The Ragtime Dairy goats farm in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, provides a rather luxurious home to 350 goats and 200 kids with the Hyspan shed built to provide a large space catering to these sensitive milkers. Designed by Peter Hill of Peter Hill Design Engineering, Auckland, the shed protects its guests from extremes in climate and maintains a clean and pleasant environment.
To ensure milk from the goats is of the finest quality, the animals need to be housed under five star conditions, which is why Hill chose futurebuild LVL for the project. He has had a long association with Hyspan LVL products, saying: “Hyspan was the first choice for this job - given the use and the environment, the farm and scene and because it suited the structural arrangement perfectly.”
Hyspan was selected for the main support for the large structure which was 42.5m by 27.5m wide. Treated timber poles supported by a concrete foundation also provided the main support for the gabled roof. The long lengths of Hyspan meant easy installation out in the paddock, long spans joining the main rafters with plywood gussets.
While the shed is spacious, just as important is the well ventilated housing for zero grazing of dairy goats which means there is no pasture contamination. The Hyspan rafters and timber poles provided the main building structure to safely house the goats with the purlins running flush into the side of the main Hyspan rafters to form a clean roof line. In practical terms this means there is no space for birds to perch, creating a potential health hazard.
Source: Building Products News.