Allen Harim Poultry Processing Plant Case Study

AWB Engineers, represented by President and Lead Structural Engineer Matt Smith, demonstrated their expertise by taking on the challenge of renovating and structurally enhancing Allen Harim Foods' poultry processing plant. The objective was to design a new roof structure to be constructed above a large portion of the building while the existing facility remained operational below. AWB sought to create a design capable of withstanding the harsh conditions inherent in poultry processing environments while also improving the efficiency and safety of the operation.

Poultry processing plants inherently present a severe environment for building materials due to corrosive elements in the product being handled and the usage of strong cleaning chemicals used for disinfecting. AWB Engineers’ objective was to design a system of framework that could withstand these conditions better than the original painted steel structure which had become structurally compromised due to rust and corrosion. However, integrating a new structure within an existing operational building posed several challenges. The project demanded meticulous planning, innovative construction methods, and a thorough understanding of the plant's operations and spatial constraints.

The project commenced with extensive surveys conducted within the existing building during non-operational hours. This involved locating processing lines, mechanical and electrical systems, and the columns and walls within the existing facility. Once the column locations were determined, AWB created a specialized foundation plan, necessitating excavations for new footings and foundations. The strategic installation of new columns, girders, and beams ultimately facilitated the support for the new roof deck and roofing system which would need to be completely erected before the original roof and framing could be removed.

The design was crafted with precision, ensuring it fit seamlessly within the existing building's layout, despite its multiple additions and irregularities. AWB Engineers’ team invested significant time on-site to address any unexpected challenges and maintain the integrity of the design while adapting to unique conditions.

The newly designed galvanized steel structure not only offers durability and resilience in the harsh processing environment but also improves ventilation and enhances the overall efficiency of the plant. The elevated roof allows for better air movement, vital for maintaining a sanitary and productive processing space. Additionally, all utilities in the processing area were upgraded, aligning with USDA regulations and bolstering the facility's functionality and safety.

AWB Engineers approaches each project with a commitment to excellence. Our collaboration with Allen Harim Foods is a testament to our dedication to providing quality design and smooth integration.  As Matt Smith, President of AWB Engineers, emphasizes, "At AWB, we take every project to heart—providing a quality design that seamlessly fits our client's needs." - Matt Smith, President of AWB Engineers.

Wrapping-Up Project Burger

Transforming dry warehouses into food processing facilities has become increasingly popular. AWB Engineers was hired to design a transformation of an existing warehouse into a food processing facility for a fast food chain in Atlanta, Georgia. Most dry warehouses are not adequately equipped for these types of facilities. AWB was given the opportunity to execute a plan to redesign the existing warehouse from the ground up. The AWB team examined the building and determined the alterations that would be needed to create a food processing facility that complies with the USDA and local codes and follows industry standards.

A Crucial part of the design plan

One of the critical parts of a dry warehouse renovation is securing a proper roof as most of these types of buildings do not have a roof with sufficient structural capacity to support required process and MEP&R systems. This part of the design plan is crucial to prepare for in advance. To solve this problem, we designed the roof structure reinforcement system and designed dedicated steel structures to support the critical hygienic process air refrigeration units which are found in most food processing facilities.

The next item on the renovation checklist is to add proper slope and drains to the warehouse floors in order to satisfy sanitation process requirements. The area under the freezer floor had to be redesigned as well.   A frost protection system was designed to prevent frost build-up under the freezer floor and prevent floor from heaving. Another area of the warehouse that needed a great deal of attention was the refrigerated dock area where we designed new dock doors, levelers, seals, and the proper thermal elements. All of these adjustments will provide more efficiency for maintenance, cleaning and creating an overall better thermal envelope throughout the facility.

Food processing facilities need refrigerated areas that require many attributes that dry warehouses just do not provide. In this specific project, contractors needed to remove and pour new flooring, add new walls with protective concrete curbs and install IMP ceilings (creating a box in a box arrangement and complete thermal separation from non-refrigerated areas). Stainless steel finishes were put into place on the ceilings and walls. These finishes will ensure that the space walls  can handle caustic cleaning requirements.

