Client: BOC Swindon (Now GIST)
Contractor: Burks Green
Value: £1,600,000 + VAT
Type of works: supply and installation of mezzanine floor, in addition to assistance with garment handling storage.
BOC needed to develop a major new garment handling, storage and distribution facility within their existing building at Swindon to service a massive supply-chain contract for Marks & Spencer Plc.
A 10,000 sq m three mezzanine floor was designed to support a garment storage facility with the ground floor dedicated to the movement, marshalling, receipt and despatch of garments via overhead conveyors.
The structure is partially rack-supported to over 11m. Elsewhere it comprises a partially free-standing mezzanine floor to provide additional marshalling areas, equipment and staff access, material-handling installations and amenities.
The rack-supported decking is pressed steel plank, whilst the surrounding mezzanine areas are high-density particle board. Open steel decking is used as part of the fire-engineered solution to enable sprinklers to operate throughout all levels when necessary.
Due to the considerable height of the structure, perimeters were protected with 2,000mm high mesh panels for operator comfort. Special safety trays were suspended between garments racks and access walkways as an added safeguard in case a product ever becomes dislodged from racks or overhead conveyors.