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Make your buildings future-proof says Davies Turner

[ November 21, 2012   //   ]

Think for the future when planning your next construction project, urges British-based freight forwarder Davies Turner, as it completed a major re-investment programme at its main regional hubs.
The company acquired the 7,000 sq m (75,000 sq ft) Hams Hall Cross Dock in June of this year next to the Hams Hall road/rail interchange and just a few hundred metres from Davies Turner’s own two high-bay logistics warehouses at Coleshill.

Davies Turner is now adding another 3,200 sq m (35,000 sq ft) of floor-space at Hams Hall by constructing a heavy duty mezzanine. “The secret with such structures is to build them with the maximum spans between the supporting columns,” comments Philip Stephenson. “In our case the columns are spaced over 9 m (29.5 ft) apart so as not to impede cargo handling on the ground floor. The Cross Dock platform also has the advantage of 40 loading doors with powered dock levellers, and it is at least 8 m (26 ft) high at the eaves. By installing conveyors and a double pallet lift, we have developed a transit warehouse, which is ideal both for fast moving consolidation services, and/or Internet order fulfilment. The site is over 2.5 ha (6.2 acres) so it has a very large service yard benefiting from a 2.4 m (8 ft) high weld-mesh perimeter fence and gatehouse security.”
Davies Turner has also built more narrow-aisle racking at Coleshill which now has 12,000 standard pallet locations plus another 9,000 sq m (100,000 sq ft) of floor space for order picking, sortation and despatch.
In the London area, Davies Turner is steadily replacing and renewing the powered dock levellers serving the 60 loading doors at its Dartford international distribution centre.
It has also installed energy efficient lighting and the service yard has been raised by up to 30 cm to cater for new trailer loading heights. “We built this hub nearly 20 years ago and all such equipment is more than fully depreciated,” adds Stephenson.
Davies Turner has also leased a third warehouse in Avonmouth of 4,500 sq m (50,000 sq ft). This space was much-needed as the terminal was already working close to full capacity.

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