To create the new food processing area in 2018, GPL installed full height, 60-minute fire rated, 125mm thick, Fire master Wall Extra, hygienic panels. These were supplied by Eurobond Laminates Ltd. The panels were installed from the existing concrete floor to the underside of the roof to provide separation between the food processing areas and the storage areas. The new food processing area also including a mezzanine floor. Additional structural steel was required at high level to provide physical support for the new dividing wall.

Hygienic insulated panels were also installed to the perimeter of the food processing area to complete the hygienic environment.

The access stairwell for the mezzanine was protected with 60-minute fire rated panels.

The work also included the supply and installation of Eurobond hygienic fire rated and non-fire rated, doors and windows.

The project progressed smoothly. Both GPL and the client worked closely together to successfully install large 10-metre-long panels in a confined space while maintaining access to the customers storage area.

As part of a major expansion Forthglade purchased a new site in Okehampton and set about constructing a purpose-built production facility for its range of high-quality pet foods.

Devon Contractors were employed as Principal Contractors to undertake the main building works. In turn, GPL were appointed, by the client, to form the internal food production and storage areas.

The building incorporated an intake chill store and freezer, ambient storage areas, production rooms and associated changing rooms and wash areas. All formed using Kingspan Quadcore panels. A further compartment wall was installed by GPL to subdivide the main production area with a 2-storey office block. This compartment was formed using mineral wool cored panels from Eurobond Laminates, providing a 120-minute fire rated wall, which had to be both suitable for high humidity production areas and give a high degree of sound insulation to the adjacent offices.

Following completion of the building works, the unit was handed over to the client for the installation of their processing equipment, which incorporates a series of retorts for heat treating the freshly prepared product.

With the client requiring additional loading out facilities GPL Construction carried out various alterations.

The loading docks were erected by installing Kingspan PIR Panels to enclose the new building to the existing.

Unwanted external wall panels were removed to open the chiller to the new loading docks.

The Project started in September 2018 and was completed successfully in December 2018.

Walsh Mushrooms are a major supplier of mushrooms to both retailers and food processors in the UK. Due to their continued expansion there was a need to increase the chilled storage capacity of their processing and distribution centre in Evesham.

Walsh Mushrooms employed GPL Construction (UK) Ltd to supply and install Kingspan KS1100CS wall and ceiling panels to form the insulated structure of their new extension. In addition to this panels were used to form link tunnels to the existing facility and build electrical switch rooms. Alterations were also carried out to existing, internal production areas.

GPL Construction (UK) Ltd were also responsible for the installation of personnel and traffic doors, including Negeco rapid acting doors and internal protection barriers.

The project was carried out to a tight program culminating in Walsh Mushroom’s opening ceremony on 26th November 2015 celebrating the completion of their impressive facility.

GPL has supplied insulated panelling for various construction projects to Savoury and Sweet Ltd for several years at their site in Lunsford Rd, Leicester

In late 2014 Savoury and Sweet started construction for a new Popcorn manufacturing facility at a large, new site at Lewisher road, in Leicester. GPL were employed to install hygienic insulated wall and ceiling panels for the new popcorn lines. The project was time critical with a key production date in January 2015.

The new facility was installed on two floors. Walls and ceilings were constructed using both PIR panels and Mineral wool. Several walls and ceilings were installed to provide 1-hour fire protection around the critical popcorn production process. Many walls were constructed using large, full height, Mineral Wool fire rated panels installed to comply with LPS 1181.

Offices and amenity areas were installed to provide staff changing facilities, canteen and new product development areas. The project included fire rated personnel doors, fire rated shutters and windows.

GPL also provided steel mezzanines and staircases and final floor finishes.

The project was installed over a very short time frame, requiring close coordination with the client and other subcontractors to enable key dates to be achieved and to provide access for the mechanical and electrical contractors.

Critical areas were completed on schedule and handed over to Savoury and Sweet for the installation of the manufacturing equipment and successful completion of the production trials.

As a result of increased business and production output of tomatoes at the Wissington site Cornerways Nursery needed to significantly increase its packing capability.

The existing packaging store was identified as a suitable building to convert, being located a short distance from the current packing unit, enabling welfare facilities to be shared and minimise travel distances.

GPL Construction undertook the project acting as Principal Contractors and having responsibility for the installation of the insulated structure and doors through its own direct works and for the civils works, floor finishes and refrigeration systems through specialist sub-contractors. Cornerways appointed the electrical contractor and specialist services contractors.

The building was a fully clad portal framed building, well suited to the conversion. However, it was necessary to increase the capacity of the portal frame to accommodate the additional loads imposed on it by a suspended panel ceiling with services and ceiling mounted evaporators.

The walls and ceiling were lined out with PIR cored panels to form a hygienic finish to the area and to improve the insulation value of the building, which would now be cooled. The walls were sat upon an insitu-cast concrete kerb and the floor was finished with a 3mm thick self-levelling polyurethane floor coating in differing colours to denote production and traffic routes.

