Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNS), harbored on an island between Kittery, Maine

and Portsmouth, New Hampshire, has weathered many a storm since its creation

in 1800 under President John Adams. As the nation’s first naval shipyard,

PNS has risen and fallen with the fortunes of sail, steam, and atomic-powered

seacraft. In recent decades, it has reinvented itself as a top-notch provider

in the life cycle maintenance of modern Navy submarines. Yet like other shipyards

nationwide, PNS has been under pressure to streamline operations and maximize

productivity. To this end, the shipyard has been upgrading its facilities. As

buildings for storage, workspace, and equipment protection are torn down or

refurbished, there’s been a critical need for weathertight, insulated temporary

structures to fill the gap.

Previously, PNS staff built their own temporary structures by welding together

I-beams, angle bar, tube steel, and plate. The structures were heavy, as well

as difficult to move and insulate but sufficed until staff cuts and the decision

to focus on core competencies made this method impractical.

Traditionally made structures are cumbersome and time-consuming as well, since

they require builders to erect a frame, drape insulation, stitch-screw sheeting,

then frame doors, windows, and ventilation. Erecting a 30 x 39′ building

using conventional construction methods, for example, could take twelve weeks

or more.

Moreover, the number of pieces involved ? including girts, purlins, girders,

trusses, insulation, as well as inside and outside sheeting with countless fasteners

? combined with the inability to align sheeting holes on reuse, made relocation

impractical.

Beyond this, a conventionally made structure could take months to get approval

from the design and review process if even simple changes were made. However,

due to emergent needs and fiscal realities, PNS often found itself needing a

quick and economic solution for having a facility ready for use in 30 to 60

says. This short timeframe ruled out a conventionally erected facility.

The Nuclear Engineering and Planning Department, cognizant of PNS’s production

facilities, explored alternate methods of construction using pre-engineered

metal buildings and the GSA federal supply service catalog. A competitive bid

process resulted in the selection of Kelly Industries of Fremont, Nebraska as

the supplier. The Kelly Klosure buildings are designed to code, so the approval

process was streamlined from weeks to days. Since structure, sheeting, and optional

insulation are pre-installed in modular panels along with doors, windows, and

ventilation at the manufacturer’s facility, the buildings can be assembled

“out of the box” eight to ten times faster than conventional facility

erection.

Whereas conventional buildings need pre-set anchor bolts that align precisely

with matching columns, Kelly Klosure buildings can be erected on existing concrete

slabs, sonotube piers, or many other surfaces. For slab installation, erect

the building piece by piece in the desired location, and then drill into the

foundation below through existing holes in the panels. No pre-alignment is necessary.

Since sheeting and insulation are already attached to the panels, contractors

usually need just wrenches and hand tools to bolt the panels together, drills

to install foundation anchor bolts where needed, along with ladders for small

buildings and a crane for large buildings. The panels are easily carried and

assembled by individuals, like an erector set.

One PNS contractor was able to erect an entire 24 x 29.5 ft. building and a

custom-made prefabricated metal floor in less than four days, with the manufacturer’s

onsite assistance. A 30 x 39′ building took just a single week to erect

using the modular panel system, a very significant savings in time, contractor

cost, and disruption of other activities, when compared to conventional construction

methods.

Because the panels are interchangeable, the pre-framed doors and windows built

into them can be moved, if necessary. For example, a door or window can be moved

to a different part of the building, if located in an inconvenient position.

Similarly, the structures can be quickly reconfigured by adding panels, or taken

down completely, moved to another location, and reconstructed. The wall and

roof panels may be unbolted, removed, or reconfigured to change length, width,

and height dimensions at any time ? for facility flexibility to accommodate

a range of overhaul or storage needs. Since the system is panelized, if a building

is relocated the sheeting and insulation are not removed; therefore, no additional

holes are required for reassembly.

The Freemont, Nebraska manufacturer also proved responsive to PNS’s special

needs. On a recent project, the building had to straddle a railroad track to

allow flat car access inside. A standard slab foundation was problematic as

excavation was impossible, yet the building needed an adequate base to handle

wind loads. The manufacturer quickly resolved the problem by supplying a metal

base plate with “duck bill anchors” driven into the ground that eliminated

the need for excavation. On another occasion, the company made modifications

to its detachable roof that allowed two-12′ hatch-type doors to be installed.

This enabled equipment to be lowered directly through the hatch doors, minimizing

the need for crane lifts and boosting productivity.

Furthermore, because the pre-engineered buildings distribute load uniformly

along the walls, no load concentration occurs, so no column support is needed.

Without column interference, 100 percent of interior space is available for

storage or oversized equipment. The pre-engineered buildings are designed to

last for at least 30 years, and the panel frames themselves offer sturdy, interior

attachment holes for lights, piping, or mechanical-electrical installations.

Portsmouth Naval Shipyard intends to continue using the pre-engineered, panelized

buildings, reconfiguring and relocating them as needed, and transporting them

in their accompanying storage racks.

For more info contact Kelly Klosure Systems at PO Box 1058, Fremont, Nebraska

68026; phone 800-228-7230; fax 402-727-1363; email [email protected]