Cold storage: the importance of food preservation

In an increasingly globalised world, where demand for food is growing exponentially and attention to sustainability becomes crucial, food preservation is a key element in ensuring food safety and reducing waste. The cold chain, including cold rooms, refrigerated transport and temperature-controlled warehouses, is essential to keep perishable products fresh and safe, from the producer to the end consumer.

Cold rooms play a key role in the optimal preservation of food, ensuring that perishable products stay fresh for longer and minimising waste. Thanks to their ability to maintain a constant and controlled temperature, cold rooms slow down the natural spoilage of food, preventing the growth of bacteria and the degradation of nutritional quality. Furthermore, reducing food waste is a global priority.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) estimates that approximately one third of the food produced in the world is lost or wasted each year. Cold storage is an essential tool for reducing these losses, helping to maintain food quality for longer during transport, storage and distribution.

 

IGLU’®: efficiency and sustainability for cold rooms

In cold storage rooms, energy efficiency and thermal insulation are crucial aspects.
The floor of a cold room is often a critical point, as it represents an area where heat loss can be highest. This is where Daliform Group’s IGLU’® technology comes into play, an innovative solution that can significantly improve cold room performance.

IGLU’® is a modular system made of recycled plastic, designed to create an aerated cavity under the floor of cold rooms. This ventilated crawl space improves thermal insulation, reduces the risk of structural damage and offers a sustainable approach to construction.
During the design phase, a ‘smart’ system with mechanical ventilation or one with natural ventilation can be integrated into the apparatus, if properly dimensioned.

 

 

Advantages of the IGLU’® system for cold stores:

  • Improved thermal efficiency: the air cavity created by the IGLU’® system allows for better thermal management, reducing heat transfer from the ground to the cold room. This helps maintain more stable temperatures inside the cold room, reducing the energy consumption needed to cool the space and improving the overall efficiency of the system.
  • Prevention of structural damage: a dry environment underneath the cold room floor is essential to prevent moisture build-up, which can cause deterioration of the foundation and lead to phenomena such as frost heaving, where freezing of the ground causes damaging uplifts to the structure.
    The IGLU’® system reduces this risk, increasing the durability of the entire infrastructure.
  • Ease of installation: IGLU’®’s modular, lightweight system allows quick and efficient installation, reducing construction time and costs. This flexible system easily adapts to different space configurations, offering customised solutions for every type of cold store.
  • Environmental sustainability: IGLU’® modules are made of recycled plastic, helping to reduce the environmental impact of cold storage construction. Their arched design ensures maximum strength, reducing the need for additional materials and thus contributing to a more sustainable construction.

Cold stores are indispensable structures for the safe and prolonged storage of food and for reducing food waste along the cold chain. In this scenario, the IGLU’® system is an ideal solution for more efficient, sustainable and durable cold stores, making a significant contribution not only to food preservation but also to reducing the environmental impact of industrial facilities.

Green roofs Daliform

EARTH SHELTER BUILDINGS: IGLU’® Green Roofs

Since the 1970s, bio-architecture has explored underground construction, focusing on reducing ecological footprints and enhancing microclimates.
These structures not only blend seamlessly into the landscape but also offer substantial energy savings and adapt well to complex topographies. Key benefits of subterranean buildings include stabilised internal temperatures due to the thermal inertia of the ground and superior thermal and acoustic insulation.

IGLU’® GREEN ROOF: The Sustainable Choice

To achieve efficient and sustainable underground buildings, the selection of appropriate materials and technologies is crucial. IGLU’® GREEN ROOF, a system made from recycled plastic, exemplifies the fusion of ecological benefits and high technical performance, enabling the creation of green roofs with multiple advantages:

  • Water Retention and Gradual Drainage: IGLU’® GREEN ROOF excels in retaining and storing water, promoting gradual drainage during heavy rainfall, which prevents vegetation loss due to either water scarcity or excess.
  • Environmental Sustainability: This system enhances both the macro and microclimates, improving air quality and contributing to overall environmental health.
  • Thermal Insulation: It contributes to the thermal insulation of the building, reducing heat loss in winter and offering natural cooling in summer, thus ensuring year-round indoor comfort.
  • Acoustic Insulation: IGLU’® GREEN ROOF effectively mitigates sound transmission, reducing noise propagation to the rooms below and enhancing indoor comfort.
  • Increased Property Value: The aesthetic and functional benefits of green roofs significantly enhance property value, making buildings more attractive and valuable.

