Jefferson Mill Build-to-Suit

Summarize the project's program, features, and achievements: The Jefferson Mill Build-to-Suit Distribution Center is a 1,117,800 square foot, cross-dock distribution facility with 40’ clear height and 192 dock doors on a 94-acre site. The building features a structural steel frame with slab-on-grade, supported on shallow foundations and a tilt panel exterior. As the largest known castellated beam project in the United States, the building features corner entry spandrel tilt panels, monolithic C-shaped decorative tilt accents, and a high-quality tilt finish due to the slab-on-grade FF/FL numbers (78.2 and 57.1, respectively). Catamount led the project team, including AM Concrete and TMC Cranes, in tilting 214 panels in an impressive eight days. These tilt panels included heights up to 57’ 11” and as wide as 29’ 2”. Our team also constructed a free-standing, tilt-up screen wall to hide one of three 1750 kw diesel generators.

What obstacles were overcome related to the schedule, budget, program, specification, site, etc. on this project? Like many projects across the country, we encountered material escalations, delivery shortages, and long lead times for trades such as roofing, storefront, overhead doors, and interior tilt panel insulation. Due to roofing allocations, our team quickly pivoted and prioritized the office build-out areas by installing the non-weather impacted materials (such as the perimeter demising walls with weather resistant sheathings, ductwork, and CMU) prior to roofing deliveries. This process allowed us to complete drywall, finishes, and equipment installation in the tenant build-out areas, as they were covered, instead of putting the project on hold to wait for roofing. In addition to the roofing issues, our concrete subcontractor helped us navigate concrete allocations during the slab and tilt-up timeframe through tight scheduling and daily communication with Catamount’s on-site superintendent, allowing us to maintain the project schedule milestones.

Please communicate any engineering complexities or unique features of the panel design for this project. ? With joist and girders shortages and excessive lead time challenges, Catamount Constructors and Cobb Industrial partnered to creatively problem solve, including manufacturing castellated beams and connections to the tilt-up panels. Cobb Industrial changed their entire fabrication plan and re-vamped their manufacturing facilities to accommodate production of the castellated beams for this project. The beams were designed specifically around the existing panel layout, and because of this unique approach, Jefferson Mill is now the largest known castellated beam project in the country.

What is the potential for this project's impact on the community and/or environment? This light LEED project brought Ace Hardware to the City of Jefferson, creating over 500 jobs for the community. In addition to the new source of work for many people in the area, Ace Hardware prides themselves on giving back to the communities in which they live and work. Donating and volunteering at organizations such as Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and the American Red Cross, we are proud to play a part in bringing this community-focused company to Jefferson, GA.