Updating facility systems

The existing electrical, water, gas and HVC systems were also found to be insufficient for the increased demand of this new production. Our team designed a new electrical system, replacing the transformers, switchgear, and sub panels. We were also responsible for implementing upgrades to the domestic and process water, gas and process waste (sewer) systems. The process water upgrades  included a filtration system to provide food grade quality water for the food processing.

A critical aspect of every refrigerated food processing facility is a proper refrigeration system. The refrigeration system design incorporated a critical process air systems (CPA hygienic units) that allows maintaining required temperatures, humidity adjustment, sufficient ventilation and contaminant filtration. The CPA unit is also used for daily cleanup mode in order to dehumidify the air and remove any potential of condensation during the production.

the importance of cleanliness

Cleanliness is held as an utmost priority in food processing facilities. There is a certain design required for the MEP&R systems to be able to obtain this level of sanitation. Most of the systems installed are routed above the ceiling and then dropped vertically into the space in order to minimize any horizontal surfaces that unwanted particles could settle on over time.

In these types of building transformations, it is crucial to execute a detailed plan from the start. Here at AWB Engineers, we take pride in providing our clients with a design for well operating food processing facilities.

Operation Project Burger

In recent years, AWB Engineers has seen an increased demand to repurpose existing warehouse space into food processing and distribution facilities. Recently, AWB Engineers was hired to convert an existing warehouse located in a business park in Atlanta, Georgia into a food processing center for a nation-wide fast-food chain. Our task was to design various civil/site, structural and MEP systems needed to transform the existing warehouse shell into a state-of-the-art food processing facility. The AWB team of engineers and architects surveyed the existing facility to determine what modifications would be required in order to comply with USDA guidelines for this new food processing facility.  

Architectural or Structural food processing requirements 

After a comprehensive review of the existing structure, AWB Engineers identified the roof and floor systems as being inadequate and would require significant structural modifications. These items are extremely critical to consider and to plan for in advance. A typical warehouse roof is generally designed for much lighter loading than a food processing facility and would not be structurally adequate to support the loading imposed by the new mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. In addition to strengthening the existing roof, a dedicated steel structure was designed to support the hygienic CPA units serving the food processing areas.  

The existing floor slab, originally designed for warehouse use, was not adequate for food processing. The floors were not sloped and did not have floor drains that would now be required for sanitation. At the refrigerated spaces, the new floor system was designed to prevent frost build up in the soil under the freezer. As a result of the extensive slab modifications that were needed, AWB Engineers’ recommendation was to have the existing floor slab demolished and replaced with a new slab that would be detailed with the proper slopes, drains, and thermal insulation required.

Aspects of the thermal envelope of this new refrigerated building were addressed by specifying thermally efficient insulated dock doors, wall and ceiling panels, in addition to the floor slab modifications previously mentioned. Stainless steel wall and ceiling finishes were specified to ensure that the building will withstand rigorous daily caustic sanitation requirements. To protect the insulated wall panels, concrete curbs were installed at the base of the wall panels. This detail is essential in areas where forklift and pallet jack traffic is expected.

Proper Refrigeration for food processing facilities

A critical aspect of every refrigerated food processing facility is a proper refrigeration system. The refrigeration system design incorporates a critical process air systems (CPA hygienic units) that allows maintaining required temperatures, humidity adjustment, sufficient ventilation and contaminant filtration. The CPA unit is also used for daily cleanup mode in order to dehumidify the air and remove any potential of condensation during the production. 

Plumbing, Electrical and HVAC systems that are suitable for food processing facilities

Upgrades to the utility systems were an essential part of the transformation from a dry warehouse into a state-of-the-art food processing facility. The existing electrical, water and HVAC systems were insufficient for the increased demands of the new facility. We designed a new electrical service coming into the building by replacing the transformer, switchgear, and side panels. We also upgraded the domestic water service and the process waste capabilities in the building. 