The refrigeration system was designed and installed by JD Cooling Ltd with ceiling mounted evaporators powered by an externally housed chiller unit. In addition to the refrigeration system to the new packing area the contract involved replacing the system to the existing packing areas.

To accommodate continued growth Staples Vegetables needed to increase its chilled storage capacity further at its main Wrangle site and carry out numerous alterations to the existing production facility.

As part of this site development GPL were awarded the contract to install the insulated structure of the new chill store along with the construction of an airlock link to the current processing area.

In keeping with the existing building design on the site the building took the form of an externally exposed, galvanised steel frame with a clad canopy roof. The insulated structure then formed the external walls and ceiling giving a food safe finish to the inside. This method of construction gives clean lines within the storage/processing areas and eliminates the need for a separate, full height layer of cladding thereby reducing closed voids which can harbour rodents.

PIR cored panels were used to form the external walls and ceiling with the ceiling providing a “walk-on” structure, where mechanical and electrical services were housed.

Access from the new store to the adjacent production area was via an airlock with rapid acting doors at each end. The doors interlocked together to minimise warm air infiltration to the store.

To increase chilled storage capacity in June 2014 at their existing production facility in Spalding, Worldwide Fruit undertook a project to construct a new multi-chamber chilled storage building adjacent to their unit. The new unit comprised 7no new chill stores of varying capacities, a chilled collation area and despatch dock.

GPL were awarded the contract to install the insulated panel structure and doors. Kingspan PIR cored KS1100CS panels were used to form the wall and ceilings to all areas, including externally exposed wall panels. Each chamber was fitted with a Negeco rapid acting door along with insulated personnel doors.

The chambers all led to a central transfer corridor, above which, the stores evaporators were housed in pods. The design enabled the evaporators to be away from the racking system utilising available space above the corridor with the added benefit of providing safe and easy access to the evaporators for servicing and maintenance.

The facility was designed to provide flexible storage options to accommodate a variety of fruit products. Two of the stores encompassed insulated floor structures to enable store temperatures of down to -3oC. Refrigeration being provided by a glycol system incorporating the latest control systems and inverter drives to maximise efficiency.

Cranswick Foods Preston: New abattoir extension. Installation of Mineral Wool and PIR cored panels to form walls and ceilings, along with associated doors.

Panels were installed to provide production areas, rapid chill facility, fire compartment walls between production and amenity, chilled holding areas and loading dock. Whilst the project was being carried out further extensive works were being undertaken to remove and replace existing polystyrene cored panels to the sites main butchery plant. PIR cored panels were used as part of Cranswick Foods programme to upgrade their facilities in relation to fire risk management. This particular project required careful project management as the butchery had to remain in production throughout.

In 2006 GPL Construction were awarded the contract to supply and install the insulated wall and ceiling panels along with specialist doors to form a new bacon processing facility. In 2010 GPL returned to site to commence works on phase 2, involving the expansion of the unit with a new slicing hall, chills, blast and holding freezers, dry goods store and amenity block.

Walls and ceilings were formed using a combination of panel types subject to location and application. With Mineral Wool being used to form 1 and 2 hour fire walls and ceilings to the dry goods stores and amenity areas and PIR cored panels to form the main production area walls and “walk-on” ceilings.

GPL were also responsible for the supply and installation of the internal and external doors ranging from fire rated and non-fire rated personnel doors, insulated hinged and sliding doors, rapid roll doors, sectional doors and fire shutters.

The first part of the project was completed in December 2010 ready for the client to meet the needs of its Christmas orders. Post-Christmas saw extensive alterations to the original facility to provide a fully integrated unit.

Management of the overall contract has been achieved through the setting up of a project team headed up by Cranswick Foods.

This 360 square metre extension to the high care production area at Tilmastone Salads was carried out using Mineral Wool core installation panels from Eurobond Laminates with external grade panels to form the outside shell. Close involvement was required with the client to allow smooth and safe running of the existing production facility, whilst internal work was carried out.

This project incorporated the construction of new CA stores for blueberries with an extension to the packaging area and label and printing room. The project was particularly challenging in that the structural floor of the existing building had to be broken out and removed to a depth of 2 metres and re-instated. A number of blueberry stores were constructed each designed to allow Berry Gardens to import blueberries in container loads and hold under controlled atmosphere conditions. The outcome has extended shelf life whilst maintaining a high quality product.

GPLs undertaking was to refurbish the existing food production area. The project included, removal of old, damaged polystyrene panels, lining the existing external walls with new PIR, hygienic, food safe panels and installing a new hygienic PIR ‘walk on’ panelled ceiling. The project included cladding around columns and existing services. Existing personnel doors were replaced with new hygienic doors and in some instance 1hr fire rated doors. This was a relatively complex job with tight time scales, our panel works, were integrated with new machinery installation, floor repairs and service installations. Throughout the project we worked successfully co-ordinating with the client, the equipment suppliers and the electrical and mechanical contractors.