AV Dawson delivers key pieces for major construction jigsaw
MULTI-modal logistics group AV Dawson has played a major part in transporting vital construction materials to the site of a multi-million pound distribution centre in the North East.
The Tees Valley-based specialists co-ordinated the movement of more than 2,000 concrete sections, weighing a total of 15,000 tonnes. The sections were moved from Spelle in Germany, where they were manufactured, to a development site in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham.
The sections form part of a huge distribution centre for supermarket giant, Lidl. Famous for bringing in quality products at affordable prices, the move supports the international grocery giant's plans for expansion throughout Europe.
In a feat of modern construction, the concrete sections which vary in size from two metres squared to 32 metres long have been slotted together to form the structure and walls of the building.
Due to the sheer volume and weight of the load, representatives from AV Dawson travelled to specialist construction company, Rekers Betonwerk in Spelle, to assess and agree the most efficient mode of transport.
The huge operation of moving the sections from source to site took AV Dawson just over two months to complete from start to finish. The first leg of the journey involved moving loads by barge to the port of Emden in Germany along the River Ems. From there they were shipped in to AV Dawson's 1,000-meters long wharf on the River Tees, where they were stored before continuing by road to the Lidl site.
To ensure the smooth running of the project, and to meet its client's 'just- in- time' demands, AV Dawson worked closely with its European counterparts. These included representatives from Lidl, Rekers Betonwerk and the Ems Ports Agency and Stevedoring in Emden, Germany.
Gary Dawson, AV Dawson managing director, said: "This major project demonstrates the versatility of AV Dawson in offering a bespoke, door-to-door service. As well as handling the unusual load, we had to work to a very strict timetable. Yet our forward thinking approach and effective co-operation with different partners, both at home and abroad, helped us to iron out any potential storage and transportation issues."
