In 2012, Ferragon Corporation embarked on a significant project to transform the historic McLouth Steel Facility in Gibraltar, Michigan, into a state-of-the-art Tier I automotive steel processing plant. This initiative aimed to house the first 100% hydrogen continuous anneal line in the U.S., designed for processing advanced ultra-high-strength steel for leading automotive manufacturers.
HyCAL Corporation Project Overview
Since 1983, Ferragon Corporation has grown into one of the nation’s leaders in toll processing by being a one-stop source for a full range of hot rolled toll processing, cold rolled processing/inspection, cold rolled conversion services and aluminum slitting/inspection. Ferragon oversees the operations of Ferrous Metal Processing Co., FerrouSouth, Ferrolux Metals Co., Ferrous85” Co., Autolum Processing Co., and Ferrous
Metal Transfer Co. They are ISO 9001:2008 Registered and/or QS 9000 Certified at every location. In 2012, Ed Gonzales, President of Ferragon Corporation, began searching for a location to install a new Tier I Automotive Steel Processing Facility. This facility would house the first of it’s kind, 100% hydrogen continuous anneal line for processing advanced ultra high strength steel which would attract the industry’s most notable automotive manufacturers. The HighTensile Strength Annealing line (a process involving heating metal and quickly cooling to increase its strength) provides ultra-high-performing steel for automotive
chassis, ideally housed in a bright and professional space.
Ferragon pursued numerous locations in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan, all strategically located near the automotive industry hub. Ultimately, the corporation decided on the old McLouth Steel Facility in Gibraltar, Michigan (built in 1954). More than $2.2M in loans and a grant have been awarded by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to help redevelop the site, including a $1M Clean Michigan Initiative Brownfield Redevelopment loan, a $1M Revitalization Revolving loan and a $245K Clean Michigan Initiative grant. Additionally, HyCAL is investing $53M in plant upgrades, including: roof lighting, drainage, and other
infrastructure. All construction means and methods were approved by the funding agency’s engineers prior to their implementation—the Brownfield plan was previously approved by the Wayne County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, Gibraltar City Council and the Commission’s Committee on Economic Development. The Gibraltar plant is expected to be operational by the beginning of 2017, following the removal
of hazardous materials, interior demolition and retrofitting.
“This is a terrific reuse of an inactive steel plant, and the jobs are most certainly welcome. The cleanup also
is very good news because of the refuge, the nearby Detroit River, marshes and other wetlands.”
— Commissioner Joseph Palamara, D-Grosse Ile Township
Innovative Solutions for Code Compliance & Galbestos Fire Protection with DC315
Among numerous hazardous environmental concerns, HyCAL also needed to solve their finished interior condition and aesthetic concerns. Approximately 2/3’s of Bay 5’s and Bay 4’s (which is
Phase II of the project) roof deck was poured gypsum, while the balance of the roof deck was corrugated sheet metal roofing. The walls were also corrugated sheet metal, while approximately 1/3 of the wall area
was the original glass pane construction (typical of the early 50’s style). There were three primary issues with the interior of the facility. First, the finished space needed to be bright, requiring a luminous white
finish on the walls and ceiling. Second, the sheet metal walls and roofing were galbestos coated panels (galbestos is a metal sheeting lined with bitumen that is impregnated with asbestos). Third, the glazing in
the windows contained asbestos. Ferrolux needed to insulate the building and provide a professional appearance while, at the same time, ensuring a clean and non-hazardous facility. Many options were considered to alleviate these concerns.
For example, the exterior of the building was slated to receive a new metal siding, so insulated metal panels and various types of insulation were explored. Additionally, different types of insulation were researched for interior application. Only a spray polyurethane foam (SPF) system could meet all of the general construction needs and DTE Energy’s (aka Detroit Power) incentive requirements—an R-13 on the walls and an R-19 in the roof assembly. First, the local governing body approved SPF as an asbestos encapsulant over the galbestos panels and the glazing of the windows. The SPF provided the solution to two of the primary concerns, encapsulating and insulating, while the required bright white finish was accomplished with International Fireproofing Technologies, Inc., DC315 intumescent coating (an interior thermal barrier coating for spray polyurethane foam insulation). Using Paint To Protect’s special order white, HyCAL was able to match the paint being utilized on the structural steel providing a clean, bright white finished appearance that makes the structural members “disappear” into the walls and ceiling. Utilizing this combination of products met all of the local code requirements for an interior SPF application.
“With the help of our manufacturer’s support, we were able to communicate all of the benefits
to utilizing SPF by utilizing Accella Polyurethane Systems, Foamsulate™ 220 2 lb., CC at 2” thick on
the walls and 3” thick on the interior roof deck.”
— Jack L. Moore, Jr. President/CEO West Roofing Systems, Inc.
The project requirements were very strict regarding Health and Safety. HyCAL is a drug-free workplace with stringent documentation and policies in place. In addition to standard practices, all employees involved with the project were required to pass the 10-panel drug screening test (a more extensive test than typically required). Additional project specific safety requirements included the following: weekly tool-box training;
conducted job-specific safety tool-boxtalks; weekly copies of the discussion topic and attendance roster, daily production logs and Daily Safe Task Analysis (STA)/Job Safety Assessment (JSA; a 10-minute daily
stand-up that discussed the tasks for the day and how we will mitigate or eliminate hazards) all turned into the project manager and owner; and safety checklists and quality control documentation. As this project was set for completion in late fall 2016, the ambient temperatures, dew points and humidity levels were monitored (utilizing a Kestrel Anemometer) and recorded three times throughout the day to confirm eff orts were
within the acceptable manufacturer’s guidelines to provide a proper coating film (critical, should any future concerns arise in the event of a fire). Wet film gauges were utilized, as well as verifying material usage
over surface area confirmation to ensure the proper application rates. Daily safety inspections were conducted by our on-site safety coordinator containing corrective actions taken.
Provided checklists included the following:
- Respirator
- Cartridge change-out schedule (when
powered air-purifying respirators were
not being used) - Daily start-up and shutdown procedures (per SPFA Certification
Guidelines) - Personal Protective Equipment
(PPE) documentation (critical due to the
presence of Asbestos Containing Material
(ACM); non-friable condition) - Safety Data Sheet (SDS) log maintenance
All of this documentation was made part of the contract requirements and contingent upon the release of payments.
For a detailed account of this project, please refer to the full project profile: HyCAL Corp. Facility Rehabilitation & Expansion.
What is galbestos? Find out here.