Atlas Rebuilds after "Largest Fire on Record" for Local Fire Department
Atlas EPS, a specialist in the development and
manufacturing of expanded polystyrene (EPS) insulation,
recently selected Robinson Construction to perform as the
design-build general contractor on a site restoration and
rebuild project at their location in Perryville, Missouri.
Background
On the evening of Thursday, December 8, 2016, a fire
broke out at the Atlas EPS facility in Perryville, Missouri.
There were three (3) employees inside the building at the
time the fire began, but thankfully, they all made it out
safely. It is believed the fire started in the breakroom and
spread from one building to another, consuming a total of
six (6) buildings on the Atlas campus and taking nearly 21
hours to extinguish, making this the largest fire on record
in the Perryville Fire Department’s history. An estimated 20
different fire departments from the surrounding counties
responded throughout the night.
Cleanup efforts began almost immediately and on January
24, 2017, the company announced their intention to rebuild
the facility in Perryville. The fire caused in excess of $10
million dollars’ worth of damage; insurance will help cover
nearly 90 percent of the total reconstruction costs. In a
February 2017 press release by the company, Ken Farrish,
President of Atlas Roofing Corporation, stated “If there is a
silver lining, it is that most importantly no one was harmed
in the event, and from the ashes will arise what promises to
be the most efficient EPS facility in the U.S.” A
ground-breaking ceremony was held on April 12, 2017 to
kick off the rebuild portion of the project.
Clean-Up
The fire destroyed all but three (3) buildings; one
sustained partial damage and two were left untouched.
To keep the plant operational during the rebuild process,
Robinson began fire damage demolition and site
restoration work within one (1) week following the fire.
Atlas was able to resume 50 percent production in the
partially damaged building within one (1) month of
beginning cleanup efforts and 100 percent production
within 45 days. This portion of the work included:
- 10,000 sq ft of smoke and soot cleanup and
eradication
- Existing fiberglass blanket insulation removal
from the walls and ceiling and installation of
new vinyl backed fiberglass blanket insulation
- New metal liner panel on the walls and ceiling
- Saw dust fired steam boiler repair and
commissioning
- Wet fire sprinkler system repairs and
commissioning
- Extensive electrical service restoration and
repairs to the building, existing manufacturing equipment, and machinery
- Building structural frame repairs
- New overhead doors and man doors
- Sidewall and end wall metal panel
replacement
- 10,000 sq ft of existing roof removal and new
metal roof panel roof-over system installation
- 80,000 sq ft of burned building debris loaded
and hauled to landfill
- 289,000 lbs of scrap recovery and recycling
- Removal of approximately 80,000 sq ft of
concrete building slabs and foundations
- Regrading of approximately three (3) acres of
disturbed surface area
Kevin Thole with SERVPRO, an emergency restoration
services contractor, complimented Robinson’s work on
the site saying, “We work with major contractors all over
the U.S. and this was one of the easiest set-ups we have
had. All the lighting and electricity was done and we had
virtually zero obstructions for our lifts.”
Bill Calla, Atlas EPS Plant Manager, was also pleased
with Robinson’s work on the project, “Job well done
from start to finish! This is a great group to work with!”
Rebuild
The rebuild portion of the project began in April 2017
and is expected to be complete in December 2017. Robinson’s
work includes design and construction of one (1) 93,220
sq ft pre-engineered metal building to replace the six (6)
buildings that the fire destroyed. In addition to
manufacturing space, this new facility will also house a
shipping office, employee breakroom, and maintenance
shop. In an effort to bring the entire campus up to
current building code, Atlas made the decision to replace
the two (2) buildings that were unharmed in the fire,
with one (1) new 13,200 sq ft pre-engineered metal
building.
In addition to the building work, Robinson was also
contracted to install process piping systems and
equipment including:
- Steam and Condensate
- Compressed Air
- Soft Water
- Vacuum Lines
- Natural Gas
- Twenty-one (21) different manufacturing equipment
systems
Project at a Glance
- OWNER/CUSTOMER: Atlas EPS, a division of Atlas Roofing Corporation
- DESIGN-BUILD GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Robinson Construction Company
- ENGINEERING: Robinson Construction Company, Strickland Engineering (MEP
& Process Piping), Quadrant Design (Architectural)
- MAJOR SUBCONTRACTORS: Reinhold Electric, Ahern Fire Protection, Dutch
Enterprises, Fronabarger Concreters, Clifton Excavating
This post first appeared in our quarterly publication, Robinson Report (Volume 15, Issue 4, 2017). View the full issue here.