Driving Efficiency in Pork Production Through Better Steel Structures

In today’s pork industry, a well-designed piggery is the difference between good production and great performance. These are no longer simple farm buildings, they are advanced, biosecure environments that require precision, durability, and efficient workflow.

B&T Steel Construction has been the trusted partner to South Africa’s top pork producers for more than 30 years, providing the structural steel expertise that supports the future of pig farming.

A Proven Partnership with MALU Pork

Few partnerships demonstrate this better than the one between B&T Steel and MALU Pork, one of South Africa’s most advanced and respected producers. Since 2004, B&T Steel has been responsible for more than 60 steel structures across MALU’s operations.

“Since 2004 when B&T built our new feedmill, more than 60 steel structures have been put up by B&T Steel on MALU premises,” says Marius Malherbe, Managing Director at MALU.

“This includes two complete new piggeries, an abattoir expansion, meat processing facilities, various farm buildings, and a 7,000-tonne grain bunker. It is always a pleasure to work with B&T Steel. The precision and quality of the structures ensure easy erection and durability.”

MALU’s modern piggeries — PAX, Matlabane, and Boland, each house up to 1,200 sows and are Pork 360-accredited with advanced biosecurity and temperature-controlled environments. Their performance is the result of intelligent design: optimal airflow, hygiene-friendly finishes, and efficient layouts for feeding, farrowing, and weaning — all made possible by B&T Steel’s precision-engineered structures.

“Piggery structures have to be robust, hygienic, and efficient,” says Bryan Wilken, Director at B&T Steel.

“Our role is to engineer frames and workflows that support biosecurity, animal welfare, and operational throughput — so producers like MALU can scale with confidence.”

Designed for the Pork Industry

Every piggery operates differently, depending on herd size, production systems, and environmental conditions. That’s why B&T Steel’s design and detailing teams work hand-in-hand with producers to develop custom steel solutions that match operational and biosecurity needs.

From gestation and service houses to farrowing, weaner, and grower facilities, B&T Steel ensures that every structural element, from span width to door placement, is optimised for smooth animal flow, temperature regulation, and easy cleaning.

Steel’s inherent strength, hygiene, and long life span make it the ideal material for these environments, offering the clean finishes, ventilation options, and corrosion-resistant coatings required by modern piggery systems.

Efficiency in Steelwork Fabrication

B&T Steel’s fabrication process is powered by Kaltenbach CNC cutting, drilling, and measuring machines — a fully automated steel processing system that has transformed productivity.
This technology allows the company to:

• Process steel components with exceptional accuracy
• Reduce man-hours and material waste
• Avoid costly on-site errors through precise fit-up

Automation means faster fabrication, consistent quality, and dependable delivery, all crucial when working to the tight schedules often required in livestock construction.
Partnering with Industry Specialists

Beyond working directly with producers, B&T Steel also partners with contractors and industry specialists involved in pork production facility development. From companies that design housing systems and pen layouts to those specialising in environmental control, feeding, and waste management, B&T Steel provides the structural backbone these projects depend on.

With in-house detailing, fabrication, and erection teams, we collaborate seamlessly to ensure every project runs efficiently, from precision fabrication and on-time delivery to safe, coordinated installation on site. B&T Steel acts as a trusted turnkey fabrication partner in delivering strong, hygienic, and durable steel structures that meet the pork industry’s demanding standards.

Built on Strength, Precision, and Partnership

From the first weld to final erection on site, B&T Steel is more than a contractor, we’re a partner in agricultural progress. The company’s work with MALU Pork reflects a shared commitment to quality, reliability, and innovation in the pork sector.

As South Africa’s producers continue to modernise and expand, B&T Steel stands ready to build the next generation of piggeries — strong, efficient, and designed to last.

Reach out to B&T Steel Construction today for a quote on your next agricultural build.