Structural Steel for Smart Systems

Shufflebottom has provided a 158,000sq ft steel-framed warehouse for the production and warehouse site of Smart Architectural Aluminium at Yatton near Bristol, which benefited from major expansion in 2008 and 2009. The complex includes the most advanced extrusion press and paint line in the UK, and the purpose-built 48,000sq ft expansion will enable Smart Systems to increase its production, manufacturing extruded sections from raw material. Smart calculates that bringing the extrusion work back to the UK from Europe, and investing in the latest machinery, should reduce road haulage by up to 500,000 miles a year!

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As part of the project Shufflebottom erected more than 14,000m of cold-rolled purlin and rail steelwork. The extension comprises a 4-span portal which contains 6,000sq m of vertical composite cladding and 14,500sq m of composite cladding to the roof. The building also has a syphonic drainage system, with close to 1,000 linear metres of internal pipework.

The £1.7 million extension was achieved whilst business continued as normal at Smart Systems' headquarters. Geraint Evans, Contracts Manager at Shufflebottom, said: "The project has been isolated completely from Smart Systems' operations except for the connection of the new building to the existing one, which was done out of hours and at weekends to ensure no impact."