We are working for Dairy Farmers of America on preparing their plant for new equipment. The equipment is arriving during a planned 5-day shutdown, which means our concrete work must be completed prior to then, with enough time for the fresh concrete to cure adequately. This entails working within the food processing plant during production, which means strict compliance to FSMA, their SQF certification, and their HACCP plan. In addition, they are also inspected by other authorities having jurisdiction.
Our team installed plastic containment enclosures, utilized electric and propane equipment, and conducted wet-cutting on existing concrete. In addition, concrete was found to be thicker than tested, which required traveling to New Jersey to pick up appropriate equipment. We saw cut and jackhammered existing concrete, excavated for pier footings, and formed and poured fresh concrete – turning three (3) separate pours into one pour by using experience and ingenuity. Due to the concrete demo delay, we were behind schedule, which was not and option. Therefore, to serve our customer, we improvised to get back on track.
Complicating things was the fact that major work was scheduled for overnight during winter storm Stella, which brought 16in of snow. This was challenging for many reasons, such as debris removal, manpower availability, and the safe travel of valued, dedicated employees.
In the end, Dairy Farmers will have an expertly completed project finished on schedule, thanks to our dedicated and resourceful employees.
GALBRAITH provides a single source solution for designing and building, or renovating, food processing facilities. Contact us for more information.
