Main contractor appointed for Asda distribution facility

McLaren Construction has been appointed as main contractor on a £41million distribution facility for Asda, in the Kingsway Business Park, Rochdale.

The low carbon development is due to commence this month and will comprise of 530,000 sq ft. chilled and freezer distribution, a plant deck with associated enabling and external works, offices, new car park and hard and soft landscaping, a vehicle wash and fuelling facility and a 131,000 sq ft. onsite Service Centre.

Phil Pringle, Managing Director, McLaren Construction said: “We are pleased to have been appointed on this project. We look forward to using our extensive experience in the distribution sector and our industry leading sustainability knowledge and delivery track record to enable ASDA’s ambitions for this development. ”

With sustainability a priority on this development, an integrated approach has been taken by the project team from the outset, enabling the achievement of a BREEAM Excellent rating and ‘A’ energy performance rating during the design stage and pre assessment.

A complex, dynamic simulation of the building was carried out an early stage which enabled the design team to understand the building’s behaviour and allow specification changes at the outset. This planning has enabled the building to be more intelligently designed to perform at a high standard that is expected.

As a result of this process, specific design and construction solutions that are being implemented to enable efficiency savings and meet ADSA’s challenging sustainability targets include: 

• Collection of waste heat from the refrigeration plant to serve under floor heating in both the ancillary and office area;
• LED lighting installed internally and externally to the building to provide one of the lowest in class energy use density for distribution buildings;
• Installation of a bio fuel plant and photovoltaic cells for efficient electricity generation;
  a combined heat and power plant fuelled by renewable biofuels;
• Rainwater harvesting to ensure efficient water usage;
• Natural ventilation design for offices with ventilation stacks on the roof to enhance performance.