Frazier’s experience and knowledge in all aspects of rack supported construction have afforded us the ability to be heavily involved in many incredible projects. One of the more recent projects we had the honor to be a part of was a collaborative effort with Fisher Construction and Westfalia Technologies for United States Cold Storage’s state-of-the-art McDonough facility.
The building exterior is installed on one of the two buildings.
From all aspects – design/build, systems integrations, rack installation, and more – it was one of the most sophisticated rack supported projects we have ever taken part in. We brought advantages to the table with extensive rack manufacturing and installation experience, as well as a Project Management Team second to none in the rack industry:
Rack Supported Project Profile
This was not your typical ASRS Rack Supported Building. As a matter of fact, it can be considered two ASRS Rack Supported Buildings. What made this solution even more unique is the fact that both buildings (with a shared wall) were installed side by side at the same time. Project Highlights include:
- Two Rack Supported Buildings, each over 110 feet in height
- Over 10 million pounds of structural steel rack in total
- Over 47,000 pallet positions total
- Full pallet and case picking
- Installation without disruption during COVID pandemic
Rack Supported Picking Platforms
An additional design component within each building that added to the complexity of the project was the inclusion of elevated picking platforms. Most ASRS Rack Supported Buildings are unmanned, at least in terms of picking. The buildings from this project, however, use a series of elevated work platforms (with storage overhead) that when accessed via a series of catwalks, allow staff members to hand pick products. Automation works in the forefront to perform full pallet picks.
The installation team poses before the last rack lift.
Installation of the platforms was a major challenge. Sourcing, delivery and installation of products, like the decking for the platforms, had to occur after the rack was fully installed. This is because of the way Rack Supported Structures are erected. Furthermore, extensive coordination was required for the platforms’ installation because of the heights at which they were located in each building.
It was a complete team effort that allowed Frazier to achieve installation of the platforms according to Lead Project Manager Ronnie Campbell. “When you are installing something as complex as this, making sure it is comprehensively designed and safely installed is paramount. Their cannot be a weak link anywhere in the process. From Quality Assurance to Engineering, Manufacturing, and more, the entire Frazier team did a fantastic job of working together to successfully complete this unique project requirement,” said Campbell.
Experienced Project Management
A typical Rack Supported Building has thousands of different rack components. Two separate buildings erected in tandem meant double the components. Frazier’s Project Management Team had the knowledge and ASRS know how to achieve this. “We are extremely fortunate to have such a highly talented Project Management Team,” explained Frazier Vice President of Operations, Peter Goffredo. “In total, our lead PM’s have a combined 60 years working with these applications. Their skills were supplemented even further with another 30 years of experience from our Site Supervisors. The project team’s familiarity with installation procedures, building codes, safety guidelines and application criteria were extremely thorough,” continued Goffredo.
Frazier VP of Operations, Peter Goffredo (second from left) and President Carlos Oliver (third from rleft) pose with the Fisher Construction and United States Cold Storage Teams as they are awarded CEBA’s 2021 Built by the Best Award.
Frazier worked closely with the Fisher Construction, Westfalia and United States Cold Storage teams on all aspects of the project. With the rack erection being the first part of the project, however, timeliness was key. Per Goffredo, “Frazier was really in the driver’s seat in terms of scheduling because the rack always has to go up first. It was important for us to maintain and execute our schedule in a timely manner. We needed to afford each of our partners the opportunities to stay on schedule with ensuing aspects of the project and we were able to deliver”.
Congratulations to Our Partners
It goes without saying that this was a tremendous project from all aspects. As testament to their efforts on it, our friends at Fisher Construction were Just Awarded the Controlled Environment Building Association’s (CEBA) 2021 Built by the Best Award for their role in the meticulous design/build portion of this project. Congratulations to Fisher, as well as the several other finalists whose project’s Frazier had the pleasure of partnering on, on the recognition you have received. We are proud to work alongside you to take racking solutions to new heights!
