Armadillo provides cutting-edge product for Aldi’s £25m distribution centre

Armadillo provides cutting-edge products for Aldi’s £25m distribution centre Armadillo was appointed by an engineering firm, Craddy Pitchers Davidson to insulate the distribution centre’s 1000 sqm cold storeroom, used to stock thousands of frozen and chilled products before distribution to UK Aldi stores. The manufacturer’s product, Armatherm™ 500, was installed directly under steel column bases which bridge the floor slab insulation. Support columns pass through the non-load bearing slab insulation to warm the ground beneath, short-circuiting the insulation barrier. Armatherm™ 500 is an inert, ultra-high density closed-cell polymer that offers high load capacity coupled with outstanding thermal performance. Since the installation, Aldi has appointed Armadillo to provide thermal breaks for three more distribution centres across the UK as a result. Commenting on the project, Armadillo’s managing director, Jonathan Shaw said: “As this job called for a material with high compressive strength and fantastic insulation properties, Armatherm™ 500 was the perfect solution for Aldi. “Hardwoods such as Iroko timber are often specified for thermal breaks, but they absorb moisture and are prone to rot, making them ineffective. Due to its closed-cell nature, our product will not absorb moisture and carries all the properties needed to bear column loads and isolate temperatures, which is exactly what the client needed. A material with all of these qualities is highly sought after in today’s market and many competitor products are over-specified for this kind of applications so can not fulfil this demand economically.” Armatherm™ 500 has been used in a variety of construction projects, from structural steel framing connections and façades to residential builds and freezer rooms.