Construction of EUROVEA’s extension fully underway - first Slovak skyscraper’s foundations being concreted

The expansion of the popular EUROVEA complex on the Danube embankment has achieved yet another milestone. On Friday 18 September contractors began concreting the foundation slab for EUROVEA TOWER, the first skyscraper in Slovakia. Project developer J&T REAL ESTATE (JTRE) also invited the media on-site to record this unique event - which will take an incredible three whole days and nights.

Before concreting began, construction workers attached a 1,880-ton steel concrete reinforcement. The thickest reinforcement bars are four centimetres in diameter, 12 meters long, and weigh 120 kilograms. The foundation slab will comprise a three-meter thick, 7,050 cubic meters (cbm) volume of concrete. Three concrete mixers and two back-ups are on site, which revolve over 630 times throughout the concreting process.

Concrete reaches the excavation site via three mobile pumps, which are supplemented by one stand-by pump during technical breaks with one back-up also prepared. Forty workers per shift work on the concreting of the skyscraper’s base plate.

"The pouring of the foundation slab under the apartment building, the reinforcing and concreting of which is unique in Slovakia, was preceded by numerous preparatory phases. In addition to the fact that the foundations of the first Slovak skyscraper were designed by the best statics experts, we also consulted a second structural engineer who audited the design and verified the proposed solution. To double-check the soil properties as established by the geological survey, we performed pile tests to reveal the subsoil’s load-bearing capacity and confirm the proposed design. After a month attaching slab reinforcements, we are now approaching the concreting phase," explains Ľuboš Kaštan, JTRE project manager.

Construction is progressing fast

Preparatory work began in March 2019 on the construction site between EUROVEA’s first stage and Apollo Bridge, with a 420,000-cubic meter pit 300 metres long, 100 metres wide, and 14 metres deep excavated. Construction of the EUROVEA 2 project began after the official building permit was issued in December 2019. Using four drilling rigs, BAUER has drilled almost 1,400 piles (measuring a total of almost 22 kilometres) that will comprise components of the project’s  foundations.

In March 2020, JTRE selected VHS-PS, s.r.o. and the EUROVEA 2 association consisting of leading member STRABAG Pozemné a inžinierske staviteľstvo, s.r.o. and SYTIQ a.s. as contractors for the rough construction - foundation slabs and reinforced concrete load-bearing structures.

In May, the first 91-meter crane was erected on site to build the shopping centre. A total of 14 cranes will be working on the project, with the tallest ever built in Slovakia, which will gradually grow together with the EUROVEA TOWER skyscraper. Around  300 construction workers are on-site every day.

Danube living inspires strong interest

The project comprises six constructions - EUROVEA shopping centre’s extension, 168-metre EUROVEA TOWER (the first Slovak skyscraper), EUROVEA RIVERSIDE residences, PRIBINOVA X and PRIBINOVA Y office buildings, and underground garages. "Our goal is the well-considered and comprehensive completion of the Eurovea City zone. By emphasising pleasant public spaces and a comfortable environment through plenty of greenery, we aim to make this contemporary Bratislava centre maximally welcoming to residents, employees, and visitors. The popular Danube promenade will be extended by a 25,000 sqm waterfront park and new three-zone age-targeted activity park. A welcome new avenue of trees will bring shade to Pribinova Street, and a new water-feature square will perfectly complement the skyscraper’s foreground. The provision of quality spaces will make the Danube and riverside area even more attractive for Bratislava residents and city visitors,” observes Pavel Pelikán, JTRE’s executive director.

Even though apartments have only been available for purchase since last summer, over 70% of the 485 residences have already been sold. "Interest in EUROVEA TOWER and EUROVEA RIVERSIDE apartments has been strong since day one. Demand soon recovered after the start of the coronavirus pandemic, with interest again increasing and purchase contracts being signed as soon as social distancing measures allowed. This high level of interest applies to all price levels of apartments in the skyscraper and waterfront area,” says Ivan Bratko, JTRE Residential Projects’ head of sales.

Eurovea 2 project

Extension of shopping centre - 25,000 sqm of retail space (85,000 sqm with current centre)

Eurovea Tower - 45 floors, 168 meters high, 389 residences

Eurovea Riverside - 7 floors, 96 residences

Pribinova X - 18,000 sqm of leasable office space

Pribinova Y - 22,000 sqm of leasable office space

Underground garages - 1,400 parking spaces

Lengthening of the Danube promenade - 25,000 sqm waterfront park, new activity park, playgrounds

Pribinova city boulevard - with new square in Eurovea Tower foreground and new tree avenue

Connecting promenade area with public transport bus stop on Apollo Bridge

Completion - 2022-2023

Eurovea 2 construction

Total volume of foundation concrete - 3,104 cbm

Total volume of rough construction concrete - 146 180 cbm

Total weight of reinforcements - 26,869.51 t

Base plate for Eurovea Tower:

Concrete volume - 7 050 cbm

Weight of concrete reinforcement - 1880 t

Base plate thickness – mid-part 3,000 mm, circumference 1,350 mm, recess (+ recess wall) 5,525 mm