Pet Care Facility Mill Building Renovation
This Midwestern pet food manufacturer required assistance in renovating their facility that was built more than 30 years ago. The initial mill building portion of the facility was built in 1987 with an addition almost double the number of storage bins performed in 1994. For this project, ADF conducted a structural review of the original designs and engineering to modify the structure to support tripling the original design’s weight bearing capacity for denser pet food storage.
WORK COMPLETED:
ADF provided several structural engineering services to the client during the project:
- Acquired drawings from 1987 and 1994 designs for Mill Building to update them for current needs
- Developed a 3D model of new structural supports for storage bins
- Developed structural model with RAM Elements for analysis and design of support for 19 bins with a total weight increase from roughly 1.6 million pounds to more than 4 million pounds
- Reinforced existing steel framing and added additional steel to support more than twice the original loads on the floor system supporting the bins, including loads from a concrete slab placed over the tops of the bins
- Reinforced existing wall connections and added new supports to handle increased loads on the building
- Coordinated layout and design with other engineering disciplines
- Conducted several design review meetings with the client, including a constructability review with the client and contractor
- Wall connections included Hilti adhesive anchors and threaded rods through existing pilasters
- Plates, WT sections and wide flanged beams were added to the bottoms of the majority of existing steel beams
- Connection designs were developed to allow new steel to be placed with interferences eliminated
- Drawing package was developed for construction to include specifications, steel and concrete framing plans, sections and details
FEEDBACK:
Our client was appreciative of ADF’s flexibility in design and eagerness to provide solutions for various challenges on site. Their contractor also provided positive feedback on the constructability of the structural design presented by ADF.
