Springer-Peterson’s established relationship with Peachee Construction combined with our Fabrication team’s past performance made for such a perfect fit. Our ability to work around difficult field conditions coupled with how we can effectively communicate with stakeholders such as engineers and designers were key factors in the consideration. Our vast knowledge on constructability issues common to commercial renovation or repurposing projects was another added advantage of working with us.
Problem:
New product conveyors were being installed throughout the plant. The issue was that the original building is aged which meant the existing structure was designed for ambient temperature warehousing. It wasn’t designed for supporting mechanical equipment and under roof loads. It was determined that additional steel had to be installed because the steel was not properly designed for the new purpose they needed it for.
One challenge that we had to work through was that there were conflicting requests from the project stakeholders. For example, the owner didn’t want any additional columns in the space at all. Then, the engineer didn’t want any new loads hung from the existing structure at all. We knew that something had to give to make all of this happen. Our task to satisfy the two conflicting requests was only the beginning. In addition, the steel could not be placed using traditional crane lifting methods and had to be maneuvered into place using customized rigging equipment and precise rigging techniques.
Solution:
Our Springer-Peterson Fabrication team was the lead on the concept design of the support system throughout the plant. Working with the Architect and Structural Engineer, we provided sketches of bearing type connections, beam sizes and existing conditions. We also coordinated current and future floor traffic planning with plant operations. This was done in order to design and build a free-standing support skeleton that allows the conveyor system to be routed as needed through the facility. Doing it this way didn’t put additional strain on structural elements with insufficient load capacity.
An essential part of this project was upfront planning. The conveyor manufacturer, plant production, corporate planners, engineer and the rest of the sub-contractors all had to be on the same page. This was critical for many reason but for example, this made sure that there was no interferences such as conduit running into beams or fire lines running into conveyors, and the like. After the planning phase, we did overlay drawings and started fabricating the parts that were needed to install the beam supports. Next, we procured all of the special rigging equipment by doing calculations to have the right length cables, perfect amount of pulleys, and so on. To sum it up, this was an exciting yet challenging project with many interesting technical details.
The result was that our client was beyond content with the results of this project. In fact, we moved to another one of their worksites and began a similar project. We’re grateful of the trust they have in us. It’s always a such a pleasure to work with Peachee Construction.
