Northstone NI Lowers Asphalt Production Costs and Carbon with Zappshelter

Northstone NI is one of Northern Ireland’s leading suppliers of quarry products and construction materials. Specialising in asphalt, concrete, aggregates and road surfacing, they are a key part of CRH – a global leader in the building materials industry. The company is committed to innovation, safety and sustainable practices across all its operations.

For the development of their new state-of-the-art asphalt plant in Newtownards, Northern Ireland, Northstone needed a reliable and cost-effective solution to keep raw materials dry. Zappshelter was chosen to deliver a custom project with multiple setups to meet this requirement.

The Challenge:
Anyone in the asphalt industry knows that water is the enemy of efficiency. When raw materials like RAP (Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement), dust and sand get wet, vast amounts of energy are needed to dry them during production.

This doesn’t just drive up costs and burn more fuel; it can slow the whole production process. For their new asphalt plant, Northstone needed to solve this problem from day one, ensuring their operation would be as efficient and cost-effective as possible.

The Solution:
The solution was a set of three bespoke Zappshelters, customised to the site’s layout and requirements. All three were mounted onto precast concrete block bays, creating ideal segregated storage areas.

The installation included:

One 17m x 30m Zappshelter
One 14m x 18m Zappshelter
One 8m x 18m Zappshelter

To handle the infamous Northern Irish weather, a custom external PVC rainwater gutter system was fitted between two of the shelters, offering an ideal solution for water management.

“Zappshelter has given us a cost-effective and easily set-up solution to keep our materials dry.” - Pierce Kirwan – Quarry Manager, Northstone NI

The Result:
The results speak for themselves. With raw materials consistently kept dry, Northstone is already seeing the benefits of reduced production costs.

A successful project is about more than just the structure; it’s about the partnership. The feedback from the Northstone team highlights what we strive for on every project: great service, customised solutions and a professional, safety-focused approach from start to finish.

“We chose Zappshelter because their customer service was excellent and they gave us a customised solution that was cost-effective and efficient for us. We found Zappshelter professional and safety focused.” - Pierce Kirwan – Quarry Manager, Northstone NI