Super Marts at Kilkenny & Ardee

We profile two new Mart developments at Ardee and Kilkenny that required galvanizing treatment as an integral part of their fabrication and construction.

Project: Ardee Livestock Mart
The new livestock mart complex is just off the M1 motorway at Ardee, Co. Louth. It relocated to this brand new out-of-town premises in April 2006. Serving farmers across the North East, it is a busy place with thousands of cattle and sheep travelling though the premises each year. Keeping animals moving smoothly is a function of the sophisticated system of penning and gates designed to be completely adaptable depending on the type of sale.

Fabrication
The main focus of each auction is the mart sale ring and, being circular in shape, it was one of the first challenges faced on the project. It could have been fabricated off site but Philipstown Engineering preferred to make absolutely sure it was a perfect fit for the circular foundation wall. “We rolled it to shape on site to make sure it was dead right and then sent it to Galco for galvanizing. Des Byrne from Galco looked after us and in the end the whole job went very well.”

Practically all the steel in the mart is galvanized, from the main structural steel frame of the building through to the individual pen divisions, gates and walkways. Hygiene is essential of course and the complex has to be power-washed after every sale. Nervous animals produce plenty of corrosive material so galvanizing was a natural choice to ensure longevity!

Keeping the livestock where they are supposed to be in such a fast-paced environment is helped by a number of clever design features like the gravity bolts on the gates and sprung hinges to automatically close the pedestrian gates. They carry the signature of local architect and engineer Frank Aitken who was responsible for the layout and design and I imagine he was keen to get a reliable local firm to turn his plans into reality.

The mart owners are very pleased with the new building not least because the operation runs so smoothly that sales take three to four hours less than they used to in the old mart. That’s a big cost saving for the operators and an early tea for a lot of hungry farmers.

Project: Kilkenny Livestock Mart
The Kilkenny Mart project was completed In 2006.  All the galvanizing was completed on schedule. “With galvanizing, the most important thing for us is the turnaround, speed of delivery, service and quality. If we promise a customer it will be ready in six weeks, then it has to be six weeks – whatever it takes. It’s all about performance – our reputation is built on this.”

“It’s all about performance, our reputation is built on this .”

SERVICE is everything for structural steel business Paddy Wall & Sons based in New Ross, Co. Wexford.

“Performance, performance, performance,” emphasises Liam Wall, managing director. This is the key to their success which is evident in the 70% project work coming from repeat customers.