Rural
Agricultural Building Construction in Cumbria
Bases, foundations, plinth walls, aprons and drainage for agricultural buildings on working farms.
Agricultural buildings have to work hard: heavy machinery, livestock, slurry and effluent, cleaning regimes and Cumbrian weather. The groundworks and masonry under a farm building take more abuse than almost anything in domestic construction.
SHS carries out the groundworks and structural elements of agricultural buildings across Cumbria — level platforms, pad foundations for portal frames, plinth and panel walls, concrete floors and aprons, and the drainage that keeps clean and dirty water apart.
Applications
Where this work applies
- Livestock and cubicle housing
- Machinery and implement stores
- Feed, fodder and grain storage
- General purpose farm buildings
- Extensions to existing agricultural buildings
Project types
Typical projects
- Level platform and pad foundations for a new portal frame shed
- Concrete plinth walls and reinforced floor for livestock housing
- Yard apron with drainage and silt trap
- Base and drainage works for a machinery store
From site
Agricultural Buildings — genuine SHS photographs
Genuine photographs of SHS work. They are individual site photographs from different jobs and do not represent a single project.
Method
How SHS approaches it
01
Farms keep running while work is going on. Access routes for stock, feed deliveries, milk collection and machinery are agreed with the farmer, and work is sequenced so the yard stays functional.
02
Specification is driven by use. Slab thickness, reinforcement, concrete class and falls are all chosen for the actual loading and cleaning regime, not a generic detail.
Plant
Equipment used
- 1.5 tonne excavator (company-owned)
- 3 tonne track dumper
- Hydraulic breaker pack
- Rotating laser level
- Plant and tipper trailers for self-delivery
- Tractor and trailer for on-farm haulage
Support
Professional input
- Structural engineering for frame foundations and retaining panels
- Steel fabricators and frame erectors through established partners
- Advice on regulatory requirements for slurry and effluent infrastructure
Specialist input is provided by independent professionals SHS works with, not by in-house departments.
Cumbria
Local considerations
- Cumbria is a livestock county, and much of the agricultural construction here relates to housing, handling, feeding and storage in a high-rainfall climate. Roof water separation and effluent containment are central to getting these buildings right.
- Farmyard sites often have decades of made ground, buried services and old foundations beneath them. Excavating with that expectation avoids surprises part way through a pour.
Frequently asked questions
SHS carries out the groundworks, foundations, plinths and concrete, and coordinates with specialist frame erectors and cladding contractors.
Related services
Rural
Farm Diversification
Groundworks and building work for barn conversions, holiday lets, storage units and rural enterprise projects.
Rural
Rural Groundworks
Groundworks geared to rural reality: awkward access, soft ground, long service runs and off-mains drainage.
Groundworks & Civils
Concrete Works
Slabs, floors, bases, aprons and reinforced concrete, placed and finished to the required tolerance.
Structures & Masonry
Structural Steel
Steel beams, columns and frames installed and integrated with masonry to the engineer's design.
Groundworks & Civils
Land Drainage
Field drains, French drains, ditching and outfalls to take water out of ground that stays wet.
Areas served
Next step
Need agricultural buildings in Cumbria?
Tell SHS what you are building, repairing or preparing. Upload photographs, drawings or plans and the project can be reviewed before a site visit is arranged.