger the pull of the load
acting on the fixing, the greater
the expansion pressure and
hence the holding power. If
cracks develop in the drill hole,

■ Facade
Surface area: 7,000 m2
Material: Coffered facade with horizontal cap profiles of
aluminium Cobond boards (120 x 170 cm)
Structure: Vertical subconstruction with vertical cap con-
struction concealed riveting on top, wedged at
the bottom edges folded over on the sides only,
100 mm insulation with mineral fibre boards
Conventional long shaft fixings v. SXS 10 with
Subconstruction: Gaubatz Fassaden Systeme, Osthofen
Fixings: Wall holders: 30,000 fischer long shaft
tensile zone approval: the benefits
fixings SXS 10/60 FUS
■ Permanently acting centric tension load allowed, no shear component required
Insulation (5/m2): 35,000 fischer insulation
supports DHK 120
■ Single point fixing in tension and compression zones allowed, no load relocation option required
Subconstruction: 30,000 fischer FABSA drill
screws 22/23
■ For anchoring fixtures of any description, no longer restricted to facade subconstructions
Work: AS Fassadenbau, Gars

■ Rapid and economical design with the fischer Compufix software

■ Base
Area: 200 m2
Material: Natural stone (120 x 110 x 4 cm)
Subconstruction: fischer System One
Fixings: Stone slab fischer Zykon plate anchor FZP
Subconstruction fischer long shaft fixing SXS
Work: AS Fassadenbau, Gars

■ Windows/facade elements
Area: 7,800 m2
Always active: the fischer SXS
Base: Concrete
Turning in the CO-NA screw generates The tension forces act on the CO-NA If a crack opens inside the concrete, the
Material: Vertical and horizontal member construction
all-round expansion forces acting on the screw in non-cracked concrete. The CO-NA screw moves a fraction to the
Glass (visible)
base. The fischer SXS is now activated. geometry of the cones intensifies the outside. The post-expansion range then
ESG facade boards (printed)
expansion forces as soon as the load actively increases the expansion forces,
Fixings: Subconstruction: 3,600 fischer Anchor bolts
acting on the screw increases. with the fischer SXS compensating the
FAZ A4
enlargement of the drill hole. The SXS
500 fischer frame fixings FUR
has now post-expanded.
7,300 fischer hammerfix N
Insulation: 5,000 fischer insulation
supports DHK 100
250 fischer insulation supports
DHK 120
Work: NR Metallbau, Straelen

connect it · fischer January 2004