Client – Power Europe
Project – 2 hr Firewalls
Location – Cannock, Staffs

Leading firewall specialists ISD has erected more than the 15,000 m² of firewall in only 12 weeks at a massive distribution centre in Cannock, Staffordshire. The Project was for Power Europe, an Exel Group Company, and ISD won the £750,000 design, supply and installation contract for the firewall from Simons Construction of Lincoln.

The distribution facility, one of the largest of its kind erected in the West Midlands, measures 163m by 235m, at ground level, reaches a staggering 30m on the high pitched bay section, and the walling in the separate co-packing area rises to 20m.

Tony Wall, ISD Managing Director, said, “Project Annona is our second major contract for an Exel distribution centre”. "In common with lots of our projects, the internal envelope is designed and rated for one hour fire control. But, we work on the principle of providing, wherever possible, extended passive fire control and protection. In the unlikely event of a disaster scenario unfolding, the client has a greater window of opportunity to avoid a major loss”.

"In this case, the wall will provide up to two hour protection. It’s another example of our commitment to offer our clients state-of-the-art materials and components for the protection for their vital assets and stored products. Erecting the 15,120m² of Eurobond passive fire wall in a huge building of this size and scale demanded an innovative solution."

To meet the erection schedule for the five separate walls, the team employed a sophisticated German-made trailer-mounted crane. This supplemented the standard JCB system used to raise panels to 13 m and, being more manoeuvrable, allowed faster erection above that height.

For this project, the added complication of working at extreme heights and the associated safety implications have been the major concerns. Now complete the £20m centre has a 30m high racking and automatic picking system running on monorails throughout the building. In addition to the internal walling, isd assembled two massive walls, one 116m long, the other 236m in length rising to 18m and 15, 120m² respectively. These were attached to the exterior steelwork of the facility.