The following is reproduced from a news release by Wildwood PR Limited, and the original can be view here.

Cembrit, fibre cement corrugated sheet, has recently been used for a grain store that will hold at least 21,000t of grain andrapeseed. The building has been designed for maximum energy efficiency, with Cembrit Cemsix in green, specified as a longstanding and durable roofing material.

The PX Farm is located near Cambridgeshire in Dry Drayton; a village which has a rich history, having been inhabited since the Iron Age. At the heart of Dry Drayton is Scotland Farm. Owned by the Peck family since 1950, the farm is contracted out to PX Farms Limited, which is owned and run by James Peck. Originally the farm was mixed with sheep, pigs, poultry, beef cattle and a large dairy herd, but today the farm produces feed wheat, oilseed rape and field beans. Simpson & Allinson, of Barnard Castle were contracted to deliver the steel frame, roof, cladding and concrete walls.

“We specified Cembrit Cemsix because being such a big project we needed to deal with supply companies that have a similar ethos to our own, “explains John Allinson, Technical Director at Simpson & Allinson.” The project had to be delivered on time as it was needed for the 2012 harvest and any small delay could have been catastrophic. We are very pleased with the final outcome as is the client. Cembrit provided a very good service.”

The new building is a huge 3000 square metres and 13 metres high. Photovoltaic panels have been mounted to the floor nearby, which turn to follow the sun to produce solar energy. The panels will provide the power to dry thousands of tonnes of grain and will save around 40% of the farm’s annual electricity bill. Adding to its environmental credentials is Cembrit’s Cemsix, which was awarded an Environmental Product Declarations (EPD).

The store has been divided into three equal size bays – two for wheat and one for rapeseed, which has closer-spaced ventilation inlets; and each bay can hold 7,000t of grain. The new building has a unique design; a braced box with a complex array of roof restraints and tubular diagonal bracing to withstand big loadings.

Scotland Farm has been designed to provide secure crop storage for the next 25 years at least. Cemsix is a durable and robust material that will ensure that the grain is stored properly for years to come. Cemsix has the advantage of being slightly porous, which means that high levels of water vapour or humidity within agricultural buildings can be absorbed by the sheets and gradually released into the atmosphere. This contrasts with steel where moisture can condense on the underside of the roof and drop back onto the contents inside.

“Agricultural buildings materials need to be well proven in terms of function and form,” says Ged Ferris, Marketing Manager at Cembrit. “Farm owners are conscious of the suitability of the building for its proposed purpose and its contribution to the profitability of the farm. Therefore Cemsix is often the material of choice for roofing and cladding. Fibre cement is a long-lasting and resilient material due to its resistance to rot and its moisture and heat ameliorating characteristics.”

Incorporating the latest technological advances, Cemsix allows designers to clad agricultural or industrial buildings in a Class 0 fire rated, rust and rot-proof material that will last for decades. Manufactured using Portland cement, together with a formulation of superior blended synthetic and cellulose fibres and reinforced with strengthening strips and available with superior colourationsystems, Cemsix is produced to the highest European standard.

Using skills built up over 80 years, Cembrit offers a wide range of cladding panels, corrugated sheet and natural and man-made roofing slate. Quality levels at group factories are rigorously maintained to high standards with many products manufactured under the control of ISO 9001 and British Board of Agrément. Cembrit UK is a member of Cembrit Holding A/S (formerly the Dansk EternitHolding A/S) of Denmark, one of Europe’s major building material producers of fibre reinforced cement products for the roofing and cladding industry.

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