Roche Research and Development Centre, Basel

F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG is building a major extension to its headquarters in Basel so it can bring most of the company’s staff together at its historic Grenzacherstrasse site. A new research and development centre with four integrated office and laboratory buildings is being built on the site of the old Building 74. Around 1,900 staff will work in the new centre. Implenia is carrying out highly complex foundation engineering work on the site. The existing building, including seven basement floors, is being demolished. The diaphragm wall used to secure the sides of the excavations will also be used for the new buildings. Implenia is leading the consortium responsible for stabilising the construction pit. 45,000 m of new anchors had to be installed before the basement floors were demolished. The drilling work was done in very restricted space in the existing basement floors, under difficult geological conditions and with counterpressure from groundwater. All deliveries had to be made via a ramp down into the basement floors in parallel with the demolition work. The new building should be completed in 2023.

Facts & Figures

Customer
F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG

Equipment used
12 anchor drilling rigs

Pre-stressed anchors
1,750

Challenges
Restricted space, deliveries exclusively via ramps, difficult geological conditions

First anchor hole drilled
November 2017

Final anchor installed
August 2018