Overview
Shaw Industries Plant 34 is an industrial facility in Dalton, Ga., on which EMJ performed a 553,000-square-foot addition to the existing warehouse. The expansion included 55 dock ramps, a new break room and offices within the warehouse. EMJ performed its “Ask, Listen, Think, Do” approach on the expansive project to capture untapped value while clearing the 28-acre site, the construction of the facility, as well as the site utility work, detention pond, RCC pavement for truck parking, and site lighting.
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ASK
The EMJ team was selected for Shaw’s expansion in the Decision Phase, which allowed our team to largely impact the direction that Shaw pursued for the project. During the kickoff meeting, our team interviewed the client on its goals for the expansion.
LISTEN
The purpose of the addition was to provide additional storage and distribution space for the rapidly-growing carpet and textiles company, and Shaw was concerned that the addition not interfere with existing operations in the facility. Their team also expressed concern with the longevity of the property over its initial investment, as their lease was 40 years.
THINK
Using this knowledge, the EMJ team thoroughly analyzed the design documents and identified several areas in which we could make cost-effective revisions. The initial facility design was 5 feet higher than the standing building for racking and storage purposes, which created a snowdrift hazard and could cause the roof to collapse. In addition, the steel beams required to support the snow load were costly and the reinforcement welding on the structure would interrupt current operations.
DO
The EMJ team worked with the design team and suggested adding an additional bay of the same height to the current facility, then increasing the size of the expansion’s steel bay. This removed the need for additional support beams and removed the interruption of Shaw’s facility. EMJ’s creative strategy on this facility led Shaw to choose the team on an additional large-scale office building when it was time for their headquarters to move.