Diageo required the construction of twenty-five individual cells within five structures for the storage and maturation of Whisky. Four of the structures were new builds and the fifth was a reconfiguration, upgrade and refurbishment of an existing unit located on site.
Ground quality was poor and the entire footprint of the site was subject to a ground remediation exercise, during this exercise over 54,000 cbm of top and subsoil were excavated, modified via lime and cement stabilisation techniques and replaced to form a structural capping allowing the foundations of the structure to support the required floor loadings.
Structural Steelwork commenced over a four month period during which over 24,000 individual pieces of steelwork weighing in excess of 1,100 tonnes were erected and connected. Thereafter, in excess of 13 acres of roof and wall cladding were installed to envelopes of structures.
Over 180,000 individual concrete blocks were laid to complete the separating walls. Each of the 24 walls at approximately 800 sq m took an average one week to construct. 20,000 further concrete blocks and 95,500 facing brick formed the perimeter walls and valve rooms.
Once protected works commenced on the installation of approximately 12 acres of floor slabs containing 20,000 cbm concrete and nearly 1,500 tonnes of mesh reinforcement. To maximise the panel sizes and reduce the risk of differential settlement a proprietary joint forming detail was developed and this, in line with specific concrete mix designs allowed daily pours of around 180 cbm concrete to individual panels which is nearly six times the size of the normal.
