After 65 years, the Fort Polk army base in Louisiana underwent a massive renovation. As part of this transformation, Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital on the base received a spray-applied polyurethane foam (SPF) roofing system.
April 16, 2007 - Facilities Management
After 65 years, the Fort Polk army base in Louisiana underwent a massive renovation. As part of this transformation, Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital on the base received a spray-applied polyurethane foam (SPF) roofing system. The roof project was part of a partnership between Arizona State University’s Performance Based Studies Research Group (PBSRG) and the U.S. Army.
Dr. Dean Kashiwagi created the PBSRG, which allows owners to select contractors based on performance information rather than cost. PBSRG’s Alpha program deals with high-performance roofing systems and contractors. The Army wanted an affordable, long-lasting and proven roofing system to replace the hospital’s 125,000-square-foot, built-up roof.
The hospital selected Alpha-rated sub-contractor Insulated Roofing Contractors (IRC) and the Elastospray Alpha SPF roofing system from BASF Polyurethane Foam Enterprises LLC.
“IRC and the Alpha system were identified as the best choice for the application, based on IRC’s past proven performance information and the past performance information submitted for the Alpha system,” Kashiwagi says.
The winner was not the lowest-cost bid, says Sean Stumler, an IRC executive. Instead, the company was chosen for its high customer service score and high warranty score under Alpha.
SPF was an ideal choice for the project because it installs directly to the existing substrate in most cases and conforms to any shape smoothly and seamlessly, Stumler says.
“We applied an inch and a half of Elastospray polyurethane foam and the Neogard urethane coating,” he says. “The facility kept functioning normally.”
Severe weather can be a major concern for maintenance managers in Louisiana. Last year, Hurricane Rita damaged many buildings in the area surrounding Fort Polk Base. The new SPF roofing didn’t budge an inch or leak a drop, Stumler says.
“We went down and inspected the roof after Hurricane Rita,” he says. “There was no wind damage at all. It performed perfectly.”
