Hog Finishing Barn
Gowanstown, Ontario
Simple, Cost-Effective Hog Barn Construction
When Jake Peters decided it was time to build his first hog finishing barn, he wanted an easy forming system he could build himself, and a barn that would perform optimally for hogs as well as his energy bills. Octaform was an obvious choice.
Simplicity and Cost Savings
Octaform was an easy choice – offering a simple, single-step forming, insulating, and lining process. The owner was able to complete the majority of effort in his spare time with no specialized knowledge, saving time and money, not to mention maintenance down the road.
“We had considered a traditional sandwich forming approach, but we wanted something that was cleanable. The combined benefit of getting a cleanable liner, a forming solution, and the brightness it offers in one step really appealed to us.”
Energy Savings Every Month
“The additional benefit of having the insulation on the outside of the concrete was also appealing, as this means the concrete maintains the internal heat in the building – and we expect some additional savings on heating costs.”
By applying the insulation layer on the exterior of the form, leaving the poured concrete on the inside, Octaform barn walls use less energy than most wooden barns to heat, cool, and bright white panels even help to reduce lighting costs.
Optimal Hog Finishing
Placing concrete inside the insulation and vapor barrier offered by PVC formwork leverages the concrete’s thermal properties to create a highly stable environment even on the hottest and coolest days of the year – ensuring optimal temperatures for hog growth.
Long Term Durability
Everyone who’s raised hogs knows they can be tough on a building. Octaform’s stay-in-place PVC formwork is virtually impervious to damage from hogs – no peeling, no chewing, and unlike other products, there’s no risk of injury on damaged corners. Octaform also offers one of the most proven and durable high-density panel products in the agriculture market, offering a lifetime of washability.
Animal Health and Safety
Peters understands the importance of animal health and well-being. The PVC used in Octaforms FormWork and QuickLiner meets the strict sanitation standard set by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for food processing plants and quarantine facilities.
For a hog farmer, this gives confidence that bacteria will not accumulate, and that walls are proven to endure decades of washing and impact without being compromised.
Great Construction Support
Octaform works hard to make sure that your first project is as easy as your fifth. Detailed shop drawings and installation instructions, as well as video resources and clear communication, ensure you are never on your own.
From beginning to end, we were not disappointed, the design team communicated very well, and the order arrived quickly with easy assembly drawings. I was pretty much able to start assembling immediately after opening the crates. The YouTube videos were very helpful and gave me a clear picture of how the project would come together.
I saved significantly on labor by just picking away at the formwork assembly and placement in my spare time over a couple of weeks, and even recruited some neighborhood kids to help us out. When the truck came, we went around the wall twice with the pump, and our pour was completed in about 3 hours.
I would definitely recommend Octaform to anyone building a hog barn. It’s a very cheap upgrade to get a beautiful outcome. We just had our open house party and there was lots of interest from our friends as well.