30/08/2011
Wyeth’s (Pfizer) (Industrial)
Wyeth’s Nutritionals
Ashkeaton, Co Limerick
Wyeth’s are the largest pharmaceutical employer in Ireland with over 3000 employees. The plant in Askeaton is the largest exporter of infant nutritional products in Europe.
Due to the expansive nature of the business, this plant has been developed significantly since it was established in 1974. A number of recent projects include the construction of a tank farm for the storage of oils used in the production of infant nutritional products. The project consisted of piled foundations with an insulated metal clad structural steel structure approximately 30m high with an intermediate floor eight meters above ground level to provide support to 20m high storage tanks.
The project involved detailed site investigations, including Ground Pe*******on Radar to locate possible underground caverns within the rock. The construction process was particularly difficult as existing buildings and live services were located in close proximity restricting access which was via a narrow lane, while at the same time over 600 employees required access to production areas, utility blocks, and the main entrances 24 hours a day. These constraints necessitated a close interaction and management of the whole design and construction process between the client’s health and safety team, design team and contractor.
Following the construction of the Tank Farm, Wyeth’s invested in the design and construction of a 70m long, enclosed link bridge. The project was an essential part of their operations in relation to health and safety .
The structure was designed as a vierendeel truss supported by a single tubular arch. Due to the live nature of the site a vierendeel design was adopted to allow the structure to be erected over two weekends in modular form. As a consequence of this construction method and the necessary position of the connections their design was outside the relevant design codes this necessitated a computer 3D structural modeling of the connection detail to determine the stresses and movement within the detail to establish relevant safety factors.
Structural Engineer: White Young Green (Associate Director – John McBeath)
Wyeth’s (Pfizer) (Industrial)
Wyeth’s Nutritionals
Ashkeaton, Co Limerick
Wyeth’s are the largest pharmaceutical employer in Ireland with over 3000 employees. The plant in Askeaton is the largest exporter of infant nutritional products in Europe.
Due to the expansive nature of the business, this plant has been developed significantly since it was established in 1974. A number of recent projects include the construction of a tank farm for the storage of oils used in the production of infant nutritional products. The project consisted of piled foundations with an insulated metal clad structural steel structure approximately 30m high with an intermediate floor eight meters above ground level to provide support to 20m high storage tanks.
The project involved detailed site investigations, including Ground Pe*******on Radar to locate possible underground caverns within the rock. The construction process was particularly difficult as existing buildings and live services were located in close proximity restricting access which was via a narrow lane, while at the same time over 600 employees required access to production areas, utility blocks, and the main entrances 24 hours a day. These constraints necessitated a close interaction and management of the whole design and construction process between the client’s health and safety team, design team and contractor.
Following the construction of the Tank Farm, Wyeth’s invested in the design and construction of a 70m long, enclosed link bridge. The project was an essential part of their operations in relation to health and safety .
The structure was designed as a vierendeel truss supported by a single tubular arch. Due to the live nature of the site a vierendeel design was adopted to allow the structure to be erected over two weekends in modular form. As a consequence of this construction method and the necessary position of the connections their design was outside the relevant design codes this necessitated a computer 3D structural modeling of the connection detail to determine the stresses and movement within the detail to establish relevant safety factors.
Structural Engineer: White Young Green (Associate Director – John McBeath)
