Verdia Horticulture will produce approximately 10,000 tonnes of compost per annum from local green and food waste collections. The material is matured and blended to produce horticultural grade compost for sale locally.
The building designers had to consider the high humidity levels and temperatures that could be created by the composting process within the building. This demanding environment required the careful selection of materials for the building, particularly the roof covering, where warm air and humidity is likely to congregate.
The specifiers eventually chose fibre cement in the form of Marley Eternit’s Profile 6 sheeting. Profile 6 is a high strength fibre cement sheet, which is unaffected by humidity and aggressive environments. Marley Eternit also provided GRP translucent sheeting on the new building to enable TEG Environmental to maximise the energy saving benefits of natural daylight in the building.
Whilst Profile 6 sheets are watertight, they are also vapour permeable, which significantly reduces condensation occurrence when warm, moist air generated by the composting process meets the relatively cooler building envelope. The plant also has an air management system that exhausts the air to a bio-filter adjacent to the building.
Marley Eternit’s Profile 6 sheets have a high level of corrosion resistance as the fibre cement has no metallic content. It is minimally affected by frost and climatic temperature changes. The steelwork structure of the building was made from a heavy environmental grade galvanized steel to protect against the internal environment, whilst the Profile 6 roof sheets were fixed using stainless steel fasteners.
Nial Rees, Director of Special Projects at TEG Environmental, explains: “We have specified Marley Eternit’s Profile 6 sheets for this 2,300 m² building as it is a robust and durable product well suited to the environment found in composting plants.”
Profile 6 sheeting can be used on roof pitches as low as 5º as well as vertical cladding in both single skin and insulated constructions. Profile 6 sheeting is available with a full range of accessories, along with a wide selection of colours.
TEG Environmental’s new Silo Cage plant at Hill Barton opened at the end of 2008 and is now providing an invaluable service in helping the region convert its green and food waste into a useful and valuable product.
Profiled sheeting is manufactured in accordance with a quality management system registered under BS EN ISO 9001 and to the European BS EN 494 product specification for Class 1X sheeting.