Planning a Farm Expansion? Where Concrete Infrastructure Matters Most

Whether you are expanding livestock housing, reorganising storage or modernising an existing yard, changes to one area affect how the rest of the farm works. Additional housing can increase demands on feeding and slurry handling, while moving a storage bay can alter machinery access. Each decision needs to make sense within the wider layout. 

This is where agricultural concrete becomes part of the planning process. Walls, channels, slats and storage units each have a specific job, but their suitability also depends on how they fit together. At Wolfenden, we help farmers, designers and contractors consider these requirements together, discussing which precast products suit the application and where standard, customised or bespoke options may be appropriate. 

Begin with the way the farm works today 

Before settling on a footprint, consider how the expansion will fit into the farm’s daily routine and where it could make work easier. An awkward turn on the feed route, deliveries blocking a passage or storage spread across several locations can all help identify what the new arrangement should improve. 

Use those observations to establish the capacity you need and which existing facilities will remain in use. Then follow a typical working day through the proposed layout, tracing livestock movements between housing, milking facilities, handling areas and pasture alongside the routes used for feeding, deliveries and slurry management. 

Where those routes meet, check whether there is enough room for each task. A building entrance may work well for moving cattle but restrict a feed wagon’s approach. A storage bay may provide useful capacity while reducing turning space elsewhere. Include seasonal deliveries and contractors’ machinery in these checks, as they may place different demands on the yard. 

These movements also help establish loading requirements. Where vehicles will cross slats or solid covers, confirm their dimensions and axle loads with the supplier and project designer before selecting the components. 

Let slurry requirements inform the building layout 

Once the main movements are understood, consider how slurry will be collected, transferred and stored. This can influence the building footprint itself: channels, covers and supporting structures affect floor levels and the space available beneath or alongside livestock areas. 

Start by establishing the volume the system needs to handle and store, taking account of livestock numbers, housing periods, wash water and the proposed management system. From there, trace the route to storage and identify any connections with existing infrastructure. 

Channel dimensions, intersections and discharge points need to work within that arrangement, with appropriate access for inspection and maintenance. Our slurry channel range includes different widths and depths, intersection units, and options for solid or slatted covers. Discussing your proposed layout with us at this stage helps establish which combinations suit the project and how they will connect with the wider slurry system. 

Build the specification around each area’s purpose 

With the main routes and slurry arrangements established, the requirements for housing and storage become clearer. Each area should be specified around its intended use, including the loads it must support and the conditions it will encounter. 

In livestock housing, animal contact, moisture, bedding and cleaning all influence product selection. When choosing agricultural concrete wall panels, establish the required height, span, supports and loading. A panel forming part of a building wall may have different requirements from one retaining stored material. Wolfenden’s prestressed panels are available for building and storage applications, with the specification determined by the use and supporting structure. 

The same approach applies as the plan moves into feed, silage, grain or bedding storage. Identify the material, storage height and method of filling and emptying before selecting the walls. With prestressed panels and L-shaped retaining walls in our range, we can discuss the options against those requirements, including how each will be supported and fit within the available space. 

Check the working space around those structures as part of the same decision. Loaders need room to approach and turn, and deliveries need to be accommodated without blocking essential routes. If a bay may hold a different material later, raise this during specification, as that change could affect its loading requirements. 

Work through the jobs that keep the building usable 

By this stage, the layout should accommodate the main daily tasks. Before agreeing it, follow cleaning and maintenance work through the same spaces. 

Consider how equipment will reach each area, where wash water will go and whether corners, drainage points and troughs remain accessible. Junctions between walls and floors deserve particular attention, because their detailing affects how easily residues can be removed. 

Extend that check to pumps, valves and other serviceable equipment. There should be sufficient space to inspect, maintain and remove them without unnecessarily disturbing surrounding infrastructure. These details are easier to resolve while positions can still be adjusted on the drawings. 

Bring the plan through to construction 

Once the proposed arrangement works for daily use and maintenance, consider how it will be built while the farm remains operational. Deliveries, lifting equipment and installation work may affect the same routes needed for feeding, milking and moving livestock. Agreeing the sequence with the contractor helps establish where temporary access or phased work will be needed. 

This is also an opportunity to confirm that the current project leaves room for realistic future changes. A later extension may need access, service connections or additional slurry capacity, even if it is not being built now. 

Early discussion between the farmer, designer, contractor and precast supplier brings these requirements together. At Wolfenden, we use 3D modelling to show where our precast products fit within the appointed design team’s plans, then create plan and section layouts showing their positions. This gives you and your project team a clearer view of how channels, slats and other components fit together before work begins on site. 

If you are planning an expansion, bring us your proposed layout and an outline of how each area will be used. We can work through the relevant options from our agricultural range and discuss where standard products will suit or where customised or bespoke manufacture may be needed. Involving us while the plans are taking shape gives you the opportunity to resolve these product choices before dimensions and positions are fixed. 

 

Frequently asked questions 

What information should I have ready before speaking to a precast supplier? 

Bring available drawings and dimensions, together with details of how each area will be used. Useful information includes livestock type and numbers, machinery and axle loads, storage materials and heights, existing infrastructure, and delivery or lifting access constraints. Flag anything awaiting confirmation so the supplier can explain what is needed before specification. 

Can precast concrete products be customised? 

Yes. When specifying concrete for farms, the right approach depends on the application, dimensions and loading requirements. At Wolfenden, we offer standard, customised and bespoke options, so we can discuss whether an existing product suits the project or whether an adaptation or purpose-made component is needed. 

How can I allow for a future extension? 

Consider where additional housing, storage or slurry capacity might go, then review the access and service routes needed to support it. Preserve suitable space where practical. If adaptable or modular products are proposed, ask which elements can be extended or repositioned and which would need further design work. Future changes should be checked against the relevant loading and support requirements.