Romtec designs, supplies, and constructs many types of buildings and structures. Some of these projects utilize a standard design, but sometimes a project will require a very custom approach. Custom projects can take more time and can be infamous for delays, change orders, and unforeseen issues. Romtec, however, always makes sure to preassemble custom structures to make sure there are no issues onsite. If any issues are discovered, our production crews can resolve them without any delays or change orders before the project delivers. This process helps keep our customer’s projects on-schedule and on budget. One recent project, the Katy Manor Development in Katy, Texas, benefited from this approach.
The Steel Pavilion at Katy Manor
The City of Katy, just outside of Houston, has been experiencing a residential boom by offering great schools and neighborhoods in the metro area. Part of the appeal of these developments is that parks and amenities are added with each expansion. For one recent development, the park portion was going to include a playground, splash pad, and large central pavilion with restrooms. The developers wanted a steel pavilion for the Texas climate and wanted it completely powder coated. Beneath the pavilion, a small two-room public restroom would also be constructed. Romtec has worked on previous projects with this type of structural combination, but because this project was in Texas, everything was bigger.
The pavilion is massive with a footprint of over 1,600 sq. ft. that has gable ends peaking at nearly 20 feet. The large structural design of the pavilion allows space for the installation of a concrete block restroom building under the pavilion. This keeps the building cooler and makes use of the pavilion structural framework. Together, these structures provide a striking feature for the new park and community. Building a large custom structure like this out of steel has a lot of benefits, but steel is a very rigid material that cannot be easily manipulated on a construction site. Additionally, powder coating adds a small dimensional thickness that can actually create problems during installation.
Constructing the Steel Pavilion
Romtec chose to completely construct the pavilion before delivering it to Texas. Steel structures can have very small tolerances and adding materials to the components can change how pieces fit together on paper, even the small thickness of a powder coat. Preassembly is advantageous to ensure that the components fit tight enough for a solid structure but are not so tight as to be difficult to fit together after powder coating. Without this work, pieces could arrive onsite that do not fit together without damaging the powder coat. Additionally, this work provides experience with the custom structure that can be communicated to the contractor onsite to help them install the structure quickly.
Romtec has completed this type of work for many different projects. Preassembly helps contractors and installers stay on schedule without running into delays. It also helps Romtec continue to develop more efficient and lower cost manufacturing processes by learning from each custom job we complete. If you would like to learn more about Romtec’s design-build services, contact our Sales Team today!
