James Donaldson Timber chose Hi-Store, the Hampshire-based storage specialist, for the expansion of its sawmilling, manufacturing and distribution centre at Leven in Fife. Donaldson handles some 230,000 cu m of timber a year from suppliers with green credentials. It asked Hi-Store’s design team to provide a cost effective covered storage area to hold stocks of complete and broken bulk packs.
The solution was a Canti-Clad cantilever rack- supported shed. This system, based on Canti-Lock heavy duty cantilever racking, with its adjustable rack arms and high load-bearing capacity, benefits from not needing holes or pegs to support the arms and can be tailored to suit individual customers’ needs.
The 46m by 42m Canti-Clad structure gives Donaldson an extra 1,932 sq m of storage space. This type of installation is an alternative to a standard building and its roof covering provides complete weather protection for Donaldson’s finest quality timber. In addition, the advantage of choosing Canti-clad is that the total cost is the same as that of the shed, so effectively Donaldson got the racking free of charge. Hi-Store reckons it is the first company in the UK to work with a Chinese partner to produce such a structure. It says that by sourcing both the main structure and racking with an established producer, it was able to supply the whole contract fully galvanised at less cost than a painted UK produced alternative.Installations are often on sites covered under the construction design and management regulations and on green field sites where building work is still in progress.