Applications in Various Building Types

IGLU’® GREEN ROOF is ideal for a wide range of structures, including residential housing, commercial buildings, and public infrastructure. Its application in underground projects improves the sustainability of these buildings and enhances their appeal, creating more welcoming and pleasant environments for occupants.

The adoption of underground buildings offers an innovative response to modern environmental and urban challenges. With Daliform Group’s IGLU’® GREEN ROOF, projects can achieve a blend of sustainability, energy efficiency, and landscape integration.

By utilising modern technologies and thoughtful design, underground buildings can revolutionise construction and living spaces, contributing to a greener, more resilient future.

Cover image: Gluck+

Regeneration and Sustainability

URBAN REGENERATION: The former fruit and vegetable market in Genoa, a story of rebirth

Urban regeneration is a crucial component in the sustainable development of contemporary cities. Through targeted interventions, disused and degraded areas can be transformed into vibrant and functional spaces, meeting the needs of an ever-evolving society. An exemplary case of such transformation is the renovation of the former fruit and vegetable market in Genoa.

Urban regeneration extends beyond mere building restoration; it encompasses the redevelopment of entire neighbourhoods, enhancing the quality of life for residents, promoting environmental sustainability, and stimulating the local economy. This process may include the rehabilitation of historic buildings, the creation of new public spaces, the improvement of infrastructure, and the promotion of sustainable mobility. One of the most effective approaches in urban regeneration is public-private collaboration, which combines resources and expertise to realise ambitious and impactful projects.

 

The Redevelopment of the Former Fruit and Vegetable Market in Genoa

The former fruit and vegetable market in Genoa serves as an ideal case study for understanding the significance of urban regeneration. Situated in a strategic location within the city, this space had languished in neglect for several years, becoming a symbol of decay. Thanks to an ambitious redevelopment and reuse project, the area has undergone a radical transformation, emerging as a hub of attraction that fosters greater social cohesion. The design of this new multifunctional space has preserved the historical memory of the complex, creating a large park for the community and commercial spaces for local businesses.

U-Boot® Beton: Technology at the Service of Regeneration

A distinctive feature of this project was the utilisation of U-Boot® Beton, a recycled plastic formwork for voided biaxial slabs, offering several advantages:

  • Reduction in Structural Weight: By unburdening the floor, it was possible to reduce the load on the bearing structures, facilitating renovation without compromising stability.
  • Environmental Sustainability: U-Boot® Beton contributed to reducing the environmental impact of the project, thanks to the significant savings in concrete and steel.
  • Design Flexibility: The versatility of U-Boot® Beton allowed for easy adaptation to specific project requirements, as it is ideal for buildings with complex geometries.

Urban regeneration is a complex yet indispensable process to reintegrate disused or abandoned areas into our cities. Investing in urban regeneration means building a better future for the community, transforming forgotten spaces into places of opportunity and growth.

     

U-Bahn® Beton - RIVM + CBG in Utrecht

Building with Recycled Plastic Products: Lightweight Slabs with U-Bahn® Beton for Sustainable Construction

In contemporary construction, the quest for innovative and sustainable solutions is increasingly paramount. Within this context, lightweight slabs with U-Bahn® Beton emerge as a high-performance and environmentally conscious choice.
Crafted from recycled plastic, U-Bahn® Beton modular formwork exemplifies the principles of the circular economy.
The advantages of this technology extend beyond environmental benefits, offering tangible improvements in construction efficiency.

Why Choose U-Bahn® Beton for One-Way Lightweight Floor Slabs?

As a lightweight and stackable void former, U-Bahn® Beton provides exceptional design flexibility. Unlike brick piñatas and polystyrene formers, it facilitates the creation of cavities for the passage of cables and installations.

