Door Industry Journal - Summer 2016

Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk industrial doors 72 THE door industry journal summer 2016 Hörmann’s flexibility helps deliver at new London shipping hub DP World London Gateway opened in 2013. Built to dock ultra large container ships (ULCSs) of up to 400m in length and carrying over 18,000 shipping containers, the port boasts six deep-water berths and 2,700m of quay. The site is located just 10 miles from the M25 and has two railway lines running into the port, providing exceptional transport links across the country. By enabling businesses to ship closer to their destination, DP World hopes that the new port will save more than 148,000 tonnes of CO 2 . With an annual capacity of 3.5 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), London Gateway also required significant storage and distribution space. To meet this demand, DP World has secured planning permission for Europe’s biggest logistics park, offering an impressive 9 million sq ft of warehouse space. Some of the building work has already been completed, with DP World constructing its own 386,000 sq ft logistics centre and Prologis agreeing a joint venture with the port for a 316,000 sq ft speculative build. UPS has also purchased a 2 million sq ft plot with a view to developing a distribution hub at the port. The proposed spec build warehouse needed to be as flexible as possible in order to suit any potential future requirements. Having worked on numerous similar projects in the past, industrial door and loading bay manufacturer Hörmann was called upon to help deliver an adaptable solution for the 32 loading bay shed. One of the key considerations for this project was the types of vehicles that the building would need to cater for. With thousands of containers being unloaded at the port each day, DP World had introduced specially designed cassette trailers to transport units across the logistics park. This meant that the loading bays had to be suitable for trailers of varying shapes and bed heights. In order to load and unload safely and easily, Hörmann installed 32 HTL 2 hydraulic dock levellers with 500mm long telescopic lips. Not only do these extendable levellers provide a stable ramp for unloading at different vehicle heights, but they can also be precisely placed onto the trailer bed, enabling operatives to make use of a vehicle’s full loading space. For added safety and stability, these dock levellers include two hydraulic lifting arms. Designs with a self-supporting frame were also selected to prevent access underneath the leveller when lifted. To protect the loading bay structure and also keep out rainwater, Hörmann’s DS scissor armed dock seals were utilised. The double layered, UPVC coated, 3mm-thick top and side flaps help create a secure barrier around the trailer. Hörmann’s SPU F42 sectional doors are a popular choice for warehouses and were included in this build. These doors provide a good level of insulation and are fitted with a photocell safety guide as standard, which automatically stops the door from closing if an obstruction is sensed. For added safety, Hörmann has also installed traffic light systems, loading bay lights and dock buffers. As a manufacturer of a wide range of industrial doors, Hörmann provided an additional 14 steel personnel doors for the site, including one double leaf variant. Inside, the building includes a two-storey office area and over 300,000 sq ft of warehouse space. The speculative shed is now complete and ready for a tenant to occupy. DP World is expecting to see significant demand for plots at the port, which it believes will quickly become one of the UK’s main shipping hubs. For more information on London Gateway, visit www.londongateway.com, or to find out about Hörmann’s range of industrial doors and loading bay equipment, see www.hormann.co.uk .