Acadian Wild | Oxford Frozen Foods

Project Overview

Acadian Wild, the largest blueberry processing facility in the world, is located on a 40-acre site in rural Northeast New Brunswick. The facility, a state-of-the-art food processing and storage center, was designed to handle various stages of blueberry processing and cold storage.

The facility’s layout includes:

• Cold Storage + Penthouse: 99,102 SF
• Frozen Loading Dock: 6,909 SF
• Tote Fill Area + Production Mezzanine: 27,543 SF
• IQF Tunnel Area + Production Mezzanine: 29,871 SF
• Fresh Processing Area: 25,463 SF
• Office | Operations Area: 5,585 SF

The Cold Storage and Frozen Dock areas were designed with a modern material handling system by Frazier Industrial, featuring a drive-in racking system. The Cold Storage area stands 48 feet high and includes a penthouse design for the Refrigeration System. The building’s structural steel frame is wrapped with insulated metal panels and a built-up roof assembly. The Cold Storage floor assembly features a wear slab, rigid insulation, HD vapor barrier, and a glycol subfloor heating system encapsulated in a concrete mud slab.

Key Features

Cold Storage and Frozen Dock Areas: Designed with a modern material handling system by Frazier Industrial, featuring a drive-in racking system. The Cold Storage area stands 48 feet high and includes a penthouse design for the Refrigeration System. The structural steel frame is wrapped with insulated metal panels and a built-up roof assembly.

Process Areas: Designed to accommodate process equipment provided by the Owner, with building heights varying from 33 feet to 40 feet. The entire process area has a suspended insulated metal panel (IMP) walk-on ceiling system, creating a large interstitial space for mechanical, fire suppression, refrigeration, electrical, and process equipment work packages.

Office and Operations Areas: Built to commercial-grade standards, featuring a smock area, washrooms, locker rooms, lunchroom, laundry, QC lab, and general offices.

Loading Dock: Constructed with low-temperature construction details to operate in the 34°F to 36°F temperature range. Features five dock positions complete with vertical storing levelers, inflatable dock shelters, and vehicle restraints. Structural framing for idle pallet storage was constructed over the dock positions, with a Battery Charging room, Shipping Office, and Operations Offices completing the area. The entire perimeter of the Loading Dock is protected by a 24-inch high concrete reinforced protective curb with a sloped top.

Sealand’s Role

Sealand was engaged to provide a design-build turn-key project for the building shell only. The Owner directly managed the Mechanical, Fire Suppression, Refrigeration, and Electrical work packages. Sealand’s responsibilities included overseeing all aspects of pre-construction (planning, design, permitting, cost estimation, scheduling, procurement), construction (management, health & safety, quality control, schedule control, and handover), and project closeout (startup & commissioning, verification, warranty administration, owner training, and delivery of operation and maintenance manuals) related to the building shell.

Sealand also self-performed several critical work packages, including:

• Installation of Insulated Metal Panels for walls and ceilings
• Cut & Patch Trade Openings
• Installation of Thermal Isolation Blocks and Vapor Barriers
• Construction of Insulated Floors
• Installation of Perimeter Eave Details
• Metal siding, Rough Carpentry, and Finish Carpentry
• Installation of Specialty Doors (High Speed, Freezer, Cooler)
• Installation of Interior Protective Concrete Curbs and Steel Pipe Bollards
• Construction of Concrete Aprons and Equipment Pads
• Temporary Hoarding and Firestopping

Challenges and Solutions

Challenges: Time was of the essence on this project. The priject had to be completed by blueberry season of 2016. The Sealand team began the building foundation in mid-July 2015.

Solutions: By December 20, 2015, the building was fully erected, weather-tight, and 60% of the floor slabs were placed. The efficient execution of construction allowed the facility to be completed and ready for the blueberry season by August 1, 2016.

Project Details

Client: Acadien Wild | Oxford Frozen Foods

Location: Northeast New Brunswick, Canada

Project Type: Design Build Lump Sum

Building Area: 194,473 SF

Budget: $15 Million

Project Duration: 12 Months

Construction Duration: [Information Not Provided]

Number of Trades: 23