PERFORMANCE ADVANTAGES

Maximum Versatility: U-Bahn® Beton is ideal for the production of precast slabs, significantly reducing construction time and labour costs.
High Precision and Uniformity: The U-Bahn® Beton void former ensures perfect concrete rib geometry, enhancing structural performance.
Improved Site Cleanliness: Its compact and modular design minimises waste and debris on site, promoting a cleaner and safer working environment.
Enhanced Seismic Performance: The presence of a double reinforced concrete shell imparts greater rigidity and seismic resistance to U-Bahn® Beton slabs, making them ideal for areas with high seismic risk.

APPLICATIONS

U-Bahn® Beton is the optimal solution for lightweight one-way slabs in a diverse range of buildings, including residential, commercial, office, industrial structures, and public buildings such as schools and hospitals. It is particularly suited for applications that require one-way slabs and floors where minimizing structural loads is essential.
This system not only reduces the need for concrete and steel but also significantly lowers the building’s embodied carbon footprint.

A notable application is in underground construction using the “top-down” technique. Unlike traditional open-air construction that progresses from the bottom up, this method involves constructing load-bearing slabs from the top down, alternating slab construction with the excavation of lower levels.
This technique is often employed in the development of underground car parks in historic city centres, where the presence of adjacent buildings and the necessity for rapid road system restoration pose significant constraints.

Stormwater management

Atlantis System: An Innovative Solution for Effective Rainwater Management

Continuous cementation and increasing settlement densities, although necessary for human development, are causing significant changes in surface and groundwater regimes. Additionally, climate change and rising temperatures are altering weather patterns. The most obvious effects of this climatic trend are more intense and concentrated rainfall, followed by extended periods of drought. These extreme weather phenomena significantly increase the likelihood of flooding due to severe and sudden deluges.

Soil sealing prevents rainwater from being absorbed into the ground, shortening runoff time and causing water to reach receiving bodies much more abruptly. This leads to several problems:

  • Reduction in Water Reserves: Less rainwater is absorbed, lowering aquifers and risking their depletion.
  • Sewer Overload: A sudden increase in the volume of water can jeopardize system functionality, resulting in flooding and associated social costs.
  • Water Quality: As water flows through urban areas, it becomes increasingly polluted, leading to greater wastage of drinking water.
  • Flood Risk: On a larger scale, river basins can collapse, causing flooding with potentially tragic consequences.

Stormwater storage tank

In a context where hydraulic invariance is a standard in new construction, the Atlantis System offers a practical and effective solution for creating water harvesting and lamination tanks. Utilizing the Atlantis System, it is possible to construct rainwater harvesting tanks, dispersion tanks, and water recycling greenhouses. These reinforced concrete tanks, consisting of a bottom slab, perimeter walls, and a top slab supported by columns, are engineered to support a range of loads, including pedestrian walkways, landscaped areas, and car parks.

These tanks can be installed under forecourts, roads, and commercial or industrial car parks to mitigate the effects of flooding caused by exceptional meteorological events. This approach restores the drainage capacity of the ground lost to concrete, without any visual or environmental impact.

Legislation on water protection emphasizes the need for constructing catchment and dispersion basins to prevent flooding and highlights the growing importance of sustainable land transformation. Public authorities can benefit significantly from constructing rainwater dispersion basins. This not only recharges rather than depletes the groundwater table but also eliminates the need to oversize sewer networks as cities expand. Additionally, a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis for an area – be it a municipality, province, or river basin – can facilitate the implementation of a complete hydro-geological rehabilitation plan, thereby significantly reducing the risk of flooding.

Radon, an invisible health hazard

Radon is a gas of natural origin that is odourless, colourless and tasteless, and therefore cannot be perceived by our senses. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), prolonged exposure to this gas can cause serious health damage, increasing the risk of developing lung cancer.

The European Union has urged Italy to prepare a plan ‘against Radon gas’ applicable by 2031, which envisages the measurement of concentration levels in the territory of the gas and the subsequent evaluation of measures to intervene. Since the early 1990s, Daliform Group Srl has been developing and patenting its products based on the regulations of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, precisely to counteract the rise of Radon gas in new and renovated residential buildings.

Building an aerated under-floor cavity with the Iglù® disposable formwork is an effective solution to counteract the rise of Radon. Indeed, the system, exploits the principle of natural ventilation to allow air to circulate: by connecting the under-floor cavity to the outside using special pipes, a flow of air is created which facilitates the dispersion of Radon and humidity from the cavity below the ground floor.