A food processing facility should be designed and detailed with cleanliness and sanitation in mind. Ideally, the MEP systems should be installed above a “walkable” ceiling and routed vertically down into the clean/sanitized spaces below, minimizing horizontal surfaces that allow dirt or dust to settle on over time. This also allows for routine maintenance on the utility systems to be performed within the interstitial space above the processing rooms, and not in the sanitized space below the ceiling. 

There is much to consider when converting a typical warehouse building into a USDA compliant food processing facility. With these types of building transformations, it is extremely critical to examine and execute a detailed plan that addresses the various system modifications that will be required. At AWB Engineers, we take pride in providing our clients with quality design solutions tailored to the food and beverage industry. 

TFC Poultry Case Study Kick-Off

AWB Engineers has partnered with Harman Construction to renovate an antiquated industrial building in Winchester, Virginia, that is to become the new home of TFC Poultry and their east coast processing operations. This extensive project involves renovating and re-constructing the roughly 100,000 sq.ft. facility to include state-of-the-art shipping and receiving docks, processing space, product storage, rack-supported freezer, and a two-story operations and administrative office.  When TFC Poultry took ownership of the property, they acquired an existing building with an assortment of past additions and construction types that presented the design-build team with numerous code, design and construction challenges.   These challenges needed to be addressed in order to ensure that TFC Poultry would begin their operations in a code-compliant facility and one that would enable them to efficiently produce their product in a clean, bio-secure environment.  Specific code challenges included taking a non-conforming building, with regards to allowable building area, and selectively demolishing portions of the building to allow for the new construction while meeting regulatory requirements.  The extensive renovation program also provided the opportunity to improve egress routes within the building, resulting in improved employee safety.  These challenges, among many others, required a creative design approach on the part of our design team. 

The heart of this project is the new turkey thigh de-boning room that was constructed adjacent to the existing structure.  The existing first floor of the building was built with a structural precast concrete floor framing system with a crawl space below, which is somewhat unusual for these types of buildings.  One of our first tasks was to advise Harman Construction on how to complete the selective demolition and construct the adjacent addition without affecting the existing structure. This was accomplished by constructing a reinforced concrete retaining wall to prevent the application of lateral soil pressures to the foundation wall of the existing building.  This new wall also provided a firm foundation to support the new structural steel framing system.  In addition to the de-boning room addition, other new construction includes the addition of a conventional steel structure adjacent to the existing rack-supported freezer space that will be clad with insulated metal panels, the creation of a walkable interstitial space above the processing rooms for utilities, the installation of a new roof over the entire building, and the construction of a new shipping and receiving dock.

Several portions of the existing building that are to remain have also required demolition, including the removal of floor slabs, roofing, and all mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems, often to the point where only the structural shell remained.  Constructing the new structure within and around the remaining building shell has been a complicated process due to the lack of uniformity in the existing building and various irregularities, including a multitude of existing construction materials and methods, differing floor and roof elevations, and walls that are not square with one another.  This required a detailed survey of the existing building and thoughtful design of the renovations in order to address the numerous unique conditions encountered.  The concrete slabs that were demolished were crushed and recycled to be used for subgrade building material.  Other usable materials that were a part of the demolition have been segregated from the construction debris and will be recycled as well.

Renovation of the two-story office will include new employee amenities, a garment supply room, and operations offices at the first-floor level.  The second floor will include an aesthetically enhanced office space for administrative staff, the IT and HR departments, conferencing, and employee lounge and break areas.  

The new loading and shipping dock addition will be taller than the adjacent building and was designed to take advantage of new dock equipment design and technology that will enhance employee safety and create a more thermally efficient space for the incoming and outgoing refrigerated goods.   By utilizing new technology and a more efficient design, AWB Engineers was able to help TFC Poultry minimize the amount of air loss through the dock doors, thus keeping their products safe for public consumption while upholding the utmost standards of efficiency. 

“One of the things that I really enjoy about working on renovation projects such as this is that you are in an industrial setting, but you’re able to re-design and renovate a building to give it a new life”, said Matt Smith, President and Structural Engineer of AWB Engineers. These types of projects not only positively impact businesses like TFC Poultry, but they provide economic and social development to communities like Winchester, Virginia.