Longcross Group - Case Study

When specialist retail contractor Longcross Construction was appointed to upgrade the Sainsbury's supermarket in Darlington, it needed to source the very highest standard of site accommodation to meet the supermarket's high expectations. The build programme involved refurbishing the interior of the store, constructing two extensions, a petrol filling station and a car park. A major challenge for this project was the very small site footprint available on which to locate the buildings. The space available was also adjacent to the main access road into the store's service yard, which needed to remain unobstructed throughout the programme.

Tony Woods, Senior Site Manager for Longcross Construction, says: "We have used Konstructa Hire buildings exclusively for the past five or six years on all our major projects for the big supermarkets. We know the buildings will be of the highest quality and the service provided is always excellent. Our site offices need to create a good impression for any visitors, and we know we can rely on Konstructa Hire buildings to present our company in the best possible light."

To overcome the space and access restrictions on the Darlington site, Konstructa Hire arranged to install some of its units on a seven-metre high gantry which would span the entrance to the service yard, allowing Sainsbury's delivery lorries to pass underneath.

"This was a truly unique solution for this particular job, and Konstructa Hire managed to overcome all the difficulties associated with the site," says Tony. "It's certainly an unusual looking installation, but it works perfectly and enables Sainsbury's to continue its daily operations uninterrupted."

Crucially, to fulfil the environmental requirements of both Longcross Construction and Sainsbury's, Konstructa Energy-Saver buildings were supplied, which will help to significantly reduce the energy use and carbon emissions associated with this project.

Konstructa Hire supplied six large storage units, a security office and one large toilet and shower block at ground level. Up on the scaffolding, it installed four large office buildings, fully equipped with furniture, a canteen and a drying room. One of the offices was specially adapted for this project with a kitchenette and toilet. These office and welfare buildings will provide exemplary facilities, 24 hours a day, for up to 120 people who will be working on the site over the 30-week programme.

All of the buildings were installed on a single day, using a 100-tonne crane. To avoid disruption to Sainsbury's normal delivery operations, the installation had to take place during two brief designated time periods in the morning and afternoon.

Tony says: "Everything was delivered right on schedule, as promised by Konstructa Hire, and the installation went without a hitch. It meant we got all our buildings set up during a single day, with no disruption whatsoever to Sainsbury's normal business.