White's World

10,000 tonne grain store almost complete

by T H WHITE on August 1, 2018

T H WHITE Projects is in the process of completing its third grain processing & storage contract in two years for Beeswax Dyson Farming Ltd across a number of sites in the UK. 

The latest project, on the Compton Estate near Newbury, has resulted in the construction of a 10,000 tonne purpose-built grain storage facility with intake, cleaning, drying and conditioning of combinable crops at Mayfield Farm, plus the refurbishment of on-site machinery and spray buildings.                                                                                                                                      

Under the terms of the contract, T H WHITE Projects acted as principal contractor with responsibility for the overall design and management of the civil, mechanical and electrical engineering elements throughout the 12 month programme, with the project scheduled for completion and handover in August 2018.

The plant is designed with a single 150tph trench intake system, conveying the grain via a rotary cleaner into a pair of continuous flow driers, or direct to store through an overhead belt conveyor and distribution cross chain conveyors, into one of the three dedicated crop storage bunkers. Each of these has a series of external fan units feeding a level-floor lateral ventilated system.

Each bunker has 6m tall grain walling and high access roller shutter doors to the front of the goosewing grey-clad building, with grain retaining doors located behind them.

Work on site commenced in January 2018 with the ground being cleared and excavated ready for the civil engineering to commence. In the following months would see the formation of the foundations, base slab and concrete operating apron.

As spring arrived, and with the civil engineering making reasonable progress despite the poor weather conditions, the portal framed steel building with a span of 38m and overall length approaching 72m was starting to take shape at Mayfield Farm, and it wasn’t long before the wall and roof sheeting was being installed.

During April the mechanical sitework elements of the programme commenced with assembly and erection of the various items of handling, cleaning and drying equipment.

Working alongside the mechanical erectors were the site wiring and automation controls team, which ensured that the programme was collectively followed and integrated in line with the T H WHITE Projects overall contract management, to be ready for the 2018 harvest.

Further north in the UK, a new grain store had been constructed in the grounds of the Nocton Estate, Lincolnshire, as part of an ongoing development programme by Beeswax Dyson farming Ltd.

On this occasion T H WHITE Projects was awarded the mechanical and electrical elements of the contract. The cereal processing and grain storage facility was completed on time, ready for the 2017 harvest and its first consignments of crops. 

The third project involved the construction of a new multi-purpose building at the Ack Ack Yard, Old Sodbury, South Gloucestershire, with T H WHITE Projects appointed to act as the principal contractor in the design and management of the civil, mechanical and electrical engineering elements of the programme. The project progressed well and to schedule, resulting in successful, on-time completion in December 2017 when the new facility was handed over to the satisfied customer.

Andrew Workman, head of business development for T H WHITE Projects, said: “It has been a pleasure working alongside the people in the Beeswax Dyson Farming organisation, from the conceptual project stages through to the implementation and build programme. All three projects exemplified excellent teamwork, communication and professionalism resulted in the successful design and construction of three fully operational grain processing and storage facilities within a two year period.” 

T H WHITE Projects specialises in cereal processing and storage solutions of all sizes, from small farm installations to large commercial/industrial bulk facilities, taking each project from conception to completion. If you have a scheme you would like to talk about, please do contact us on 01380 723040 or email projects@thwhite.co.uk

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T H WHITE10,000 tonne grain store almost complete