Everyone notices curves and everyone will notice the seven barrel roofs on the new Tyler Fire Station #5 in Tyler, Texas. They were created with the help of metal roofing panels from McElroy Metal of Shreveport, LA.
McElroy Metal manufactured and shipped more than 14,000 square feet of Maxima ADV 2-inch tall standing seam panels for the project, which were then curved at the job site by a McElroy Metal roll forming technician. The 16”-wide striated panels were formed from 24-gauge Galvalume-coated steel and feature a Medium Bronze PVDF paint finish. The color was chosen because of its similarities to the traditional brass that adorned historic fire engines.
The City of Tyler considered asphalt shingles and single-ply roofing for the project but decided on metal roofing because of the aesthetic and durability benefits. The $1.7 million facility, designed by Lochner BWR Division, Architects of Tyler, is located where it’s quite visible, so appearance was an important consideration. This 8,865 square foot building was part of a plan to provide better spacing and coverage for a large portion of the west part of the city and reduce response times.
Hefner Roofing of Pittsburg, Texas took less than four weeks to install the roofing panels with a crew of eight. “Working with curved panels is a little more labor intensive all the way around,” says Matt Jones, Project Manager. “You have to handle every panel individually a couple times before you get it installed. It’s not difficult, it just takes a little longer.”
The Maxima ADV 2-inch panels were delivered strapped in crates. They were unpacked and separated so each panel could be curved by the McElroy Metal machine operator. All seven sections of barrel roofing were conveniently the same radius.
Jones said a special hoist, built in the shape of the curved panels, was constructed to get the panels up to the roof. Hoisting curved panels a few at a time takes more time that hoisting a crate of panels. Hoisting panels that are not crated are more likely to be affected by winds, so extra care was taken during that process. Once panels were safely on the roof, they were attached to the structure in a similar manner to a non-curved roof, using the same clips and seamer.
Hefner Roofing has done several barrel roof installations. Jones says that experience helps make the projects a little easier.