Whatever the weather
April 1st 2009 An LNG receiving terminal on the windswept Pembrokeshire coast has opted for an
Aganto aluminium-framed temporary building, knowing it will take whatever the
weather throws at it
With the UK's infrastructure
having experienced trial by
severe floods, high winds and
heavy snowfall over the last three years,
our ability to withstand increasingly severe
weather conditions has come into sharp
focus.
In the handling and storage industry, the
ability to maintain essential activities and,
more importantly, to protect the health and
safety of those engaged in these activities,
whatever the weather, is clearly critical.
With the use of temporary buildings in
the sector on the increase, companies need
to be sure that the speed and ease with
which such structures can be erected does
not come at the expense of the structural
integrity which will enable them to cope
with the worst of the British weather.
While the majority of modern temporary
buildings are engineered to meet British
Standards for wind and snow loading, this
fails to take account of the level of
tolerance (or lack of it) of a structure
dependent on its specific location and
application. Thus, in sites with a high
likelihood of exposure to high winds and
snow, for example, coastal areas, buildings
manufactured to meet the minimum
requirements of the British Standards will
effectively have 'zero tolerance'.
This was a major factor for engineering,
procurement and construction solution
provider, CB&I when it required a
temporary storage facility to support its
involvement in the South Hook LNG project
in Milford Haven on the West Wales coast.
One of the largest hydrocarbon projects
of its kind in Europe, the $2billion project
involves the construction of a receiving
terminal, which will allow the import and
regasification of LNG (Liquefied Natural
Gas). Due for completion in late 2009, the
terminal will be able to provide the UK with
a significant proportion of its natural gas
requirements.
With winter wind speeds on the
Pembrokeshire coast regularly reaching 40
knots, CB&I required an exceptionally
robust structure to provide storage for
building materials and tools, including
piping and highly sensitive electrical
equipment. To meet the extremely
demanding construction budget and
schedule for the five year project, CB&I also
required a fast and highly cost effective
solution and took the decision to purchase
a temporary storage facility from Aganto.
Designed specifically to meet the
requirements of the project and the
location, the 600m2 storage facility was
delivered and installed by one of Aganto's
professional site management teams within
two days, enabling CB&I to begin work
more quickly and cost-effectively than if
they had opted to invest in a permanent
structure. Without the need for traditional
foundations or civil works, the building also
kept labour and material costs to a
minimum.
More importantly for CB&I however,
Aganto's temporary buildings are the only
aluminium-framed units in the UK which
exceed minimum structural integrities
required in the UK for snow and wind
loadings, combining the expected benefits
of quick and easy installation with superior
strength and solidity and offering unique
levels of tolerance in even the most
exposed sites.
And, with Wales being one of the areas
worst affected during February's heavy
snowfall, this was put to the test. Aganto's
remarkably robust aluminium profiles and
galvanized steel frames, which come with a
ten-year guarantee, held firm and proved
invaluable in ensuring the project was able
to continue with the minimum of
disruption once the snow had cleared.
A CB&I spokesperson comments: "Our
only previous experience with temporary
buildings was a project carried out in
Alaska by our American parent company,
where the facility had failed to withstand
the extreme elements and was blown
down, causing major disruption to the
development. Naturally, we were wary, but
after speaking to Aganto we were assured
of the robustness of their units and their
proven experience in such exposed
locations.
"The technical specification of Aganto's
buildings are to an exceptionally high
standard, beyond the necessary
requirements, which left us without
hesitation that its temporary storage unit
was ideal for our needs."
Aganto has a broad portfolio of
temporary aluminium framed buildings
and structures, ensuring a tailor made
solution is guaranteed for each customer.
Although several types of structures are
available, the engineering, quality and
safety features are uniform throughout.
This is in evidence in the company's
recently launched Part L2A compliant
buildings which have the high level of
insulation and air-tightness required to
meet the mandatory U-values set out in
Part L2A of the Building Regulations,
making them ideal for use as high standard
workshops and operational warehouse
facilities.
Until recently the inability of traditional
temporary buildings to meet the
requirements of Part L2A of the Building
Regulations has limited their use in more
complex, long term projects, specifically
those where heating is required and with a
duration of two years or more. Now
however, there is a genuine alternative to a
permanent building at a fraction of the cost. More articles from Aganto Ltd: | 
