Carl Benz Center Stuttgart

The catering concept provides for a food service event with a total of about 600 seats indoors, and 600 seats outdoors. The special challenge in a Mexican restaurant was to create a contiguous, large, heavy oak floorboard construction - 800 m² of oiled floorboards without expansion joints in between - and install the wood flooring for this on a visual alternating basis.

UFloor Systems was able to overcome the challenge together with the wood flooring specialists from the company Babschanik, from Ebersbach/Fils: High levels of competence on both sides, a custom technical solution with a tension-relieving stress-relief layer from UZIN, and close cooperation guaranteed successful execution on schedule.

That was the starting whistle for the two UFloor Systems brands, UZIN and Wolff, and for the wood flooring installation team at the Babschanik firm!

Subfloor preparation

The calcium sulphate screed (CA)/anhydrited flowscreed had a residual moisture of <0.5 CM% before the installation. The full power of Wolff machinery was used to prepare it: First, it was sanded with the Wolff Mambo monodisc grinding machine, with granular size 16 abrasive paper, as per the directions in the BEB instruction sheet. The powerhouse wasn’t chosen for nothing: The machine’s special technical features include its whisper engine and the very easy to adjust  running gear, infinitely adjustable. The continuously variable speed control from 100-450 RPM means the Mambo abrasive also adjusts perfectly to the area being processed.
After sanding, the screed was vacuumed with the Wolff high-powered T-Rex vacuum. The powerful industrial vacuum cleaner, which can be put together with a custom accessory and hose package, sucks up coarse dirt as well as fine dust. Highlights: It works effectively and powerfully with a hose length of up to a noteworthy 15 metres. Manual vibrating equipment means it can easily clean its whole fabric filter. The 50 litre dirt container can be removed and emptied easily as well. The T-Rex is also comfortable to drive, on its sturdy running gear with big wheels.

Priming and bonding

The installer from Babschanik GmbH primed the substrate with the new fast-drying reactive resin primer UZIN PE 414 Turbo.
The 1-component primer allows for rapid further processing: After just forty minutes of curing time, the wood floor can generally be bonded with reactive resin adhesive; up to two days’ setting time are normal. Thus the installer not only saves time, but also hard cash. Thus the anhydrous, solvent-free primer was rolled on in a thin, even coat with a nylon fibre roller and consumption of about 150-200 g/m².

Jürgen Babschanik’s successful decision for a stress-relief system and shear-resistant wood flooring adhesives

To adhere the solid wood floorboard construction cohesively without expansion joints and on a visually alternating basis, Jürgen Babschanik decided to integrate the tension-relieving stress-relief layer UZIN Multimoll Top 4 into the construction. He also decided to bond that and the floorboards with shear-resistant UZIN wood flooring adhesives. With this flooring construction, he was able to dispense with expansions joints in between.
With the solvent-free 2-component PUR wood flooring adhesive UZIN MK 92 S, the team adhered the insulating renovation board Multimoll Top 4, also from UZIN, with the notch size B 11 diagonally to the installation direction of the subsequent wood flooring. The decoupling underlay for bonded wood floors has impact sound absorbing and heat insulating properties, which are hugely important in a heavily frequented restaurant. UZIN Multimoll Top 4 creates a pressure-resistant floor bonded to the substrate, and relieves shear forces or tensile stress that occurs between the floor covering and the substrate - ideal for security and walking comfort of the restaurant patron. The tiles were ultimately rolled on with a heavy linoleum roller.

Adhere wood flooring & go!

After an overnight drying time, the solid oak floorboards were installed with the solvent-free, anhydrous UZIN adhesive MK 95, with the notch size B 11.

The 1-component PUR wood flooring adhesive with hard elastic, fast-setting adhesive ridge is currently the fastest and nearly unique adhesive of its kind on the market. Like all 1-component PUR wood flooring adhesives, it is ready-made and convenient to apply. It does not cause swelling in the wood, and is therefore also suitable for installing woods that are sensitive to moisture.

Adhesive residues can be removed effortlessly from wood floor surfaces with final sealing. UZIN MK 95 also offers a load of other advantages with respect to soft elastic 1-component PUR products, that make it a true "hit" on the job site: Its fast tightening prevents the wood elements from sliding during application, so it can be worked very quickly. The adhesive also sets fast and tackifies the individual wood flooring elements tightly to the substrate. Negative influences during the setting phase, like swelling or deformation of the wood due to changes in humidity or temperature, are thus kept to a minimum. Thus it can be reliably avoided that the strength development in the adhesive is ruined after installing the wood flooring due to walking on the area too soon. With all of these properties, UZIN MK 95 is a technically secure alternative to solvent-based adhesives or aqueous dispersion-based adhesives for wood flooring.

Sanding after 24 hours

UZIN MK 95 hardens so fast that the installed wood flooring area can be sanded as quickly as 24 hours later. The work was able to be finished expeditiously in this way by Jürgen Babschanik’s installation team. Because the adhesive dries to a hard elastic, it anchors the wood flooring elements tightly and durably to the substrate. Any deformations that occur in the wood will be limited by that.

Other special challenges

The installers were able to overcome a few other peculiarities: The challenges mainly concerned transitions of all kinds. For example, it was necessary to create an aesthetic, clean transition from the floorboards to an uneven, completely indented stone wall. Different stair and landing transitions had to be negotiated with the floorboards, and heating shafts optimally closed off by that. So the different installation directions were the least of the problem. However, the experienced Babschanik team did their best work here, so that the VfB fans can have a good time visiting the restaurant before or after an exciting game, in a relaxed and beautiful atmosphere.

Building concept

The Carl Benz Center slides between the Gottlieb-Daimler Stadium and the new Porsche arena like a colourful decorative wedge. There, where the names of three big automobile pioneers meet, the building work takes off at a rapid pace. The building work for the Carl Benz Center first started last spring. Now the exterior is finished.

The Carl Benz Center should become an important go-to spot for VfB fans especially. The Center is intended to be a melting pot for everyone who likes first division football from Stuttgart.

Hotel, catering, and wellness

Over a third of the area will be occupied by the Hotel Scandic by Hilton in the future. The hotel offers about 141 rooms and 9 exclusive suites and its own fitness, wellness, and event areas.

After all, the Carl Benz Center comes up with a wide range of food service. This includes the Mexican restaurant, among others.

A special structural feature is the façade. There, scaly glass elements alternate with red scuncheons and silver metal panels. The architects conceived an interesting play of colours: Depending on the position of the observer, the building appears silver, then red, by turns.

Installation business Babschanik GmbH, Ebersbach an der Fils

The company has existed for over 45 years and was founded by the father of today’s general directors, Jürgen, Martin, and Stefan Babschanik. It was reorganised into a GmbH in 2002. Babschanik GmbH exclusively employs assistants and foremen of the wood flooring craft, and is also only active in this area. This specialisation sets the company apart from a few others. The jobs in the catchment area between Stuttgart and Munich are evenly distributed to the commercial and private residential areas. References range from the art academy and the Bosch firm in Stuttgart, to the city library in Konstanz, to the renovation of an art nouveau villa in Mönchen-Gladbach.