In October 2021, chocolate manufacturer Barry Callebaut opened his new distribution center "The Chocolate Box" along the E17 in Lokeren. A unique and challenging construction project that WDP entrusted to Alheembouw as the main contractor. For the earthworks, sewerage, and roadworks, Verhelst Aannemingen was brought on board.
A good preparation is the foundation of every success story. For the Barry Callebaut project, you can take that literally. The preparatory groundwork, due to its scope and tight timing, was quite a challenge. The experience and expertise of Verhelst Aannemingen, part of the Verhelst Group, was more than welcome for Alheembouw. Egon Braem, director of industry/retail at Alheembouw: “We have been working together for many years and immediately saw Verhelst as the perfect partner for this project. The expertise in the field of ground and remediation work and the experience with large construction projects were decisive. They have all the people and equipment to manage the soil supply, earthmoving, and the stabilization, leveling, and asphalting effectively. We quickly found common ground in terms of planning and budget as well, with great confidence from both sides.”
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LARGEST CHOCOLATE WAREHOUSE IN THE WORLD
Callebaut is the largest manufacturer of cocoa and chocolate products in the world and dreamed of a central distribution center to serve its customers worldwide in a sustainable and smart way. The dream took shape: in 2021, the company opened the world's largest chocolate warehouse, with a total area of 60,000 m2 (equivalent to 12 football fields) and a height of 41 meters. From here, millions of kilos of Belgian chocolate are distributed to 140 countries worldwide. The location along the E17 in Lokeren was carefully chosen, with a direct connection to the port of Antwerp and close to the production sites in Wieze and Halle.
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A GOOD FOUNDATION IS EVERYTHING
In January 2020, the first preparatory works began. The site, previously pastureland, had not yet been developed. Moreover, accessibility was limited, as the new Callebaut warehouse was the first project on the new business site. It was up to our specialists to make the site ready for construction. The land was raised by no less than 180,000 cubic meters of soil in three months. A feat of engineering.
Jens Vanslambrouck, project manager at Verhelst: “Starting in early January with a deadline at the end of March, we faced a very tight schedule. Initial calculations showed that we would overload the E17 with trucks delivering soil daily. To avoid a traffic jam, the delivery of soil was set at 3,000 to 5,000 cubic meters per day, which amounted to about 330 trucks per day.”
The start of the works during the winter months was an additional challenge. Moreover, February 2020 was the wettest month in 10 years. And in March, there was the outbreak of the coronavirus crisis. Still, Verhelst Aannemingen managed to adhere to the schedule and continue guaranteeing the quality of the work. Throughout the entire process, there was open and transparent communication, and a determination ‘to get the job done’.
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WORK IN PHASES
Starting to elevate the first plot on difficult-to-access terrain, in order to tackle the plot at the back in a next phase: it required an additional thought process. Egon Braem: “That's the advantage of working with a partner you know through and through. Verhelst worked with us to find the best way to organize the construction site. In this complex project, their input and expertise were more than welcome to bring it to a successful conclusion. For example, because we had to start building from two sides simultaneously, it was decided to construct one large asphalt ring around the site. Under normal circumstances, such a construction road often uses rubble, but due to the scale, asphalt was chosen here. This way, it is easier to keep the construction road clean, as everyone on the site could use it.”
Two layers of two meters
The construction site needed to be raised by a total of two meters. Normally, the ground is given time to settle after being raised, sometimes up to a year. Due to the tight schedule, there was no time for this. So, we placed an additional two meters of preloading as extra weight on top of the initial two meters. After 14 days, the second layer was removed again. Machines first move back and forth over a two-meter-high layer to bring in a second layer of soil, and then they have to remove it again, which resulted in a lot of transport on the site itself. And then there's the processing of the imported soil. Jens Vanslambrouck: “Sometimes we were stabilizing with two teams simultaneously. Very burdensome for the site and a challenge for our planners.”
After the second layer of soil was removed again, it was used to raise the surrounding area. This way, there was no excess soil and no unnecessary removal of soil from the site.
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THINKING IN SOLUTIONS
After the preparatory groundwork, the sewerage plan and the general design plan were scheduled. Think of the construction of roads on the site. Here too, Alheembouw could count on Verhelst Aannemingen to collaborate with the architect and the engineering office and ensure a smooth execution, respecting the predetermined budget and schedule. Egon Braem: “For this project, there was no specification book. So we had a lot of freedom to consult with all parties in the construction team. And then it's always pleasant to cooperate with a partner who contributes ideas and has great expertise, like Verhelst Aannemingen. For example, based on their advice, we could provide the most suitable solution for asphalt. That is reassuring and gives us confidence for the future.”
The Chocolate Box was delivered perfectly on time, much to the client's satisfaction. Alheembouw and Verhelst Aannemingen have already found each other again in several other challenging construction projects. To be continued.
