12,000m² Distribution Centre Cut Edge Corrosion Treatment, Doncaster

The Challenge

A national third-party logistics operator manages a 12,000m² regional distribution centre in Doncaster, originally built in 1996 with profiled plastisol-coated steel sheeting. Cut edge corrosion had progressed across virtually every sheet overlap and gutter line on the building, with rust staining visible internally and four separate water ingress points reported during the previous winter.

The site processes more than 2,000 pallet movements per day on a 24/6 schedule. A full re-sheet had been quoted at over £900,000 plus a four-week shutdown, equivalent to a further £1.2m of contract penalty exposure to the operator's retail clients. The brief was to restore weathertight performance and arrest corrosion without scaffold, without shutdown, and within a strict capex envelope.

Our Approach

We surveyed the entire roof area using rope access and quantified every linear metre of corroded edge, overlap and gutter joint. A treatment specification was developed using a three-coat cut edge corrosion system: rust-inhibiting primer, elastomeric base coat with embedded reinforcement scrim, and a UV-stable colour-matched topcoat.

All 11,400 linear metres of sheet edges, 980 linear metres of valley gutter joints and 6,200 linear metres of overlap were hand-prepared by wire brush to remove loose scale and active rust. Treatment was carried out by IRATA-certified rope access technicians working from above the roof, eliminating the £180,000 scaffolding cost in the original re-sheet quote.

Works were sequenced around the operator's quietest trading windows, with no impact on inbound or outbound vehicle movements at any stage of the project.

The Result

The roof now presents as a uniform, refurbished surface with no visible corrosion. All four previously reported leak points have been eliminated. The client's facilities team has confirmed zero water ingress over a full subsequent winter, including periods of prolonged heavy rainfall.

Total project cost came in at approximately £210,000, less than 24% of the proposed re-sheet alternative. A 20-year guarantee covers the full treated area, with optional five-year inspection visits scheduled to maintain warranty terms. We have since been awarded similar treatment programmes at two further sites in the operator's UK estate.

Services Used on This Project