CNH Industrial: the making of an eco-friendly structure for the World Expo

LONDON, May 5, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- How does one build an impressive pavilion for a universal event that will host thousands of visitors and needs to remain standing for six months in different seasonal weather conditions? How does a brand convey a greater message about itself and its values with that structure? And what's more, how does one do this in an environmentally sustainable way while abiding by the strict regulations of the event's authority? These were the questions that CNH Industrial's global agricultural machinery brand New Holland Agriculture had to address when it came to building its Sustainable Farm Pavilion.

The result is a remarkable structure that has sparked interest due to its many innovative aspects, among which include: its ability to be completely repurposed following Expo; the exclusive use of dry construction; the eco-friendly, minimal impact working practices observed on-site; the efficiency and speed with which it was completed; and finally, the pavilion's distinctive character as a living representation of the future of sustainable farming.

The criteria set out to pavilion builders by Le Bureau International des Expositions (BIE, the international body that regulates the frequency, quality and performance of the expositions) required that each created their respective pavilion in a sustainable and energy saving manner.

The creative concept of New Holland's Sustainable Farm Pavilion, conceived by Recchi Engineering, was developed by FCA Partecipazioni, the service company of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. A team effort in every sense, this pavilion was brought to life thanks to the combined synergies of technicians, engineers, suppliers, businesses, creative professionals and the brand New Holland itself. These parties worked together from start to finish to realise the final product. They approached the requirements of the BIE by devising a plan that would foresee no effect to the site area after takedown.

The biggest challenge was to construct a completely eco-sustainable pavilion that could be built without generating any type of waste and that after serving its original purpose could then be dismantled, preserving all of its bits and pieces, and reconstructed at another site.

Demanding indeed considering the scale of the project. With around 1,200 square metres of covered space with a height of 12 metres, the two-floor pavilion features a grass-covered sloping roof with a methane-powered tractor prototype that sits atop it. Its stunning south facade is also clad with photovoltaic cells to power part of it.

An ambitious building in all respects which demanded careful attention when it came to addressing the construction of its foundation. While nearly all foundations are created with concrete, this structure is entirely devoid of it as the New Holland pavilion cannot remain in place after Expo. The pavilion was assembled according to the techniques of dry construction. Where concrete requires water, this site was able to operate entirely without it.

Dry construction calls for the use of pre-fabricated steel pieces that are assembled on site with screws. All of these pieces are designed using Building Information Modelling (BIM), an intelligent 3D model based process for the planning, design, construction and management of buildings. Using BIM, the team was able to create every piece in all of its most minute intricacies and give each one a specific model number to connect it with the other pieces that were a part of the structure. As a result, everything created via computer corresponded perfectly upon construction, with virtually no possibility of error as each piece was designed exactly as it was planned digitally.

The pavilion took eight months to complete. Assembly began in early July 2014 and the construction concluded in mid-February 2015. A mini excavator from fellow CNH Industrial brand New Holland Construction was used to dig into the site ground to install the piping system. The team then created a solid gravel terrain upon which to erect the pavilion. A Eurocargo truck from Iveco, CNH Industrial's commercial vehicles brand, was also used to transport the necessary materials to and from the site.

Now complete, this impressive structure hosts the best of the New Holland brand in terms of technology applied to agricultural mechanisation and sustainability, aimed at meet the growing needs to feed the planet.

"Our Sustainable Farm Pavilion will bring Expo visitors closer to farming and take them on an interactive journey through the evolution of agriculture. There, we want to plant the seed for a better future of food safety and respect for the environment", said Carlo Lambro, Brand President of New Holland Agriculture.

Watch the construction of the Sustainable Farm Pavilion at: http://bit.ly/1CtiywF

CNH Industrial N.V. (NYSE: CNHI /MI: CNHI) is a global leader in the capital goods sector with established industrial experience, a wide range of products and a worldwide presence. Each of the individual brands belonging to the Company is a major international force in its specific industrial sector: Case IH, New Holland Agriculture and Steyr for tractors and agricultural machinery; Case and New Holland Construction for earth moving equipment; Iveco for commercial vehicles; Iveco Bus and Heuliez Bus for buses and coaches; Iveco Astra for quarry and construction vehicles; Magirus for firefighting vehicles; Iveco Defence Vehicles for defence and civil protection; and FPT Industrial for engines and transmissions. More information can be found on the corporate website: www.cnhindustrial.com

SOURCE CNH Industrial N.V.

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