Ebtech Glasshouse Systems' latest glasshouse project has been completed at the site of W S Bentley Growers Ltd in Yorkshire. The 7,964.8m² completely used glasshouse comprising of 6.4m bays & 4m sections was constructed in just over three weeks, following the foundations being pre done earlier in the year.
3-meter limit
Restrictions on the planning meant the house could only have a 3 m post height; however, with the client growing on benches, this is not a great concern, Tony Walker, Managing Director with Ebtech Glasshouse Systems, explains. "Installation challenges included using the standard installation moveable platforms, as these are designed for working at greater heights and we had to remove some railings on the sides to get under the trellis girders. Other than that it did actually make the installation that bit faster, from a growing perspective the crop is on benches, but the height restrictions mean if other services are installed above the bench, such as lights and irrigation, then this could make it more difficult." The grower has other houses of similar height though and had no great issues.
Dog legs
The glasshouse, which has two pane ventilation on either side of the ridge operating on a rail mech system, features gutters of steel, each with white PVC downpipes. As seen in the video above, the glasshouse consisted of a couple of 'dog legs'.
"Dog legs are where the glasshouse side wall comes either in or outwards to create a slightly larger or smaller width in the length," Tony explains. "For example, a glasshouse of, say, 2 x 6.4 wide x 4 x 4m sections long may well at two sections down the length come in 1 x 6.4m bay width to make the remaining 2 x 4m sections only 1 x 6.4m wide, like an 'L' shape."
All in all though, it was a very straight forward build for the experienced crew, Tony assures, calling the project "another great installation for Ebtech Glasshouse Systems Ltd in conjunction with our Dutch partner".
For more information:
Ebtech Glasshouse Systems
www.ebtechglasshouses.co.uk