COOKEVILLE – Cookeville’s J&S Construction was recently invited to speak at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ 2013 Construction Roundtable Conference held in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The event, held by the Great Lakes and Ohio River Division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), included discussion of construction issues of mutual interest to contractors and the government and an in-depth look at some ongoing projects and lessons learned.
Brad Leimer, LEED AP and project manager, was selected to speak as a representative for J&S Construction regarding energy-efficient techniques used in the construction of the Sustainment Brigade Complex Administration Facility, in Fort Campbell, Ky. The lecture focused on design techniques used by the architect, as well as construction methods used by J&S Construction.
“It was an honor to speak to the Corps about the sustainable features and construction of the administration facility,” Leimer said. “This project embodies what the federal government is trying to achieve through the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. I expect many of the sustainable features in this project will become the standard in future USACE projects.”
The facility houses the Sustainment Brigade Defense Finance (DFAS) to process military pay actions. Designed with sustainability in mind, the 30,900 square-foot building consists of a reinforced concrete foundation, concrete floor slab, insulated concrete form walls, masonry and metal panel façade, standing seam metal roof, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), plumbing, mechanical systems, security systems and electrical systems.
The building serves as Fort Campbell’s pilot project for sustainable design and was designed by the USACE to meet LEED Silver requirements by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). However, J&S Construction submitted for LEED Gold Certification at no additional cost to the government and expects to receive certification within the next 60 days.
Environmentally friendly features built into this project include: pervious pavement, rainwater harvesting and re-use system and low-flow water fixtures. Energy-efficient features include photovoltaic solar panels, solar water heating, insulated concrete forms, spray foam insulation as well as an enhanced energy monitoring and control system.
On a base with more than 4,000 existing buildings, this project contains the base’s first geothermal heat pump system as well as the first photovoltaic solar system. Design elements and processes used for this project could be replicated on future projects at Fort Campbell.
