Corus giant steel store fastened by SFS intec

Corus Panels and Profiles specified SFS intec's irius austenitic stainless steel fasteners, and its unique 'pink strip' A+ butyl strip sealant.

The MSM Automated Distribution Centre (ADC) site outside Scunthorpe is Corus Construction and Industry's (CCandI) latest storage and handling facility, and is designed to take large quantities of bundled steel sections hot from the rolling mill.

To withstand the unusual stresses on the building throughout its projected life, Corus Panels and Profiles (CPP) specified SFS intec's irius austenitic stainless steel fasteners, and its unique 'pink strip' A+ butyl strip sealant, all fixed by Platinum Approved Contractor Broadley Roofing of Scunthorpe.

The performance of the critical weather envelope for the giant steel storage facility, under difficult weather and thermal stresses, depends on the critical integrity provided by the SFS intec irius SX3 and SLXL2 self-drilling fasteners with neoprene sealing washers, despite the small size of these components.

The new building is 31 metres high, by 25 metres wide and 160 metres long and the building end elevations are clad in Corus Colorcoat HPS200 poppy red.

The product was also used to clad the sides and roof in Merlin Grey and Goosewing Grey.

Some 17,000 sq.m of cladding - nearly 125 tonnes - were used in total, all fixed to a specific sequence and starting while the main structure was still under construction.

The profiled sheeting was manufactured by Corus Panels and Profiles to Broadley Roofing's exact cutting specifications, to maximise coverage while retaining ease of transport and site handling.

Typical sheet lengths were around 8 metres long weighing nearly 60kg.

The shape of the building is dictated by the racks erected inside, each fitted with projecting supports - 10,000 in all - which are used to support the steel billets.

In the narrow aisles between the racks, giant aisle cranes designed and built by CTI Systems of Luxemburg operate automatically, loading billets direct from the adjacent rolling mill, and selecting and unloading them on to flat wagons for shipping out.

The automated handling encompasses permutations of 10,000 different section size bundles in 130,000 locations.

Derek Eades, Corus Panels and Profiles UK Specification Manager comments: "The building weather layer specification is unusual these days, because of its function.

Steel section is coming in from the mill at a very high temperature and being left to cool on the racks.

That means that it is a single skin building - we do not need insulation and want to lose the heat.

At the same time, we must minimise any condensation, so excellent ventilation is essential.

"The shape of the building facilitates a stack or chimney effect, with air coming in from ground level and finding a swift route up to the major vents in the shallow roof ridge.

As the building is fully automatic in operation, with personnel supervision only occasionally present, Part L Building Regulations for energy efficiency do not apply".

"However," continued Derek, "the stresses and strains imposed on the building are high, both from thermal movement and wind loading.

That is why we specified SFS intec's irius self-coloured stainless steel fasteners and SFS intec's A+ pink butyl sealant as they are essential to the Platinum Partnership System Warranty we offer for 12 years workmanship and 25 years on the components.

The Colorcoat HPS200 is covered by the Corus Confidex Guarantee for up to 30 years".

Client: Corus Construction and Industry.

Roofing and cladding contractor: Broadley Roofing .

System Supplier: Corus Panels and Profiles.

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