When the new James M. Bennett High School was constructed in Salisbury, Maryland, it was designed to meet the current needs of a growing student population. At the same time, the selection of standing seam metal roofing from The Garland Company Inc. reflects the school district’s focus on sustainability that will carry on into the future.
The old high school − built in the early 1960s − had not been updated in more than 30 years and was nearly 300 students over capacity. School administrators explored several options to accommodate the growing population, including the possibility of renovating the current facility. A comprehensive study of the high school was conducted, and it was determined that the construction of the original building was such that it would be difficult and cost prohibitive to try to modify the existing structure. Therefore, a decision was made to build a new high school. Brian Foret, director of facilities for the Wicomico County School District, envisioned the new school as setting the district standard for sustainability not only in terms of efficiency but also in terms of performance.
Foret, an architect, has the industry knowledge and experience to understand the critical role of a properly-designed roof in the overall performance of a building. After spending a significant amount of money to repair deteriorating roofs several years ago, the district implemented a strict roof management plan to ensure roofs achieve their maximum service life. During the initial stages of design, Foret helped convey the district’s vision of a sustainable and contemporary 21st Century school to the architectural firm retained to develop the construction documents. Foret also emphasized the district’s desire for a design that incorporates sloped metal roofs.
The goal of the project was to create a contemporary and sustainable facility to accommodate the growing student population in the Wicomico County School District. The use of metal offers the guarantee of long-term, watertight protection in addition to providing the modern look the district was hoping to achieve. Garland’s R-Mer® Span structural standing seam panels lead the industry in watertight protection, offering the district the peace of mind of knowing they have the highest quality materials protecting their infrastructural investments.
In addition to unsurpassed strength and protection, R-Mer Span panels offer the functional diversity that provides design professionals with a virtually limitless realm of aesthetic possibilities to achieve specific performance objectives. Specifically, the use of metal broadened the ability of the architectural firm to incorporate various slopes and angles into the design of the 220,000-square-foot facility, which called for 120,000 sq. ft. of the R-Mer Span panels, helping to increase its aesthetic value. As an added benefit, R-Mer Span panels feature a symmetrical design that allows for easy installation. The panels can be installed at any point of a particular roof section, providing flexibility during multiple phases of the new construction process.
The 24-gauge, 16-inch wide Cadet Gray R-Mer Span panels are engineered to provide more than 30 years of watertight protection and are 100 percent recyclable at the end of their life cycle, helping to reduce the amount of construction debris and waste that ends up in the country’s landfills and contributing to a cleaner, healthier environment. Additionally, R-Mer Span is certified by UL Environment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Underwriters Laboratory, for its incorporation of 9 percent pre-consumer and 44 percent post-consumer recycled content – further contributing to the sustainability of the overall facility.
R-Mer Span panels are available in various widths, lengths, and materials, including steel, aluminum, zinc, copper and stainless steel to accommodate unusual and complex roofing projects. In this particular case, panel lengths ranged from 80 feet to 190 feet and were roll formed on site to create continuous panels that ensure watertight protection. The field roll forming equipment is full-service factory-quality featuring 16 roll stations and tension leveling, providing the same warranted, proven performance as the panels manufactured in Garland’s plant.
The high-performance roofing system, including the metal and modified portions, was provided by a single, full-service manufacturer and is covered by a 30-year warranty.
The contractor was Whiting-Turning Contracting Company of Baltimore, MD. The metal roofing installer was Cole Roofing Co. Inc. of Baltimore, MD. The architect was Sandy Carpenter, LEED AP, Becker Morgan Group, Inc. of Salisbury, MD.