Powell Hospital
With lives and millions of dollars of medical equipment at risk, roof leaks in a hospital can have devastating results. That's exactly what hospital administrators at Powell Hospital in Powell, Wyoming were faced with.
"Our leaking roofs were more than an inconvenience to our doctors, patients, and staff," said Mike Kaker, chief engineer at the hospital. "Costs were escalating because of damage to sensitive medical equipment, ceiling tiles, and other property, not to mention the increased liability risk to the hospital."
"This was a problem the hospital could no longer live with," recalled Chris Cooper, facility manager at the hospital. "The hospital needed a cure."
"We determined the majority of the roof leaks were due to failure of the existing system around parapet walls, flashings, and roof details," noted Cooper. "In addition, the gravel ballast on top of the roof made finding leaks very difficult."
Cooper and hospital administrators went to work on the solution.
After carefully researching various roofing products and their warranties, Powell Hospital officials decided on the Duro-Last roofing system, a custom prefabricated thermoplastic single-ply manufactured by Duro-Last Roofing, Inc. The Officials liked Duro-Last's prefabrication because it would ensure a higher quality roof; 80-85% of the field seaming and detail work is performed under ideal conditions, in a factory setting. Maximizing factory fabrication would also minimize workmanship in the field, increasing crew productivity and reducing potential workmanship-related problems.
With non-prefabricated roll goods, the quality of installation is exclusively reliant upon the individual worker on-site. Furthermore, Wyoming's extreme weather conditions make non-prefabricated roll goods much more susceptible to rooftop failure.
Another important factor in the decision to go with the Duro-Last roofing system was the warranty.
"We felt the Duro-Last warranty was straightforward and easy to read," said Cooper. "They clearly had the best warranty offered."
Cooper contacted Broken Arrow Construction of Powell, Wyoming to complete the Duro-Last project. A well-respected, award-winning Duro-Last contractor for 15 years, Broken Arrow has earned a reputation for excellence both during and after roof installations. Kyle Nix, operations manager, and Bob England, sales manager for Broken Arrow quickly went to work on the roofing project. Their plan consisted of a 10-foot tab Duro-Last roofing system, which is measured in individual sections of up to 2,500 square feet for the field of the roof. Each penetration and flashing would be prefabricated to ensure watertightness at critical transitions. In addition, Duro-Last accessories would be used to ensure that all the system's components worked together to provide superior roof performance.
Along the way, Broken Arrow had to address several concerns with the hospital project.
"We had to remove 400 tons of rock from the existing roof while working with the hospital to plan around the operating room schedule," said Nix. "The only time they didn't operate was on Friday afternoon and on Saturday."
Additionally, the weather was a major concern. "In fact, the day we came to install the roof, we received eight inches of snow," recalled Nix.
According to Nix, Duro-Last proved to be the smartest choice for this roof. "Because of the large pre-manufactured roof panels, we could cover and protect large areas of the roof," he stated. "This was especially important with the adverse weather conditions. Plus, the 10-foot tab system helped increase job site productivity, which helped us complete the project one week ahead of schedule."
Another significant benefit for Powell Hospital was Duro-Last's ability to reflect the sun's energy.
"With the white, thermoplastic Duro-Last roofing system installed, the building will stay cooler in the summer, helping reduce energy costs," said Nix. "Especially with the challenges that were presented during this roofing project, it was satisfying to provide Powell Hospital with an outstanding, aesthetically appealing, long-term solution to their roofing needs," concluded Nix.
"I couldn't be happier with the new Duro-Last roof," said Cooper. "Broken Arrow exceeded my expectations and the roof looks great with its new durable, virtually maintenance-free roofing system."
With a cure found for their roof ailment, Powell Hospital officials and staff can now concentrate on helping patients. |
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