PHOTOVOLTAIC PERGOLA IN THE FORUM 2004

CONSTRUCTION PROJECT AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO THE

CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

Barcelona, 2002-2003

• Images of the pergola under construction.

• General view of the finished structure.

The urban actions of the Forum 2004

were to include a photovoltaic plant of

4,600 m2 capable of generating 1.3 MW

of electrical energy. The supporting

structure, with a maximum height of

almost 52 m, had to allow the orientation

of the surface southwards with an

inclination of 30º, in addition to providing

a large area of shade on the esplanade

of the Forum and the Marina.

The design, developed by architects

Elías Torres and José Antonio Martínez

Lapeña jointly with Esteyco, consisted of

a large metal pergola located at the

southwest end of the esplanade above

the Sailing School. Four planes of

concrete with heights of between 22 and

45 m rise from the roof of the School and

act as a pedestal. The combination of

concrete and steel made it possible to

meet the functional requisites of the plant

and the architectural factors of a

structure of such importance and

symbolism in an outstanding space like

the Forum.

The great complexity of these elements,

the tight deadline for carrying out the

work and the importance of the

topographic and technical coordination

increased the importance of the

construction process. The concrete

“legs” were built independently from the

rest of the structure, using a climbing

formwork that made it possible to work at

four independent sites with great speed.

It was decided to raise the completed

metal beams after welding them on the

ground, with a combination of an 800 t

crane and a 500 t for crane for each

main beam. The greatest difficulty of the

process consisted in aligning a 112 m

long beam weighing 260 t with 25 bolts

embedded in the concrete, with

tolerances of 20 mm and with the

inclinations and geometric complexity of

this structure. When the metal structure

had been completed, the concrete and

the steel were “stitched” using

prestressed bars from the inside of the

boxes.