Solico engineers sustainable Duplicor composite building façade

Solico Engineering has announced its latest collaboration with long-term client Holland Composites, providing all composite engineering work for the new 14,000m² Duplicor façade for The Pulse of Amsterdam.

This high-end mixed-use project, situated in the Zuidas business district, showcases Solico's expertise in large-scale sustainable engineered composite structures and Holland Composites' Duplicor technology.

Duplicor combines the free-form design possibilities, low weight, minimal maintenance properties of existing composites with cost-effectiveness, fire resistance, and sustainability. Solico worked alongside Holland composites during the development cycle of their new material solution, providing mechanical testing and material characterisation at its in-house test laboratory.

The Pulse façade, designed by MVSA Architects and installed by façade contractor De Groot & Visser, incorporates approximately 1,100 composite elements, each measuring 3.6 x 3.8m. Solico engineers analysed multiple versions of the picture frame-style composite modules that cantilever progressively further outward towards the top of the building. Engineering optimisation of the panel laminates, fixing points to the building structure and mounting details for the integrated solar panels, was enhanced by higher than normal wind loads predicted by scale model wind tunnel testing at specialists Peutz Netherlands.

Solico has now completed the composite engineering for the Pulse façade and is eagerly following the installation phase of the project as the latest new addition to the Amsterdam skyline continues to take shape.

Eric van Uden, managing director of Solico and project lead for the Pulse, commented: "The testing done for Holland Composites and De Groot & Visser confirms the new Duplicor technology as a unique composite solution. We see enormous potential for Duplicor in a wide range of construction applications, as the combination of structural performance, fire properties, and cost it offers is something we've not seen before in a lightweight composite – let alone a sustainable 100% bio-based one."

Sven Erik Janssen, commercial director at Holland Composites, emphasised the value of Solico's expertise throughout the Duplicor development cycle, noting: "Having a partner like Solico supporting us with their experience, test results and aging analysis was a major asset for us, providing third-party verification of Duplicor's long-term mechanical performance. Now, we are ready to revolutionise the architectural composites market forever."

www.solico.nl