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Coastal Code Requirements for Fiberglass ShelterCase Study

Custom-Sized Doors and Coastal Code Requirements Are No Problem for Shelter Works

These were some of the challenges brought to us by a customer who needed electrical equipment shelters for a waste water treatment plant in Brownsville, TX.

There were three large buildings that had to be custom-made with oversized double doors measuring 6’4” wide by 8’2” tall that would allow the customer to bring large equipment into the shelter. Shelter Works is very accustomed to making custom modifications and was able to provide the doors to their special size requirements.

Because all three are within 1 mile of Gulf of Mexico, they had to have wood embedded in walls, roof, and doors to meet coastal windborne debris code requirement. Furthermore, we had to provide air conditioners that were phenolic coated so that they would resist corrosion from the salt air.

electrical equipment shelter, fiberglass electrical equipment shelter, shelters for electrical equipment
electrical equipment shelter, fiberglass electrical equipment shelter, shelters for electrical equipment

electrical equipment shelter, fiberglass electrical equipment shelter, shelters for electrical equipmentBecause all three are within 1 mile of Gulf of Mexico, they had to have wood embedded in walls, roof, and doors to meet coastal windborne debris code requirement. Furthermore, we had to provide air conditioners that were phenolic coated so that they would resist corrosion from the salt air.

All had to meet strict energy conservation rules ASHRAE 90.1 (2004) and International Energy Conservation Code (IECC – 2006).  Our 3rd party Professional Engineering firm was responsible to ensure the shelters met these requirements with enough wall and roof insulation.

In addition to being energy efficient these fiberglass buildings were efficient from both a time- and money-saving standpoint.  “In order to save time and speed up the installation, we switched from the original plan of doing a tilt-up concrete electrical equipment shelter to an FRP shelter,” explains Paul Gilsdorf, Project Manager on the job. “The functionality is just as good, and the maintenance of FRP is easier. By going with the Shelter Works structure, the roof maintenance is actually much lower.