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Passive Solar Supports Temperature Control LEED Creates Optimum Storage Environment for Raw Steel
January, 2007
By Jim Ladesich
A state-of-the-art steel coil warehouse on a reclaimed eight-acre site at the Port of Hamilton is the first industrial project in Canada to earn LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) gold certification. The facility was developed by Steelcare Inc., a subsidiary of Carego Holdings Inc. of Hamilton, a multi-modal logistics company.
The company needed to create a highly automated facility with a temperature/humidity-controlled warehouse environment to prevent corrosion of coils of raw steel awaiting galvanizing. Adopting the rigorous LEED design and construction practices produced a high-performance asset that has achieved 56% better performance than the standards set in Canada's Model
National Energy Code for Buildings, 40% less consumption of potable water, and a comparable reduction in potentially contaminated storm water runoff than facilities produced from traditional building programs.
Abcott Construction Ltd. of Brantford, Ontario, was awarded the contract from Steelcare on the basis of a competitive bid and the engineering features of the standing seam metal roof system and pre-insulated metal wall panels it proposed. Enermodal Engineering served as the LEED design and commissioning consultants for the project.
The building required exceptional rigidity because of loads imposed by three 45-ton cranes used to handle the huge steel coils. The building's engineering was designed for zero tolerance to prevent any movement during the operation of the structurally supported material-handling units.
The metal roof assembly is insulated to R-30, with the walls providing R-20. A passive solar collection system on the warehouse wall helps maintain the temperature and humidity control ranges within the warehouse space.
"The building has performed unbelievably," says Robert Edwards, Manager, Capital Projects for Steelcare. "When we first started up, our natural gas supplier wanted to check the meter because our bills were so low. More recently, the electric utility notified us that they needed to increase the annual charge for amortizing the new service connection in order to recover their investment within the normal period."
The infrastructure created by the construction industry continues to evolve with better practices, materials and methods. Green design could become the standard more often as the marketplace learns that sustainable buildings can be functional, attractive and deliver improved return on investment.
The preceding article is provided by Butler Manufacturing Company, manufacturer of metal building systems, including the one used in Steelcare's Hamilton facility. For more information, see the web site at www.butlermfg.com.
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