Two-Hour Fire-Rated Partitioning for 17m High-Span Warehouse

Background 

Fresh food storage and logistics provider Boughey Distribution approached Stancold following the acquisition of a second warehouse in Crewe to support their expansion plans. The vast new space required significant remodelling to become fit-for-purpose. This included a 2-hour fire-rated partition to segregate operational areas within the facility.

Process

Stancold’s involvement began at the earliest stages of the project, providing vital design advice and technical guidance as Boughey navigated their warehouse acquisition. The building’s exceptional 17m high-span ceiling immediately presented a unique engineering challenge which required careful consideration of design, installation method and panel specification from the outset.

The main project challenges included:

• Designing a compliant 2-hour fire-rated solution for a 17m high-span ceiling
• Safe coordination of a 40-tonne crane with fly jib in an operational environment
• Translating an early-stage design concept into a fully feasible, budget-conscious specification.

Project Delivery

Drawing on our strong design expertise, we specified a horizontal panel construction supported by secondary steelwork to be the most technically appropriate solution for a building of this scale and height. The Euroclad Firemaster Mineral Fibre panel system was utilised throughout, where 1,300m² of 100mm thick panels were installed horizontally against secondary steelwork, achieving the desired two-hour fire-rating.

One of the most technically demanding elements of the project was the coordination of 17.5m high steel posts, safely positioned using a 40-tonne crane with fly jib. Our team executed this seamlessly alongside the wider installation scope, which included steel framing for a roller shutter and personnel door. All visible steelwork and head details were fire boarded on completion, ensuring full fire integrity was maintained across every element of the structure.

Working closely with Boughey at every stage, from early design consultation to final handover, the project demonstrated Stancold’s strength in delivering large-scale, high-complexity firewall installations.