VILLA KABBAJ, CASABLANCA, MOROCCO

CCL designed the post-tensioned (PT) solution which brought architect Mohammad Kabbaj’s vision for his new home to life. The project involved the transformation of an old family villa located in the California district of Casablanca into a modern open-plan, fair-faced concrete villa. 

The open-plan design of the villa required large spans which meant the original slab design using reinforced concrete was not favorable as it would have required drop beams to support the weight of the slabs, compromising the open-plan design. As the architect had used post-tensioning to overcome this problem on a previous project, he knew that it could provide the ideal solution.

CCL was approached to provide a post-tensioned solution for the first-floor slab and cover slab for the roof. The first-floor slab was designed in a conventional way, however, the roof slab was much more complex as it is not a flat design but is pitched, features numerous different angles, and is cantilevered to overhang the facade on every elevation.

The unusual shape of the cover slab meant that longitudinal post-tensioning tendons had to be combined with transversal reinforcement to provide the structural support required for the cantilevered overhangs while addressing the challenges of the zig-zagged pitch.

Post-tensioning provided the strength required for the large open-plan interiors. It also controlled deflection to ensure that the building is less susceptible to cracking and the risk of damage to the glazing is significantly reduced.

Engineers from CCL produced detailed drawings of the scheme of works as well as providing the equipment and tendons for local contractor SGTM to carry out the installation with on-site support and assistance from CCL’s expert team.