Safety and acoustics have played a key part in the construction of a recently completed Costa Coffee Roastery factory in Basildon, Essex thanks to state-of-the-art glazing systems supplied by Arkoni.
Name of project: Project Brut Costa Coffee Bean Grinding Factory
Client: Prologis UK Ltd
Architect: Michael Sparks Associates
Contractor: Volker Fitzpatrick
Value: £110,000
Timescale: May 2016 – July 2016
Safety and acoustics have played a key part in the construction of a recently completed Costa Coffee Roastery factory in Basildon, Essex thanks to state-of-the-art glazing systems supplied by Arkoni.
Arkoni manufactured and installed fire-rated acoustic glazed units for the factory’s office and administration areas as well as a viewing walkway, formed from non fire-rated glazing, overlooking the production area.
The production facility will provide ground coffee for most of the 3,000 Costa Coffee outlets across the UK with an annual grinding capacity of 45,000 tons of beans contributing towards the 464 million cups of coffee served at their cafes every year.
Arkoni’s Martin Quarmby explained: “The fire-rated glazed units within the office areas will protect admin staff from any potential fire risk within the production areas whilst the non fire-rated walkway forms a structural barrier against anyone falling into the grinding machinery.
“We supplied and installed Voest Alpine screens and door sets to the external walls of the office complex, overlooking the production plant. The units featured Vetrotech Saint–Gobain’s Vetroflam fire-rated glass with a Stadip Silence layer of glass bonded to it to provide a 38db R/w acoustic performance as well as one hour integrity against fire.
In addition all the glazing had to have anti-shatter (bomb-blast) film applied to the external face of the glass to avert the risk of glass shards ever contaminating the process plant.
The 20 metre run of glazing forming the walkway area includes two edge supported glazing systems with vertical food grade silicone butt joints. The 19.5mm heat soaked and toughened clear glass, was clamped at the bottom by 12mm thick steel angles firmly fixed to the concrete slab flooring, and lightly supported at the head.
The 2.2m high panes formed a 1.5kn line load against anyone falling into the grinding plant with all visible cover pressings formed from easily maintained, grade 316 brushed stainless steel.
The glass was protected on the production side with the same anti-shatter film as the fire-rated glazing. Each pane weighed up to 140kg each, and had to be lifted into place using our own Unic mini crane with powered suction device,” added Martin.
Sam Darwin from London-based architects Michael Sparks Associates commented: “Fire safety and noise control are major considerations at facilities such as this with the high tech glazing systems supplied through Arkoni proving a perfect fit.”
