Founded in 1931 and headquartered in Calgary, Canada, Agrium Inc. is a major retail supplier of agricultural products and services in North and South America. The company is also a leading global wholesale producer of all three major agricultural nutrients and a premier supplier of specialty fertilizer in North America.
After the company experienced a metal roof system failure on a 40,000 square foot section of its 180,000 sq. ft. bulk storage facility in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, Cole Blackwell from Blackwell Enterprises and Chris Hunt from Calgary-based RWJ Construction were asked to look into removing and replacing the roof and purlins.
The building was 35 years old and had been storing corrosive material inside. The main goal was to replace the rusty purlins and replace the roof with one that did not leak. However, this project proved to be especially challenging due to a number of issues. The existing roof was 0.040” aluminum R panel installed with expansion joints every 25’. Furthermore, there was an area in the middle of the building where there was a transition to a 1/2:12, with several large penetrations.
“They were looking at our 238T roof system and decided it fit the bill perfectly for this re-roof. We don’t normally go that far away, but this job sounded especially intriguing. After a short conversation, I jumped on a plane and headed up to Saskatoon for a meeting with the owner,” said Architectural Building Components President Charlie Smith.
Architectural Building Components’ 238T Roll former, Archzilla® was utilized to run the panels directly onto the roof since the job required site-formed 120’ panels on the 7/12 pitch open frame structure. Difficult waterproofing issues around elevators and bulk storage tanks penetrating the roof further complicated the job. There was also a need to restore diaphragm stability once the R panels were removed.
The job utilized the 238T Symmetrical Panel System with 18” panels in Galvalume Plus and continuous clips to tie the purlins together from the roof top. Additionally, rod bracing helped to stabilize the purlins from below. Transverse panels from the penetrations helped to divert water away from the most congested areas.
The successful installation of this reroof project allowed Architectural Building Components to explore and service a new territory. Furthermore, the feasible and effective solution delivered a positive outcome among all parties involved.
About RWJ Construction
RWJ Construction, headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, offers a wide array of complete service offerings from general contracting and roofing services to building maintenance services and real estate development services. Since opening their doors in 2007, RWJ has successfully completed several commercial construction and roofing projects and quickly gained a reputation for quality work. The company has a deep understanding of their expected deliverables and strives to exceed customer expectations with every transaction.
About Blackwell Enterprises
Blackwell Enterprises, located in Whitefish, Montana, has served as a full service residential, commercial and industrial contractor to the Northwestern Montana and Arizona area since 2005. While the company specializes in primarily custom residential construction and pre-engineered metal buildings, Owner Cole Blackwell and team are capable of undertaking virtually any project.