NSC 15
Apr 20
The factory will give
the local economy a
huge boost.
they are structurally-independent and
separated by a double row of columns and a
movement joint.
The warehouse is approximately
80m-long × 30m-wide and consists of a
ground floor and a mezzanine level that
occupies roughly half of the structure’s
footprint. It has been designed as a twinspan
portal frame, with one row of internal
columns between two 15m-long spans.
Running parallel with one of the
production building’s longer elevations, the
four-storey laboratory and administration
building is 80m-long × 30m-wide. This
braced structure is also independent, but is
connected to its neighbour by an atrium.
The atrium is fully glazed and formed
by a series of 12m-long roof trusses. The
trusses were fabricated from tubular
sections and were brought to site as fullywelded
completed sections. The trusses
represent one of the few steel elements
of the project that will remain exposed
and on show in the completed project.
For this reason, the connections between
the trusses and the main steel frames of
the two buildings have been designed as
aesthetically-pleasing pin connections.
Providing circulation and access routes,
two link bridges will span the atrium and
connect the two buildings at first and
second floors.
The laboratory and administration
building is based around a slightly larger
10m × 10m grid pattern, which provides the
structure with more floor space.
This building will also accommodate
the main entrance, much of which will
be housed in an attached timber-framed
structure.
The WuXi facility is scheduled to be
ready for production during 2021.
Industrial
Phase two works
Towards the end of last year, WuXi Biologics
announced that its subsidiary WuXi Vaccines,
engaged in human vaccine contract development
and manufacturing is investing US$240M to build a
new vaccine manufacturing facility adjacent to the “Factory
of the Future”.
Heather Humphreys, Minister for Business, Enterprise
and Innovation of Ireland, said, “I am delighted to
announce 200 highly-skilled jobs in WuXi Vaccines, which
is in addition to the 400 roles announced by WuXi Biologics
for Dundalk. The announcement demonstrates, once again,
that the Border region is a very attractive location in which
to invest.”
“We generally had up to
80 people working on
site throughout the main
programme.”
The factory features
a full-height glazed
atrium
Speed of construction
was one of the main
reasons for choosing a
steel-framed solution
A series of 12m-long
trusses form the atrium
roof
/Portal_frames
/Braced_frames
/Fabrication
/Fabrication#Handling_and_transportation
/Visually_expressed_structural_forms
/Trusses
/Steel-supported_glazed_facades_and_roofs#Atrium_Roofs_and_Sky_lights