Client: Partner Logistics
Project: Frozen Storage Facilities
Locations: 2 across the UK

Projects Overview
The largest capacity freezer in the UK has been completed by ISD cold stores of Gloucester. The 77,000 pallet, fully automated freezer located in Wisbech, is the second UK warehouse built by ISD on behalf of Dutch based Partner Logistics. The high bay extends to an incredible 35m in height and has a floor plan of 175m x 88m. Combined with the loading/picking building, the total project required over 36,000m2 of composite insulation panel to complete. If you’re ever heading east on the A47 towards Wisbech, the building is clearly visible some 6 miles ahead in the distance.

The scale of the project was such that it made the local BBC news. See link below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDSQNPKfBxE

Gloucester was the site of the previous High Bay ‘clad rack’ freezer. The ‘Ice cube’ as it is known locally, has a capacity of 72,000 pallets and was the first high bay clad rack freezer in the UK to be constructed using composite insulation panels to form both the walls and roof of the envelope.

Design Requirements
Design of the insulation envelopes had to satisfy many demanding performance requirements. With internal freezer temperatures of   -25⁰C and fluctuating ambient conditions, the entire envelope, junctions and connections to the racking, had to be designed to accommodate significant shrinkage and expansion, independent of the supporting structure. Wall panel fixings were also designed to accommodate varying extremes of thermal bowing along the panel length. Added to this were 1 hour fire rating requirements and cold store design fundamentals such as continuous insulation and vapour barrier to the entire envelope. The High Bay was designed to have depleted oxygen as part of the building fire strategy. Oxygen is reduced from 20% to around 15%, equivalent to approximately 10,000 feet altitude. At this level fire cannot burn yet is sufficient for service personnel to work.

Build Logistics
Tightly controlled and coordinated construction ensured that both projects achieved all design performance objectives. Specialist plant, including a 45m reach ‘Z’ boom and 80m tower cranes were used to access external elevations and roof. Operatives were positioned within the racking at strategic locations necessary to secure the wall panels of up to 19m in length. For both sites storage and access were extremely limited and ‘just in time’ deliveries were adopted.

Health and Safety
Working at 30 to 35m height, with no possibility of safety netting due to the matrix of racking below. Personnel access to and from racking locations at varying heights. Manoeuvring and positioning 19m long panels weighing up to 400Kgs each. Were just some of the Health and Safety issues to resolve. Working with the Project Manager our in house Health and Safety officer provided detailed Method Statements to satisfy the H.S.E. and both Installations were completed without incident.

Air pressure test.
Results of the independent  Air Pressure test carried out by BSRIA at Wisbech were outstanding. Air leakage was recorded at
0.1m3 per hour at an increased pressure of 60 pascals, (standard test dictates 50 pascals). This is by far the best result ever recorded by BSRIA who are the UK’s leading test house.

NB: IACSC (International Associated of Cold storage Contractors) design guide suggests a target result of 0.5m3 per hour at 50 pascals pressure.

This achievement is testament to ISD’s careful design detailing, management of the site installation, and workmanship of ISD’s operatives.

The two projects are located at:

• Gloucester
• Wisbech