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Thanks to good cooperation between all building partners, taking into account the necessary safety regulations, the construction of NewCold's new coldstore in Brittany (France) is in cruise control. For the design and assembly of the insulating water-, wind- and vapor-tight shell as well as all the doors, gates and conveyor shafts of the three high-rise warehouses, main contractor B-Built called in Isocab Construct. The specialist in isothermal constructions from Ingelmunster and Steenvoorde (France) installs insulated sandwich panels and floor insulation and also coordinates the integration of all doors and gates to be built in. With 47 years of experience, the company can present an extensive reference list of standard and custom-made refrigeration and freezer units.
NewCold's new coldstore near Rennes is taking more shape every day. Especially the three high-rise warehouses with a length of 165 meters, a width of 36 meters and a height of 35 meters catch the eye. Insulated roof and wall panels are being mounted against the steel structures, and the necessary freezer cells are also being created inside. Furthermore, the floors must be adequately insulated so that the cold stays in and the heat is kept out and energy consumption is limited. Also for this cold store, Isocab Construct helped design these isothermal constructions with high insulation value. The preparation process started back in December 2019, when the specialist was involved in the project by main contractor B-Built and client NewCold.
"We have worked with the Dutch construction company before, so we know very well what we can gain from each other. Since May, we have been fully occupied with the assembly of all the elements. Here we are assembling 76,000 m² of sandwich panels from Isocab by Kingspan for roofs, exterior and interior walls and ceilings. Of these, 27,000 m² are equipped with a thicker stone wool core of 300 mm. Furthermore, we coordinate the integration of the 169 freezer swing and sliding doors, airlock doors, fire doors, fire screens and high-speed roll-up doors, installed by our own people in collaboration with several of our loyal partners. Finally, we are providing 4,830 m³ of floor insulation," says Wouter Doclo, technical director at Isocab Construct. "Although our years of experience allow us to offer a standard solution for many projects, there are specific challenges with each project, for example in terms of expansion joints, behavior in wind, fire requirements, .... That also makes this project not everyday. A job of this size involves a huge logistical challenge. Moreover, its location in France results in different laws and regulations. Finally, there is one more aspect, which should not be underestimated, that sensitively affects the progress of the construction work: COVID-19. We will deliver this project in the spring of 2021."
The successful execution of such projects depends on true teamwork. Not only with the main contractor and other construction partners, but also internally between sales, purchasing, study and drawing department, project management and technical service. Isocab Construct can fall back on 47 years of experience and carries out all work in-house. "The history goes back to 1973, when the Castelein family took over the then Isocab. In 2012, the production of panels was taken over by Kingspan. Isocab Construct became an autonomous assembly company focusing on the design, assembly and maintenance of standard and custom-made refrigeration and freezer cells," says Pierre Castelein, general manager of the third-generation family business. "In addition to our wide range of isothermal constructions for both conditioned high-rise buildings, clean rooms, roof and wall cladding and modular cold rooms, we also provide the delivery and erection of complete constructions and that tailored to customers' needs."
"Through our knowledge of the product and its construction, we make the difference, but we also swear by a transparent and simple corporate structure with short lines of information and communication. This way we are close to our own people and the customers. By thinking along proactively, we can often solve potential problems before they actually occur," Doclo concludes. "We also have extensive machinery at our disposal. For example, we have two MK 88 mobile cranes and a 60-ton telescopic crane, but the showpiece is our MK 140 mobile tower crane. This MK 140 is an indispensable tool for some very specific assembly bottlenecks within NewCold's project in Montauban-de-Bretagne. Of course, that machinery cannot function properly without the knowledge and commitment of our employees, who give their best day after day. The knowledge of the French market with its specific regulations helped us to bring this project to a successful conclusion."
