VersaCold Corporation, one of the largest cold storage companies in the world, recently opened a new 345,000 SF Greenfield freezer in Gouldsboro, PA. Versacold uses the facility to distribute frozen products to ShopRite stores in the PA, NJ and NY areas and to provide third party cold storage services to frozen manufacturers.
Primus Builders, Inc of Woodstock, GA worked closely with VersaCold to identify and evaluate site options based on development cost, permitting schedule, labor availability, and other factors. Once the site was selected, Versacold selected Primus to provide design and construction services. |
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The new freezer includes -10° and -20° storage areas, refrigerated dock with 59 dock doors and ancillary space. The ancillary space contains an engine room, maintenance area, battery charging room, and employee and office support areas. The storage area maintains a minimum of 40-foot clear throughout.
In addition to 59 dock positions with vertically storing hydraulic levelers, the new facility has an ammonia refrigeration system with penthouses, Tyco Ultra K fire protection with no in-rack sprinklers, and a shrink compensating slab. |
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When Wayne Farms, Inc., a major poultry processing company based in Gainesville, GA needed to expand the freezer in its Jack, AL plant, the company was looking for a way to improve its blast freezing operations. After considerable research, Wayne Farms choose Entech’s new variable retention blast tunnel. This new technology allowed Wayne Farm’s the luxury of adjusting the speed of the belt conveyors depending on the products it is freezing. The resulting improvement in efficiencies, along with the reduction in outside blast freezing, storage and shuttling costs, made the project easy to justify to upper management.
Once the project was approved, Wayne Farms hired Primus Builders to provide design and construction services. |
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The 45,000 SF addition including the VRT blast tunnel, was completed on an ultra fast track schedule of 5 months.
The expansion included a new -10° freezer with pushback rack, extending the loading dock and adding a continuous pit with vertically storing dock boards and site work to accommodate 30 new trailer spaces.
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Technical Update
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 For many years dry warehouse operators have not needed to install in-rack sprinklers in their buildings. They use ESFR (early suppression fast response) systems that use a wet pipe system. This is not applicable in freezer facilities for obvious reasons, thus in many cases freezer facilities were required to install in-rack sprinkler systems.
To the delight of freezer operators everywhere, the Tyco Quell system now allows freezer operators to go as high as 45 feet to bottom of steel and 40 feet to topof- product without using in-rack sprinklers.
The Tyco Quell system is an innovative approach to addressing high-challenge fires in freezers. It employs a sprinkler operational area sufficient to surround and drown a high-challenge fire.
The Tyco system eliminates the need for in-rack sprinklers and avoids the greatest potential for monetary loss, which is inadvertent activation caused by mechanical damage during loading and unloading of the product within the racks.
The system has a fully supervised riser with dedicated control panel and a built-in electronic accelerator that measures the air pressure four times per second to optimize water delivery time.
The Tyco system utilizes a double interlock pre-action dry pipe sprinkler system. It is placed into service with a pressurized dry source of air and the releasing panel is in a normal standby condition. In the event of a fire, the fire linear heat cable will respond (at 155°) to initiate zone 1 of the releasing panel.
As the fire continues to grow, the opening of one or more of the K-17 sprinklers (286° uprights) will begin to relieve air pressure from the system piping. With zones 1 and 2 initiated, the releasing panel will energize the releasing circuit to the solenoid valve in the DV-5 deluge valve trim on the riser. This allows water flow to each of the most hydraulically demanding four sprinklers within the prescribed time.
Inadvertent operation of only the linear heat detection or an automatic sprinkler will not allow water flow into the system. Preventing water flow in a case of accidental damage or malicious activity within a freezer space is very desirable.
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Quell system requirements and limitations:
• Limited to class II and class III storage commodities.
• Includes storage within single, double and multiple row racks, palletized and solid piled storage.
• No plastic containers or open top combustible containers.
• Minimum deflector to top of storage clearance of 36 inches.
• K-17 sprinklers are 286° upright type.
• Maximum coverage area of 100 square feet per sprinkler.
• Minimum coverage area of 80 square feet per sprinkler.
• Systems must be laid out in a “tree” configuration. Grid systems are prohibited.
• SprinkFDT water delivery calculation program must be performed to assure delivery times.
• Sprinklers may be directly installed on 2 1/2-inch branch lines maximum. Otherwise, a sprig up will be required for larger pipes utilizing the three times clearance to obstruction rule.
