Marley Eternit has topped-off what has been nicknamed the “largest cowshed in Cornwall” with its fibre cement Profile 6 sheeting.
The £650,000 new Exhibition Hall at the Royal Cornwall Showground at Wadebridge was officially opened in March by Her Royal Highness, The Countess of Wessex.
Smiths Gore’s Architecture and Building Surveying team in Truro specified Profile 6 for the roof and vertical cladding because it provided the most complimentary aesthetic to existing buildings on the showground.
The Hall will offer top class accommodation for the cattle section at the Royal Cornwall Show, which is being held this year on June 6-8. The Hall has already hosted a dog show and catering event and has a full schedule of activity planned throughout the year.
Fibre cement profiled sheeting is particularly suitable to these large, multi-purpose facilities, especially those that house animals and livestock, because it is cost effective, reduces reverberation from wind and rain and tackles the issue of condensation. A further consideration for the design team was that Marley Eternit profiled sheeting has a life expectancy of up to 50 years when fitted in accordance with manufacturer’s guidelines.
Smiths Gore’s Alan Tresidder said: “We specified fibre cement profiled sheeting because it is particularly suited to these kinds of multi-purpose exhibition halls. As well as offering an appropriate aesthetic for the showground, we are confident that this large, flexible, covered space will provide a great venue for many different events throughout the year.”
The new Exhibition Hall has a steel frame structure that measures 73 metres by 25 metres and creates over 1,800 square metres of new space. It will be used for a variety of purposes by agriculture, industry, education and commerce sectors in Cornwall.
Ben Luxton of the Royal Cornwall Agricultural Association (RCAA) said: “Our new Exhibition Hall is a great addition to the showground and we are sure it will be appreciated by visitors. We are pleased with how the profiled sheeting compliments some of the existing buildings on our showground.”
The roof on the Exhibition Hall was designed with a ventilating cranked crown ridge piece to improve ventilation and allow stale, moisture-laden air to escape. In addition, Profile 6 is able to absorb up to 25% of its dry weight in moisture and dissipate it in more favourable conditions, further minimising issues with condensation inside the building.
This ability to tackle condensation reduces breathing related conditions in livestock as well as minimising the number of water droplets forming on the underside of the sheet and subsequently falling directly onto visitors and prize show stock.
Profile 6 is a durable, high strength fibre cement profiled sheet that can be used for roofs of 5° pitch and over, and for vertical cladding in both single skin and insulated constructions. Marley Eternit Profile 6 is available in a choice of eight colours that harmonise with commonly used building materials.
Marley Eternit fibre cement profiled sheeting has a P60 (external SAA) rating to BS 476: Part 3: 1975, and can be classified Class 0 in accordance with Building Regulations.
Main contractor for the new Exhibition Hall was Midas.