These are the main advantages of choosing an air cavity made with Iglù®:

Effectiveness
It significantly reduces the concentration of Radon in rooms.

Health
It improves indoor air quality and eliminates excess humidity, preventing mould and condensation.

Durability
Durable and long-lasting system.

Sustainability
Made of recycled plastic, it contributes to environmental protection.

Iglu' Barrier Daliform Group per pareti

Iglu’® Barrier: the protection system for retaining walls

Superior performance and durability, Iglu’® Barrier is a recycled plastic panel created to protect the waterproof layer in the walls against the ground.

Thanks to its technical specifications, it guarantees excellent compressive strength by creating a ventilated cavity and avoids contact between the ground and the waterproofing of the retaining wall.

Walls against the ground are exposed to humidity due to capillary action, to which can be added the possible condensation of humid air as a consequence of inadequate thermal insulation.
This situation can lead to the formation of mould, unpleasant odours and above all compromise the durability of the structure.
Iglù® Barrier finds application in various areas, protecting against water infiltration and rising damp.
Ideal for underground areas such as garages, cellars and other underground areas.

Among the several benefits, some peculiar aspects might be highlighted as follows:
Comfort
The resulting air chamber that is created protects from temperature changes, reducing the “cold wall” effect. Thus, heat loss may be reduced, contributing to energy savings.
Superior protection and resistance
Made of high-strength materials, Iglu’® Barrier acts as a barrier for foundations against penetrating damp, condensation and other atmospheric agents, preserving the structural integrity of buildings.
Sustainability
Daliform Group, who plays an active role in sustainability issues, collaborates with professionals and institutions to spread environmentally friendly construction practices. Iglu’® Barrier is one of them, providing projects with environmentally friendly perimeter protection.
Ease of installation
The modular and intuitive design allows for quick and simple installation, reducing construction time and costs, as well as increased safety in the excavation covering process due to excellent compressive strength.
Versatile applications
Iglu’® Barrier adapts to different foundation configurations and soil types, making it ideal for both residential and commercial buildings.

IGLU' Green Roof

GREEN ROOF – Much more than a trend: a great way to help the environment

The projects that integrate green spaces in buildings are steadily increasing, thanks also to the archistars who have been able to turn the spotlight on solutions that combine aesthetics and sustainability.
Green roofs play the leading role for projects around the world with the aim of bringing nature back to the city. This could be pursued, for example, by transforming roofs/rooftops into green spaces that can lend a distinctive character to buildings, while contributing to the fight against progressive cementification.

Green roofing is a valuable solution to the traditional system and it is now a solution adopted by many designers, both for aesthetic reasons and especially for the improvement of building performance. They are linked to the theme of Smart Cities, which embraces concepts intertwined with a new way of seeing the urban reality, based on citizens’ well-being and energy efficiency. Green roofs are permeable spaces that can counteract pollution and promote countless environmental benefits, contributing to energy savings. In some cases, the latter is as much as 10% compared to a building with a traditional roofing system.

These gardens, placed on top of a wide variety of building types, are divided into two types: extensive or intensive – depending on the thickness of the substrate. The extensive green roof is suitable for stratigraphies with reduced thickness, it is generally not usable and requires little maintenance throughout the year. The intensive, on the other hand, is the most traditional solution and allows a great variety of plants, shrubs, and trees – thanks to a stratigraphy with greater thickness.
IGLU’® GREEN ROOF, produced by Daliform Group and made of recycled plastic material, is the solution for creating a green roof that can guarantee:

  • high capacity to retain and store water, facilitating more gradual drainage in case of heavy rainfall and avoiding the disappearance of vegetation due to a lack or excess of water.
  • environmental sustainability through the improvement of the macro- and micro-climate and of air quality.
  • sound insulation, mitigating the action of acoustic waves and reducing propagation to the underlying environments by some decibels, resulting in improved comfort inside the building.
  • thermal insulation, with less heat loss in winter and natural cooling in summer.

In the pictures the Grand Park Hotel Rovinj, with the terraces staggered to create large green spaces, designed by studio 3LHD.