• Deflector position and Obstruction to Discharge are to be defined for large drop sprinklers in NFPA #13, sections 8.11.4 and 8.11.5 respectively.
• A sub ceiling must be installed below any roof mounted mechanical space connected to the area being protected via openings in the ceiling. Sprinklers are to be installed below sub-ceilings.
• Alternate to sub-ceilings are sprinklers within the racks below penthouses. In-rack sprinklers to be extended beyond the perimeter of the penthouse footprint 15´-0˝ in all directions.
• System must be pitched for all pipes to properly drain through main drain, inspectors test or auxiliary drains.
• All pipe must be galvanized. This is a Quell listing requirement.
• Systems will be sized floor space or square foot per system wise by the water delivery times.
• Average systems on 40-foot and 45-foot high buildings range from 15,000 square feet to 22,000 square feet.
• This can vary dramatically from fire pump, city supply, riser placement, steel direction, main, branch line, and sprinkler placement.
• Risers must be placed as close to the freezer as possible to help limit water delivery times. |
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 To celebrate the grand opening of its new office, Primus held an Open House & Golf Tournament for its clients, employees, and vendors on Sept. 14-15, 2006.
After days of rain, Primus had perfect weather for the Grand Opening Festivities. Everyone enjoyed the chance to re-connect while competing for prizes at the golf tournament, which took place at Eagle Watch Golf Course in Woodstock, GA. Kalman Floor Company, R-Bac Industries, and Steel-Fab served as Gold Sponsors for the event. Silver Sponsors were Southeast Insulators, MetlSpan, Alta Refrigeration and Southeastern Concrete. Bronze Sponsors were Jones & Associates Architects, SubZero Constructors, Advance Storage Products, Arbon Equipment, Mid-South Roofing, JR Nichols Mechanical, Electrical Construction and Design, North Georgia Landscaping, Bank of North Georgia, and Flexbarrier Products. |
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The team of Staubach’s Bob Robers, Apec Electrical’s Billy Adams, SubZero’s Chris Brown, Rytec’s John Jeudevine, and Tug’s Sean McDermott won the tournament. Longest Drive and Closest to the Pin went to Kevin Jordan of JR Nichols. Mike Bromhall of Frozen Freight Express sank the longest putt on Hole 3 and Bob Robers made the longest putt on Hole 18. Closest in two shots went to Danny Nash of Flashpoint and Buddy Guidry of Southeastern Concrete.
Primus congratulates all the winners and extends a big “thank you” to all of our sponsors.
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On December 5, 2006, Primus Builders was recognized as a Finalist for Small Client Organizations at the First Annual Ceremony for the Client Advisor Awards held at the One Ninety One Club in Atlanta, GA.
The Atlanta Client Advisor Awards honor professional service firms and their clients who consistently and cooperatively develop, foster and grow successful client-advisor relationships. Nominees are evaluated on their excellence using the following criteria: collaboration, creativity, content and value orientation, capability and credibility. |
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Versacold Group recently expanded its La Porte, Texas facility due to growth in the Houston Port and surrounding areas.
The 88,000 SF expansion project included expansion of the existing -10° freezer, refrigerated dock, deslatting area, and the addition of five new blast cells. The ammonia refrigeration system required a new engine room and utilized a penthouse design. The storage areas are designed for 40-foot clear with no in-rack sprinklers. Other features include a shrink-compensating concrete slab and Sarnifil mechanically fastened roof system.
After a competitive bid process, Versacold selected Primus Builders, a design/build company that specializes in food facilities to provide the turnkey contractor services on the 88,000 SF freezer expansion. |
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“Versacold Group is one of the largest public refrigerated warehouse companies in the world, with 84 warehouses throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe,” said Erik Gunderson, Vice President of Primus Builders. “We take great pride in having the opportunity to assist them with the expansion of their La Porte facility.”
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| Carolina Cold Storage, Inc., a company managed by Richmond Cold Storage, has recently completed a freezer expansion of its Tar Heel, NC facility. The 115,000 SF expansion is located adjacent to the Smithfield Pork Processing plant in Tar Heel and includes a -10° Freezer, 10 Blast Cells and a 35° Dock. The expansion included the installation of an ammonia refrigeration system with a new engine room and penthouses. Other features include vertically storing dock levelers with a continuous pit and a shrink compensating concrete floor system. |
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Primus Builders, a design/build company based in Woodstock, GA provided design and construction services for the project.
Richmond Cold Storage is a IARW North American “Top 20” public refrigerated warehouse and distribution company based in Richmond, VA.
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