WESTMINSTER, Colo., June 04, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- When Weber State University engaged MHTN Architects to solve waterproofing problems on Stromberg Athletic Complex, everyone involved saw a valuable secondary opportunity. Rebuilding the waterproofing also provided an opportunity to replace an underutilized roof-top plaza with new Pickle Ball courts. After repairing the structural steel and integrating a new waterproofing system the team needed to think carefully about draining water off the courts and building. That’s where designers turned to Foam-Control® PLUS+ 600 insulation from ACH Foam Technologies.
Since the roof’s existing structural slab was sloped to drain, designers needed a lightweight, void-filler between the structural slab and the underside of the courts’ post-tensioned slab. Incorporating a two-stage system, water on the courts is shed to a center trench drain, accompanied by the waterproofing system on the structural slab and roof drains.
ACH Foam Technologies’ molded polystyrene rigid foam is a lightweight, cellular plastic material that is incredibly strong. The compressive strengths of Foam-Control® PLUS+ products range from 15 pounds per square inch (psi) all the way up to 60 psi. With the structural slab exposed, a series of spot elevations were taken to establish the exact insulation profile to fill the void between the roof and the post-tensioned slab. Defining the thickness of each piece of foam controlled positive drainage of water off the courts without approaching structural limitations.
The Foam-Control® PLUS+ 600 platform was approximately ten-inches thick in the middle and tapered to ½” at the edges. The final deck height had to match the threshold of the plaza’s existing entry door, which couldn’t be changed, so each piece of foam across the whole roof was unique. Foam-Control® PLUS+ products are recyclable and contain no CFCs, HFCs, HCFCs or formaldehyde. Molded polystyrene costs less per R and per inch of thickness than other rigid foam insulations and Foam-Control® PLUS+’s R-Value is warrantied for 50 years.
Good architecture adds value to the people and places surrounding a project. The decisions made along the way define the results of the owner’s investment, challenging designers and builders to continually look for ways to maximize user benefits without adding expense to the project. ACH Foam Technologies joins the project team as a resource committed to providing the most comprehensive information, service, and logistical support there is in molded polystyrene foam solutions.
Steve Silva - ssilva@achfoam.com / 303.645.4153
Sean O’Keefe - sean@sokpr.com / 303.668.0717
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/922d6df2-6aab-494e-bbd9-ee50848fea69