Experienced team tackles prison job
The Lebanon Correctional Institution is a prison operated by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction in Warren County. The prison, located about 32 miles north of Cincinnati, opened in 1960 and sits on 1,900 acres, most of which is used as a farm where inmates raise cows.
Built in the late 1950s, the 3,500-square-foot roof required a complete tear-off and reroof with new edge metal in 2016. The Ohio Facilities Construction Commission sent out a call for public bid for the strict security prison project. Kalkreuth Roofing and Sheet Metal, Columbus, Ohio, was up to the challenge and won the bid.
Obstacle challenge
Strict security and one entrance were just two of the obstacles the Kalkreuth Roofing and Sheet Metal team had to overcome. The prison is an active site with food deliveries, visitors and inmates passing through the gate. Nothing could be done without the guards’ and warden’s approvals. To complete the job on time, Kalkreuth Roofing and Sheet Metal had to orchestrate its plan seamlessly.
“Every morning, we had a short window to make sure we had our delivery trucks and crew through the entrance and on the roof,” explains Paul Novak, project manager for Kalkreuth Roofing and Sheet Metal. “We had to get everything set before other delivery trucks or buses started using the entrance; otherwise, we would have to get in line and wait until we could enter.”
It also was mandatory to take detailed inventory of the tools and equipment going into the prison at the start of the day and coming out at the end of the day.
“We were not allowed to leave one single screw, drill bit, saw blade or any materials on-site,” Novak says. Although production time was shortened—up to 20% by the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission’s estimate—this step was necessary.
The facility features 65 levels and 95 roof areas. The roof system ranges between 6 and 12 inches thick, consisting of metal and concrete decks, substrate boards, insulation and polymer-modified roofing materials.
The project plan called for the crew to move all necessary supplies each time they moved to a different roof area. Two crews of 10 workers each worked 10-hour days whenever possible, stopping only for cold weather and heavy rains. They even worked nights to reroof the massive mess hall and kitchen because of the risk of debris falling and disrupting the inmates’ tightly planned meal routines.
The team used roof cutters, Garlock Roof Warrior tear-off machines and hand tools for the tear-off, and equipped lulls with hoppers to move the torn off roof down and into the dumpsters.
Yellow safety boots, Raptor™ tie-off carts and cattle gates ensured the crew’s safety during the project.
Kalkreuth Roofing and Sheet Metal team chose Johns Manville EPDM FIT tape-to-tape products for the job. Novak says the product installed four times faster than traditional pre-taped EPDM and performed in temperatures as low as 20 F. Kalkreuth Roofing and Sheet Metal also used Johns Manville’s Presto Lock™ Fascia System to complete more than 2 miles of edge metal.
Another layer of technical complexity were thousands of penetrations. The skilled crew members were challenged to work around these curbs and pipes while delivering a professionally installed and aesthetically pleasing roof.
Johns Manville staff were present for the entire job. Two inspectors visited the job site nearly weekly, and Johns Manville ensured the right materials were just outside the gates so they could be brought in as soon as the prison would allow. Novak says Bill Spencer, Johns Manville sales representative, was known to personally load up his car and drop off materials when needed.
“Johns Manville made sure local vendors were stocked with the materials we needed, which took a huge stressor off us,” Novak says. “They knew with the high-security setting we had more than usual to deal with on a day-to-day basis. The Johns Manville inspectors were key to our progress, too. We worked together to make necessary adjustments as we moved along—not at the end of the project—which happens a lot. That brought peace of mind to us, the architect and the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission.”
Mission accomplished
The project was completed in June 2017.
“The collaboration with my firm, Johns Manville and Kalkreuth on this project was impressive,” says Tom Converse, president of project architect Renouveau Design. “This was a tricky project. It required a lot of roof system installations on many small roof areas. In a busy season in a busy year, they made extra effort to make sure the project was done right. I couldn’t have asked for more.”
“The entire Kalkreuth team, led by Herschel Morrison, superintendent, and Brian Blacker, sheet metal foreman, as well as the Johns Manville field personnel, were one of the best crews I’ve seen,” Davis says. “They are craftsmen. They recommended materials that sped up the installation. I was impressed.”
Overall, the project was a success. The Kalkreuth Roofing and Sheet Metal team was able to overcome coordination obstacles and deliver a reliable roof.
“The most rewarding part of this project is being able to look back and see how we overcame every issue that came to us while still delivering a quality end product to the owner,” Novak says.
Roofing Contractor: Kalkreuth Roofing and Sheet Metal
Manufacturer: Johns Manville
Type of EPDM: 90-mil
Type of Attachment: Fully adhered
Location of Project: Lebanon, Ohio
Type of Building: Correctional facility
Text of the project profile is copied from original source