Jiangsu Zhuben Concrete Batching Plant Relocation: 12,000 m² Steel Structure Aggregate Warehouse, 30 m Span
Published On: October 21, 2026
Project Overview
Bafang Steel Structure supplied and erected a 12,000 m² steel structure aggregate warehouse for the relocation of the Zhuben concrete batching plant in Jiangsu Province. The building provides covered, dust-controlled storage for sand, gravel and crushed stone feeding the new batching plant, with a 30 m clear span that keeps the yard free of internal columns for wheel loader and tipper access. The warehouse was delivered in five months from drawing approval to roof closure.
Project Background
The batching plant was relocated to a new site with tighter environmental requirements than the original facility. Open aggregate stockpiles could no longer satisfy local dust and stormwater rules, and the plant needed covered storage that would be operational quickly so that commercial concrete supply to local construction projects could resume without a long gap.
- Location: Jiangsu Province, China
- Facility: relocated concrete batching plant, aggregate storage warehouse
- Stored material: sand, gravel and crushed stone, bulk loaded by tipper
- Key constraints: short relocation window, dust control, uninterrupted concrete supply
Structural Solution
A tapered portal rigid frame in Q355B hot-rolled H-section steel was adopted as the most economical system for a 30 m span warehouse of this length. Tapered haunches carry the bending moment at the knee, while cold-formed galvanized C and Z purlins support the roof sheeting over a 7.5 m bay spacing. The enclosure is fully sealed at the gable ends with roller shutter doors sized for tipper trucks, and a partial height partition separates aggregate grades.
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Covered area | 12,000 m² (30 m span * 400 m length) |
| Clear span | 30 m, single span portal frame |
| Structural system | Tapered portal rigid frame, Q355B H-section |
| Secondary structure | Galvanized C/Z purlins, tie rods, knee bracing |
| Eave height | 9 m, clear for wheel loader operation |
| Roof cladding | 0.5 mm colour-coated sheet with 75 mm glass wool |
| Wall cladding | 0.5 mm corrugated sheet and sandwich panels |
| Natural lighting | Approx. 10% skylight panels |
| Steel consumption | Approx. 32 kg/m², total approx. 385 t |
| Wind load | 0.40 kN/m², 50-year return period |
| Seismic design | Intensity 7, 0.10 g |
| Design service life | 50 years |
Scope of Supply
- Structural design, connection detailing and shop drawings
- Factory fabrication of frames, purlins and secondary members
- Shot blasting with primer and finish coating
- Marked, export-packed delivery to the new plant site
- Erection of frames, purlins, roof and wall cladding
- Roller shutter doors, gutters and downpipes
- As-built drawings, mill certificates and inspection records
Construction Challenges and Solutions
Compressed relocation schedule. Because the plant could not resume commercial supply until the store was closed in, fabrication was released in two frame packages, allowing erection to start on the first half of the building while the second half was still on the production line.
Interface with the batching plant. Column grids and door openings were coordinated with the conveyor gallery, aggregate hopper and truck circulation routes, so that the warehouse roof could be closed without clashing with mechanical installations.
Dust and stormwater containment. The enclosure was detailed with sealed wall laps, concrete upstand kerbs at the perimeter and closed gable ends, preventing wind-driven dust escape and keeping rainfall off the stockpiles.
Ground conditions on a new site. Anchor bolt layouts were set from a surveyed base line, with cast-in holding-down bolts checked before frame delivery to avoid rework during the critical erection window.
Project Results
- Warehouse delivered in five months from approved drawings to roof closure
- 12,000 m² of aggregate storage fully covered, eliminating open stockpiles
- 30 m clear span maintained across the full length, with no internal columns
- No safety incidents during erection, with zero disruption to plant commissioning
- Enclosure accepted by the client ahead of the plant restart date
Client Feedback
"The warehouse went up faster than we expected for a building of this length. The clear span gives our loaders the room they need, and the covered storage helped us meet the environmental conditions for the new site."
— Project Representative, Zhuben Concrete Batching Plant Relocation
Why Bafang Steel Structure
Founded in 1999, Bafang Steel Structure provides integrated design, detailing, fabrication and installation support for industrial and commercial steel buildings. With an annual production capacity of approximately 200,000 t, the company delivers portal frame warehouses, large-span space frames and trusses for concrete plants, logistics parks, manufacturing facilities and public projects, with export packing and technical documentation prepared for international sites.
