The storage hall built for PHARMOS, a.s., a pharmacy wholesaler in Ostrava-Přívoz sized 70 × 25 × 3.7 metres was the first big hall to use LLENTAB’s system in the Czech Republic in 1995. The disastrous flood of 1997, two years after the completion of the storage hall, put the facility to a tough test – almost the entire hall was flooded in July 1997, with water level reaching up to 3.5m.
The most disastrous flood of the 20th century struck one-third of the Czech Republic quickly and unexpectedly, affecting mostly Moravia and East Bohemia. Precipitation in some areas of the Morava and Odra river basins exceeded one-half of the annual aggregate in just a few days. The flooding claimed 50 casualties and the total loss exceeded CZK 63 billion. This summer, the Czech Republic recalled the flood of 1997 again. Even though tens of billions of crowns were invested in the wake of the destructive flood, flood control is still not sufficient in many places. Hence, having a reliable and resilient structure pays, as confirmed by the hall in Ostrava that still serves its purpose today, 22 years after completion and 20 years after the flood.
Flooded Pharmos storage hall after the flooding of 1997.
Pharmos storage hall after restoration in 1998.
When the flood subsided and the water level dropped, we dismantled the interior casing and thoroughly cleaned the entire structure with pressurised water. Of course, we threw the original basalt wool insulation away and replaced it with new panels. If I remember well, soffits were replaced too because the water was really high. The job was difficult due to the moisture and a risk of health complications, so we placed emphasis on employee sanitation. Other than that, everything was done really quickly – if I remember it well, it took less than a month – and the fact that the hall is still standing and serving well today is no big surprise for me. I have been working in the field for more than 40 years and I have built hundreds of halls using various systems in various positions in that time. I have to say that the LLENTAB structural system is perfect in that it is resilient, modular, requires no finishing, and is easy to transport and exceptionally variable. After all, the high moisture resistance is well illustrated by the halls that have been standing in Kungshamn, Sweden for more than 40 years. The local conditions are really very difficult. LLENTAB starts with the perfect protection of high-strength steel that all profiles are made of. Thanks to the hot-dip galvanising process, the structure will be oxidised but not corroded even during long-lasting exposure to moisture. Even the flood wave during the 1997 flood did not damage the hall, except for the aforementioned basalt wool insulation. To this day, I visit various sites and inspect quality and I dare say that even the companies that are only learning to use the system are doing a good job thanks to its simplicity, and those who are well versed in working with LLENTAB add speed and efficiency on top of quality.
