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Project

Free-range stable Hartman

PROVIDER:

Hartman Dairy Farm

MAIN CONTRACTOR:

ID Agro

STEEL BUILDER:

ID Agro

ARCHITECT:

Architectural firm K2

STUDY BUREAU:

ID Agro

BUILDING TIME:

PHOTOGRAPHER:

Sonia Mangiapane

At the Hartman family farm’s free-range barn for dairy cattle, the focus is on the animal. The barn was built to accommodate about 110 cows on an area of about 1,500 square meters. The core of the design consists of a Biobodem – a composting/suction aeration floor – and a modular steel superstructure system with prefabricated columns, beams and roof trusses, which are subsequently hot-dip galvanized.

Engineering and construction technology

The superstructure is modular, allowing column spacing and spans to be freely chosen, giving flexibility in plan layout and mechanization. By using trusses and various truss sizes, large free spans were realized without columns in the free walking and lying area. The structure was strategically designed for an aggressive indoor environment: high humidity, ammonia load and manure vapor required a steel structure with maximum corrosion resistance.

Choice of hot-dip galvanized steel

The choice of hot-dip galvanized steel was motivated by three core arguments:

  • Corrosion resistance in aggressive environment – The barn has an ammonia-rich, moist and manure-rich environment. Galvanizing provides long-term protection without the need for intensive maintenance.
  • Longevity & ease of maintenance – Because the structure is modular and partially visible, the steel appearance had to be high quality as well as low maintenance.
  • Flexible engineering and prefab logistics – The parts were prefabricated and could be treated in galvanizing baths. This ensured that welds, perforations and sharp edges could be completed in advance so that the galvanizing process could proceed optimally.

In short: Hartman’s free-range barn combines innovative barn technology – such as the BioBottom and the “convertible roof” with sliding roof – with high-quality steelwork that was hot-dip galvanized to meet the requirements of animal welfare, agricultural efficiency and sustainability.