Project Brief
Adept were appointed to provide services for the extension to Arla’s fresh milk dairy, which can produce up to one billion litres of milk per year and has been named ‘the most environmentally advanced in the world’. Our initial scope was to provide the structural design details necessary to construct two new additional milk reception pits. We were also asked to detail the associated canopy extension and review the structural elements of subcontractor designs.
Solution
Our initial report followed a review of the drainage survey and a site visit. We requested a topographical survey of the yard containing the incoming milk reception pits, showing cover and invert levels for manholes and the main joints in the external slab.
We worked closely with the original architect to exchange information about the existing trench covers and concrete interfaces, and to discuss the design.
We designed the sealants to the milk pits and provided the specification for the precast units over the milk pit trenches. In case of accidental spillage, we detailed a water stop to inhibit liquid infiltration, and specially designed impervious in-situ retaining bund walls. We liaised with the contractor on the re-use of spare precast concrete units of sufficient height to create the sections of bund wall that were not cast in-situ. This saved the client costs and avoided removal off-site.
We worked with Veolia to create a new kiosk containing processing equipment. We advised on breaking out part of the existing slab to match the levels, taking care to cast the new slab while preserving the existing slot drain. We advised moving the kiosk’s location to avoid an awkward detail and provided a gradual internal fall to eliminate any standing water. We also assisted with repair work to existing features that had suffered damage, including the local re-casting of a concrete slab, and rectifying a collapsed drain.
