JF Cobbs Farm - Case Study
JF Cobbs Farm is a farm in Winfrith Newburgh, Dorchester, and it has been in the family sine 1928. Today, their primary enterprise is dairy farming, but they also grow arable crops such as barley and wheat, which is used to feed the cows.
JF Cobbs Farm reached out to us at Bourne Surfacing & Civils Ltd last year to enquire about the installation of a maize pit on their farm. A maize pit, also known as a silage pit, is where the maize that is foraged is packed in to eliminate any oxygen before being covered, sealing it in to be pickled. This is what is fed to the cows during the winter months on the farm as it provides many nutrients.
Our team were tasked with installing this maize pit on JF Cobbs Farm.
The Challenge
On a working dairy farm that feeds its cows using silage, the maize pit is extremely important. It needs to ensure that zero oxygen can enter the pit while the maize is in there, as this can spoil the feed. It also needs to be of a good size to adequately fit all the foraged maize in the pit, ensuring there is enough feed for all the cows.
As such, when we were installing the maize pit on JF Cobbs Farm, we needed to make sure that the pit was structurally sound so that, when it was sealed, no oxygen could make its way in and spoil the feed. We needed to use the correct materials to ensure this, as well as make sure we were creating a maize pit that was large enough to meet the needs of JF Cobbs Farm.
The Result
At Bourne Surfacing & Civils Ltd, we are the South’s premier surfacing and civil specialists, so we were ready to take on this challenging project for JF Cobbs Farm. We have over 25 years of experience in the industry and boast a wealth of knowledge, and we brought this experience and knowledge to this project.
We designed and constructed a 25,000 square-metre maize pit for JF Cobbs Farm using stone and tarmac. We built this maize pit in 3 courses, using 3 layers, starting with 100mm type 3 stone. After this layer was complete, we utilised 50mm AC 20mm binder for the second layer, and we finished it off with 30mm of 10mm Ulty Guard as the third layer. By using 3 layers, installed over 3 courses, we could ensure that the maize pit was structurally sound and durable.
Working as a 6-man team, it took us 2 weeks to complete the construction of the maize pit for JF Cobbs Farm. The client, Nick Cobbs, was left highly satisfied with our work, leaving us a 5-star rating and commenting that he was “extremely happy with the job and we will definitely be using them again!”
Contact Us
If you have a surfacing requirement and require professional surfacing and civil contractors, reach out to us at Bourne Surfacing & Civils Ltd. Call us on 01202 240 375 and we will be happy to help.
