With increasing labor costs and quality control concerns, Rapid Set Cement-proprietor CTS Cement Manufacturing decided it needed a building to store raw materials at its Logansport, Ind., packaging operation. “We have unpredictable and rainy weather,” explains Production and Quality Manager Craig Kline. “Our raw materials were being stored outside and we needed a building to keep them dry and usable as they will not feed or flow when wet.”
Kline and his colleagues chose a ClearSpan Hercules Truss Arch Building to store clay and bauxite at their production plant. Designing the structure to meet local wind and snow loads was no problem for ClearSpan’s engineers. They researched the requirements for Indiana, and knew the building had to be able to withstand 90 mph winds and a 20 psf snow load. By adjusting rafter spacing and hardware, the engineering department can customize Hercules Truss buildings for any local requirements.
CTS Cement chose to have a ClearSpan construction crew install the building after the design was completed. When the project started, the team was aware that in order to meet Mine Safety and Health Administration short-term project standards, the installation process needed to be completed within five days. If the team were on site for more than a week, it would have needed additional certifications as MSHA would view the project as long term (The entire installation crew attended a one-day MSHA training to meet safety regulations onsite.) Including one day of travel time, the crew took six days to complete the installation with no issues at all.
Since the building’s installation, Kline has seen quite a change in the production process. “The materials are now dry and feed through the hoppers without many problems,” he adds. “Before the building was constructed, the materials were wet and they would pack inside the hoppers. This required lots of extra poking and prodding trying to make the material flow.
“The building has really cut down on the labor involved with making our product. When the clay was wet, it would take an extra person to stay at the clay feeder and try to work the material through the machine. Now, with our low-maintenance Hercules Truss Arch Building, the end product is more consistent because of the even flow of materials.” — ClearSpan Structures, Engineering Services & Products Co., South Windsor, Conn., 860/528-1119, ext. 227; www.ClearSpan.com