Composting with a custom Covermaster

What the customer wanted

Wormtech is an Australian producer and supplier of biological fertilisers and soil amendments. It delivers tens of thousands of tonnes of valuable organic resources destined for landfill each year, then converts them into a range of high-grade biological fertilisers.

Wormtech has run large-scale vermiculture (worm farming) and composting facilities in NSW’s Riverina region for over 20 years. Its main composting facility is in Carrathool, a small village in the region’s west. Fully licensed by the NSW EPA, it handles up to 50,000 tonnes of waste annually.

The size and scale of its Carrathool operations warranted a high-grade solution that provides adequate cover for their specialised machinery – loaders, mixers and composters – as well as other equipment for sorting, monitoring and storing organic waste.

Wormtech appointed Local Ranbuild Accredited Dealer, Riverina Outbuild, for the project, their trusted shed dealer since 2016. Choosing to work with Riverina Outbuild again was easy due to their proven reliability and commitment to delivering high-quality, custom shed solutions.

Riverina Outbuild is based in Griffith, NSW and has been the exclusive dealer for Ranbuild in the region for over a decade. Riverina Outbuild is a successful family-owned business with more than 2,000 completed projects across the Riverina region and nationwide.

How the Dealership Helped

Wormtech already had a type of shed in mind however, after qualifying the customer’s questions and better understanding the scope of their day-to-day operations, the dealer devised a bespoke solution that appropriately catered to Wormtech’s needs: Functionality, durability and quality.

Riverina Outbuild also made sure to deliver in next to no time, subject to the necessary council applications. An easy and speedy delivery was essential to ensure operations were not impacted in any way.

“The great thing about the Covermaster Cee sheds is that they are fully engineered for durability and strength, whilst still looking great, we couldn’t be more happier with the end result.” – Josh Vearing, Owner and Director, Riverina

What was Delivered

In just two months, Riverina Outbuild delivered a full turnkey solution – a custom machinery shed designed to better enable Wormtech’s waste-to-fertiliser model. The modular design of Ranbuild’s Covermaster Cee shed was the perfect fit.

Riverina incorporated four spacious 8M open-front bays to allow the large machinery easy access. The shed also features roof cladding in LYSAGHT TRIMDEK® in COLORBOND® steel Dune®, evoking a soft, natural scheme that works harmoniously with the site’s native surroundings.

As the site needed to withstand heavy traffic on difficult terrain, the shed’s foundation was the most crucial element. This was achieved by:

• A unique slab and footing design tailored specifically for the soil type
• The incorporation of galvanised steel components in the framing system, which adds strength and helps to extend the shed’s lifespan
• The use of zinc-coated, grade 8.8 high tensile nuts, bolts and washers
• The use of grade 8.8 galvanised J bolts for placement into the concrete, used to line up and secure the base plates and columns to the slab. This ensures strong anchoring and longevity of the shed’s base connections in all weather conditions

Challenges That Were Overcome

Despite some minor challenges, the execution remained fairly straightforward.

• Soil testing was needed so the ground could safely support the structure of the shed and all the heavy equipment. All necessary site investigations and lab analyses were orchestrated to gain the appropriate Soil Classification Report/geotech report for the engineers.
• Ample time was required to make the necessary council applications – the Development Application (DA), followed by the Construction Certificate (CC) – prior to building commencing. As a waste-related facility, this build was also subject to EPA’s licence conditions which were all quickly checked off.
• Organic waste comes with odour, and attracts unwanted visitors, like flies! Though an unexpected challenge due to the large amounts of waste on site, addressing the issue was still difficult. This added to the pressure of completing the project on time.

Despite these, Riverina remained 100% committed to providing the highest quality of service. There was direct involvement from Vearing on site at every stage of the process, from excavation, concreting through to the build. Being hands-on made for swift decision making, which led to the whole project running smoothly.

“The process was absolutely flawless. The way Riverina Outbuild handled the build proved the reason why we chose them – it’s not just about supplying a shed, but delivering the right” – Adrian Raccanello, Co-Founder, Wormtech.