Construction is underway on a new storage and distribution building for TROX UK based in Thetford.
Planning was agreed by Breckland District Council in March for the 20,000 sq.ft. warehouse, together with a canopy that will link the new facility to the existing accommodation on Caxton Way.
Suffolk-based Mixbrow Construction has been appointed as the main contractor to build the concrete and steel framed structure, which when completed will facilitate further expansion of the site as part of TROX UK’s long-term business plan.
The architect for the scheme is Bury St Edmunds based Rees Pryer, but an unusual aspect of the project is the building of a 42-space carpark under the new warehouse. Local engineering consultancy, Superstructures was commissioned to carry out the structural design proposal for the scheme including this element of the contract.
To replace that lost by the build, the original proposal was to provide additional parking on a triangular shaped area next to the warehouse. However, using the latest structural modelling and analysis software – an investment made by Superstructures in 2017 – alternative options were quickly created for consideration. And, one of these was the building of an undercroft carpark beneath the new warehouse, as this would provide more parking to replace the on-site parking lost by the warehouse construction. It would also facilitate future expansion of the site with the triangle area utilised for waste storage and recycling.
The project has been a real local effort with Attleborough-based BHA carrying out the civils design and Suffolk-based Gill Associates being retained as the employer’s agent.
TROX UK which manufactures and sells air conditioning and ventilation systems and components has been based at Thetford since 1971 and around 150 people work from the site at Caxton Road. The multi-million-pound project is seen as an investment by parent company TROX GmbH and a vote of confidence in the business. When completed in early February 2019, the new facilities will reduce TROX UK’s carbon footprint, improve its customer service and reduce its ongoing costs.
