Distribution
NSC 23
Sept 19
Phase 1 and 2
Winvic was first contracted by Roxhill
Developments in 2013 to construct new
highways infrastructure and undertake a
major cut and fill earthworks scheme to reprofile
the site, which sloped up to 10m, to create plateaus
for the distribution centres.
Phase 1 was completed the same year and included the
delivery of a 3,900m2 steel-framed warehouse for DPD,
with steelwork being fabricated and erected by Caunton
Engineering.
Three further steel-framed distribution centres were
completed during phase 2, which finished in 2016. These
consisted of a 12,000m2 warehouse for Airwair International
(steel by Caunton), a 38,200m2 warehouse for DSV (steel by
Severfield), and Howdens Joinery initial Warth Park facility
(Severfield), which offers 60,880m2 of floor space and a
three-level office block.
but the main reasons we’ve gone for a
steel-framed solution are cost and speed of
construction,” says Winvic Construction
Project Manager Nick Lakin.
“The steelwork for Unit 2 was erected in
just nine weeks, which allowed us to get all
of the trades, such as cladders and roofers,
quickly on site to follow on behind the
progressing steel programme.”
Unit 2 is the larger of the two
distribution centres, with a total area
of 61,900m2, and its steel erection
programme was completed slightly ahead
of its neighbour, although both have an
overall completion date of November 2019.
Measuring 314m-long × 190m-wide,
with a maximum height to eaves of 16.3m,
Unit 2 has five 38m-wide internal spans
and required a total of 2,200t of steelwork.
It will feature a total of 56 cross docks
and 19 level access doors, while internally,
it is sub-divided into three separate zones
by two partition fire walls.
Within the footprint of the five-span
steel frame, the unit accommodates a
three-level office block positioned along
one of its gable ends. Additional office
space is also provided by an attached
370m2 single-storey pod located alongside
the northern elevation.
Providing 3,700m2 of space, the threelevel
offices are based around a 7.5m ×
7.5m column grid pattern. It measures
60m-long and 22m-deep and its beams
support metal decking to form the two
upper floors.
Externally, the majority of this gable
façade (four spans) has glazed cladding, as
opposed to horizontal composite panels,
which clad the other elevations. The
glazing extends beyond the current length
of the office block and adds some flexibility
to the overall scheme.
“The extra glazing has been installed in
case the client wishes to extend the office
block in the future,” says Mr Lakin.
Project steelwork contractor Caunton
Engineering has been subcontracted on a
design and build basis for both buildings.
The company’s Senior Structural Engineer
Jay Hutton adds: “The portal-framed
structure, particularly the overall stability,
has been designed with the extended
160m-long office already taken into
account.”
The steel design for Units 2 and 3
incorporates a hit and miss configuration
for the internal columns, whereby one row
of columns is omitted every other bay. This
design creates more space for the end-user,
but in Unit 2, even more column-free floor
area was required by the client at one end
of the structure.
This request required the frame to have
a double-miss configuration for the last
two bays along the opposite gable end to
the offices.
“This means there are no internal
columns for the final 20m of the structure
and so the adjacent columns had to be
designed so they could absorb additional
vertical and horizontal forces,” says Mr
Hutton.
The smaller Unit 3 has a total area of
28,100m2 and measures 208m-long ×
131m-wide with a maximum height to
eaves of 16.3m. This four-span structure
required 1,050t of steel and also includes a
1,600m2 two-level office block.
As well as the two distribution centres,
Winvic’s £45M phase 3 works also includes
the construction of new associated
infrastructure, such as a development road
and a 15m-span bridge for an existing
road.
Unit 2 incorporates
a three-storey office
block along one
gable end
FACT FILE
Warth Park, Raunds, Northamptonshire
Main client:
Roxhill Developments
Architect: UMC
Main contractor: Winvic Construction
Structural engineer: RPS
Steelwork contractor: Caunton Engineering
Steel tonnage: 3,250t
“The steelwork for
Unit 2 was erected in
just nine weeks.”
Unit 2 has five
38m-wide internal
spans
Groundworks
underway for the
construction of Unit 3
/Fabrication
/Construction#Steel_erection
/Cost_of_structural_steelwork
/Construction#Steel_erection
/Single_storey_buildings_in_fire_boundary_conditions
/Concept_design#Floor_grids
/Steel_construction_products#Decking_for_floors
/Building_envelopes
/Building_envelopes#Insulated_.28composite_or_sandwich.29_panels
/Single_storey_industrial_buildings#Design_.26_Build
/Portal_frames
/Design
/Bridges