The Race Against Time. A 2,000 Tonne Grain Store Project
In December 2022, our Specialist Installation Division (SID) were asked by a Cambridgeshire farming business if there was still time to construct a 2,000-tonne bulk grain store with drying facilities for the 2023 harvest. Having vast experience in delivering such projects, SID confirmed that whilst there was little time to lose, they would be up for the challenge. Following a competitive design and tendering process SID where pleased to be awarded the contract.
What followed should have been a straightforward process to obtain Permitted Development approval from the local planning authority, however as is often the case, this proved to be challenging and permission was eventually obtained four weeks behind the program. Despite the delay, SID had been able to engage early with their reliable team of contractors to ensure all design work was in place to enable work to start on site in earnest as soon as permission was granted. The site was quickly stripped and hard-cored, drainage & foundations constructed, and last week as can be seen in the photo, the steel frame was erected to bring the works back onto the original timeline.
As with many of SID’s projects, they have been commissioned to provide a ‘turn-key’ project which includes complete project design, planning permission, groundworks, steel frame, concrete walling, roof & wall cladding, floor slabs, crop drying & ventilations installations, doors, electrical installation, drainage and external aprons. In this instance, the crop drying system is complemented with a grain stirrer, with the crop stored at a 4m level fill this allows the use of a high temperature drying system utilising lower volumes of air at high temperature to heat the grain stack before stirring and driving the moisture away with the aid of the extraction fans.
If you are thinking about new grain storage facilities for 2024, now is the time to talk to SID so that the project can be designed & tendered, planning permission obtained and works scheduled in time for the following harvest. Contact SID »
