Out of this world

• Photo courtesy of Pacific Tech Construction, Longview, Wash
• Photo courtesy of Pacific Tech Construction, Longview, Wash.
• Photo courtesy of Pacific Tech Construction, Longview, Wash.
• Photo courtesy of Pacific Tech Construction, Longview, Wash.

Atlas Spaceflight Operations Center (ASOC) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Fla., is a critical facility owned by Lockheed Martin, Bethesda, Md., supporting launch of the Atlas V rocket on the East Coast. ASOC houses a launch control center and other mission support rooms from where launch operations are ­conducted.

Since 2002, the facility has been used to launch all Atlas V missions, including commercial communications satellites and planetary exploration spacecraft for NASA. In 2007, ASOC will begin supporting launch operations for U.S. Air Force missions, which are important for the national security of the U.S. So when the ASOC building needed a new roof, action was taken.

Starting from scratch

Pacific Tech Construction, Longview, Wash., was asked to demolish the existing roof assembly.

The roof system had been replaced several times since the original construction in 1965, but the underlying gypsum deck had deteriorated. The roof assembly had experienced wind damage related to Hurricanes Francis and Jeanne in 2004 and required a full assessment. Gale Associates Inc., Orlando, Fla., the architect for the project, and Lockheed Martin Engineering found the existing roof assembly did not have sufficient uplift resistance and needed to be fully replaced with a steel deck.

The building's existing 56,000-square-foot roof assembly consisted of a 2-inch-thick lightweight gypsum concrete deck, 1-inch re-cover board and two-ply built-up roof system with a cap sheet.

"The tear-off process included removing the existing roof assembly using a roof saw and tear-off machine," says Lee Sykes, project manager for Pacific Tech Construction. "Using demolition saws, we cut the gypsum concrete deck into 2 x 2 boards and disposed of them."

After the general contractor installed 900 new beams and a new metal roof deck, Pacific Tech Construction installed a temporary roof, which consisted of mechanically fastened 5/8-inch-thick Georgia Pacific DensDeck covered with one layer of Tremco BURmastic® Composite Ply set in Tremco Solvent Free BURmastic Adhesive.

Pacific Tech Construction then mechanically fastened 1/2-inch-thick oriented strand board over 3-inch-thick polyisocyanurate insulation at a rate of 24 fasteners per 4 x 8 board.

"Fastening was increased to 36 fasteners at the perimeter and 48 fasteners at corners," Sykes says. "We then installed a Tremco cold-process built-up roof system consisting of one layer of BURmastic Composite Ply, one layer of Tremco POWERply™ HT Base and a Tremco POWERply Supreme FR Cap Sheet. All sheets were installed with squeegee-applied Solvent Free BURmastic Adhesive. A cold-process built-up roof system was selected for its wind resistance and durability."

Keeping safe

There was a high level of security during the project because of the facility's sensitive operations. Therefore, all personnel delivering material had to be cleared and escorted before the materials were delivered to the job site. All personnel working on the job site also had to pass a background investigation.

Safety precautions were taken during the project.

"All our work areas had safety nets and plastic sheeting below us," Sykes says. "We also had a complete tie-off of saw operators by using full-body harnesses and lanyards. The lanyards were tied-off to a mobile fall-protection system."

The company also had to play it safe when it faced weather challenges.

"Weather was the greatest challenge," Sykes says. "According to Cape Canaveral rules, if lightning is within 5 miles of a project, all work must stop and not start again until the lightning has passed. Florida summers are notorious for daily thunderstorms. We overcame this issue by ensuring all phases of work were planned on a daily and weather-permitting basis."

The weather issues and change-order work caused project delays, adding about 45 days to the contract.

Cooperation

The amount of coordination needed between the building lessee, building lessor, architect, roof system manufacturer and general contractor was what made the project unique, Sykes says.

"Every aspect of our work had to be strictly coordinated by all these people," Sykes says. "The building actively was being used for Atlas V rocket operations, so we were unable to work in areas directly above active interior work. Also, safety nets and dust protection had to be installed before we could start demolition in any new area."

Sykes recognizes working as a team is what made the project successful.

"We are about relationships and teamwork," he says. "It's rewarding to know this project would not have been a success without both of these things in place."

Lance Rafn, foreman for Pacific Tech Construction, agrees cooperation and trust between the parties involved was key.

"Gaining the respect and trust in our abilities from all involved on such a high-profile project was rewarding," Rafn says.

The challenges and complications Pacific Tech Construction faced also made the project worthwhile.

"The weather, coordination and complexity of the roof system made this job one of the most challenging projects I have had in 15 years," Sykes says. "It's one thing to remove and replace a roof system. But when you're asked to cut out and remove the existing deck and install a hurricane-proof roof assembly during Florida's rainy season—that's another story.

"It was amazing to work at a place with so much history," he continues. "We were lucky enough to see two rocket launches and one shuttle launch. It doesn't get much better than being able to watch a shuttle launch from the best seat in the house—the roof."

Krista Reisdorf is managing editor of Professional Roofing magazine.

Project name: Atlas Spaceflight Operations Center, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Project location: Cape Canaveral, Fla.
Project duration: May 1, 2006—Nov. 3, 2006
Roof system type: Cold-process built-up
Roofing contractor: Pacific Tech Construction, Longview, Wash.
Roofing manufacturer: Tremco Inc., Beachwood, Ohio
Architect: Gale Associates Inc., Orlando, Fla.