Smart fastening methodology 

For fast and efficient 'blind' fixing of facade panels

For the expansion and metamorphosis of care center GZC in Breda, the building improvement specialists B-invented gratefully used SFS Group's smart mechanical fastening solutions. Indeed, the world-leading supplier of mechanical fastening systems has a complete range of solutions for mounting the chosen fiber cement panels quickly and efficiently. With the possibility of later exchange or reuse. Circularity at its best.

The facade of the "new" GZC is formed by HSB elements with horizontally placed fiber cement panels in varying heights as an aesthetic shell. "We have a solution in our product range to fix the cladding blind mechanically," says Gijs Gooren, account manager at SFS Group. "On the advice of sawmill Maas Reusel, which processes the fiber cement panels, we were already connected in the preliminary process to jointly coordinate the details. Because the horizontal positioning in combination with the varying heights of the panels presented quite a few challenges for determining the rail positions of the SFS NV3 rear construction."

Added value

For this project, SFS not only provided the delivery, but also took on the drawing work and the static calculations of the facade. "That added value is appreciated by our customers," Gijs knows. "We therefore collaborated intensively with Maas Reusel who, under conditioned conditions, did all the pre-treatment work on the fiber cement panels, including the mounting of the panel hooks with our unique TUF-S for a blind attachment of the panels. The aesthetic shell was thus delivered completely prefabricated. At the construction site, first the NV3 rail was mounted at the correct distance against the posts of the HSB elements. Then the facade panels were suspended and fixed to prevent horizontal movement. Even with such prefabrication, it is still possible to make minor adjustments on site. The system offers a lot of adjustment range. That makes the concept very flexible."

Stable fixation

Another big advantage of SFS' aluminum fastening systems, according to Gijs, is that you are less dependent on the weather. "And thanks to the mechanical fastening, you can also give the facade panels and profiles a second life at the end of their useful life, because the system is easy to dismantle. GZC also uses black joint caps on the horizontal rail. As a result, the rear construction is no longer visible." 

Finally, SFS recommends fixing the TUF-S with the Gesipa Powerbird Pro. "The so-called rivet placement tool guarantees an even force of 20,000 Newtons. When pulling the trigger, the placement force is constant both on the first and the 500th time. This ensures a very stable fixation," Gijs concludes.