Ocado CFC 6 Bristol

This 14,000 m2 facility was the first of Ocado’s ‘mini-CFCs’ and has the capacity for over 30,000 orders per week. The project involved fit out of an existing warehouse building including Ambient, Chill and Freezer chambers. EirEng were responsible for the full Civil and Structural Design associated with these works. The existing steel portal frame was strengthened with new bracing members forming a king-post style truss, and also required connection enhancements. The fit out involved the construction of mezzanines over four levels formed in timber or concrete floors on structural steel frames.

The existing slab and foundations were supported on piles and so the fit out and strengthening works were designed in order to ensure that the existing substructure was unaffected. This meant setting out the mezzanine columns so that they were located directly over existing piles, whilst ensuring that Ocado’s layout requirements were also achieved. This resulted in a challenging mezzanine design with stepped level changes, and transfer structures.

The works were undertaken during the Covid 19 pandemic and government restrictions. The project closed during the first lockdown and for the second was classified as essential, so the site remained open. Although adding considerable complexity to a difficult refurbishment project the response by the Contractor meant the impact was minimised.