H2S Sour Gas Laboratory - Office

Additional Info

Award Winner : Ramtech Building Systems, Inc.

Architectural Excellence : The modular building was placed into a tight footprint on the owner’s property between two existing permanent structures. Both of the adjacent buildings were taller than the modular building and had windows that faced the testing lab, so a site-built parapet wall extending approximately two feet above the roof line was designed to screen the view of the rooftop mechanical equipment. HCF Silhouette horizontal concealed fastener steel siding was site installed on the two side walls adjacent to the existing structures, with masonry veneer covering the front and rear of the building.

Cost Energy Effectiveness : The modular sections were installed on a grade beam foundation using a conventional modular building set process. The building is designed for compliance with the 2015 International Energy Conservation Code. The insulation values incorporated into the structure were R-30 for the floors, R-19 for the walls and R-30 for the roof. An Energy Star ™ white TPO single ply membrane roofing material was used to aid in heat reflectivity. The roofing material utilized a 60 mil TPO membrane material. The building entry was an aluminum storefront type vestibule with automatic sliding doors between the control room and the lab areas. The interior walls throughout the facility were affixed with FRP wall panels. The building also required extensive security hardware.

Design Firm Name : Ramtech Building Systems

Engineering Firm Name : Inventure

Green Building Description : While no sustainable rating system was applied to the project, the owner wished to incorporate as many sustainable features into the building as their budget would allow. Due to the specialized work performed in the lab, the building’s HVAC system had to be designed for the potential of bringing in 100% of highly moisture latent air from the outside. Because of the size of the equipment required to achieve this, it had to be positioned adjacent to the rear of the building. The equipment was controlled by a computerized energy management system modulated with Venturi air valves that could determine the variable outside rate of air and modify not only the temperature, but the humidity levels within the lab as well.

Installer Firm Name : Ramtech Building Systems

Occupied Date : 2/26/2021

Owner Firm Name : ChampionX

Production Start Date : 8/5/2020

Project Location City : Sugar Land

Project Location State Name : Texas

Technical Innovation : In addition to the building designs, Ramtech also designed the concrete grade beam foundation system. The building was attached to the foundation with steel embed weld plates. To provide the most vertical interior space possible, the building structure was designed as a perimeter frame with columns, eliminating the need for deep trusses in the ceiling cavity. The floor frame consisted of 12” C Channel around the perimeter and 14 gauge ‘Z’ members for the joists. The floor deck was a ribbed B Deck with a structural concrete board overlayment that was finished with Stongard MR, a positive side waterproofing application consisting of a urethane elastomeric membrane with an epoxy coating. The roof perimeter frame was 10” C-channel with 10” 16 gauge joists. All of the walls were constructed using 16 gauge 6” steel studs.

Total Square Feet : 2656