It takes a lot of salt to keep the Norwegian roads free of ice and snow in the winter. With help from O.B. Wiik, Mesta can store 25,000 tonnes of road salt at the quay in Filipstad!
Salt from the Mediterranean keeps Norwegian roads ice-free
Norway has a lot of ice and snow during the winter and it is therefore absolutely necessary to salt the roads, particularly in cities and areas with high traffic.
The Norwegian Public Roads Administration is responsible for maintenance of Norwegian roads, and outsources the work to contractors.
The largest supplier of road operation and maintenance in Norway is Mesta AS. They have around 50 contracts in this field, representing a market share of approx. 45%. This translates to responsibility for miles upon miles of road, and a vast volume of salt to keep the roads clear in the winter. To be fully prepared, the salt must be kept in storage.
Just to give an insight into the volume of salt involved, we can tell you that it is shipped from the Mediterranean and each ship load is approx. 9,000 tonnes. It takes between six to eight weeks from placing an order until the ship calls in to Filipstad quay in Oslo.
“It is incredibly important both for Mesta and for drivers in Norway that we do not run out of salt,” comments Bjørn Heggedal, Purchasing Manager at Mesta. “And with such long delivery times, we are absolutely reliant on large storage halls with good capacity.”
Bulk storage in buildings from O.B. Wiik
The salt for the roads in Eastern Norway is stored at Filipstad quay in Oslo. This storage facility was installed in 2009 and currently comprises two tent buildings from O.B. Wiik. Their dimensions are 40 x 81 metres and 20 x 72 metres.
The total capacity is an incredible 25,000 tonnes of salt, stored safely behind the 4-metre high timber walls, which are fitted with robust rear supports.
“O.B. Wiik provides us with an excellent solution for salt storage, and we have a number of buildings like these installed in different parts of Norway. They are so flexible as you can move them as required between contracts,” explains Bjørn Heggedal.
He goes on to add that the utility value of tent buildings like these is just as high after 10 to 20 years as when new. Mesta has also noted that O.B. Wiik are always best on price when competing for new tent deliveries.
You can store just about anything in a bilk storage from O.B Wiik
The buildings used by Mesta are an excellent example of O.B. Wiik’s bulk storage facilities, which can be supplied in a wide range of sizes. Other typical goods in bulk storage are coal, metal, cement, corn, synthetic substances and timber. A WiikHall can be supplied with reinforced timber walls that can withstand the load of the bulk products stored there. The buildings can be customised so that they are the perfect storage area for the products inside.
The type of product, weight and angle all determine what kind of bulk storage is required, and the height of the timber walls.