The LCC

Best Flooring Solution, Greatest Space Challenges, Most Aggressive Timeline / Schedule

Photos by: Paul Rhodes

Acousti Engineering Company of Florida

Design by RSA Architecture, Inc.

Cape Canaveral FL
10/01/2018

Details:

Best Flooring Solution

The LCC is located in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Previously it was a three tiered room with access flooring, where operators would have stations and instrumentation equipment set on three levels for observation, telemetry, and tracking purposes. When it was constructed in 1967, Acousti performed the original access floor installation and there hasn’t been an extensive renovation since 2006. We received a phone call out-of-the-blue to take on this project. They were looking for a way to level out the three level construction to a single complete level of access flooring. The greatest elevation difference between the existing substructure and new finished floor height would be 7’ 8”. We had a very tight schedule and budget for the job. They gave us one month to figure out, and install a system that would work. Usually you would build a steel substructure to the height needed, but this would cost more time and money then we had. We started our hunt for a solution that can work for this raised access flooring system. The problem was the height. Most access flooring systems have a typical floor height of up to 24”, and some bolted systems up to 48”. This would still require us to build a 4 foot steel substructure. We decided to reach out to ASM Modular Systems to see if we can team up and find a solution. This would be the tallest access flooring system that they would have created. Their strongest pedestals at the time would not be able to withstand the live loads and seismic loads that they would experience at this height and location. So we tasked Engineering to come up with a solution. We needed a 7’6” pedestal to reach the floor height of 7’8”. They increased the length and gauge of the steel tube, also using a cylindrical tube instead of the normal square tube, to reach the live and seismic load conditions calculated. Once they were tested and approved, we had to get them manufactured, and shipped, via overnight airfreight, in so we can install ASAP. This is the first time we’ve done an installation like this before. It required the use 8”, 36”, and 7’6” pedestals, scaffolds with walk boards had to be built and set up, and our guys had to be 100% tied off with harness’s to install most of the floor. First time we ever had to tie off to install floors. Once completed, we used Johnsonite rubber floor tile to install over the access floor panels, in the stairwell we used Johnsonite stair treads with a silver grey, high-contrast insert, and our pedestal adhesive was provided by H.B. Fuller. Once the pedestal was created, the project went on without a hitch. All seismic calculations, engineering, testing, manufacturing (of both finished floor material and Access flooring system), and installation was completed between 9/01/2018-10/01/2018. Very proud of the teamwork of all parties involved, definitely that of our installers. They provided an exceptional install in a very short period of time, and at the quality Acousti strives for.

Greatest Space Challenges

The LCC is located in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Previously it was a three tiered room with access flooring, where operators would have stations and instrumentation equipment set on three levels for observation, telemetry, and tracking purposes. When it was constructed in 1967, Acousti performed the original access floor installation and there hasn’t been an extensive renovation since 2006.

We received a phone call out-of-the-blue to take on this project. They were looking for a way to level out the three level construction to a single complete level of access flooring. The greatest elevation difference between the existing substructure and new finished floor height would be 7’ 8”. We had a very tight schedule and budget for the job. They gave us one month to figure out, and install a system that would work. Usually you would build a steel substructure to the height needed, but this would cost more time and money then we had.

We started our hunt for a solution that can work for this raised access flooring system. The problem was the height. Most access flooring systems have a typical floor height of up to 24”, and some bolted systems up to 48”. This would still require us to build a 4 foot steel substructure. We decided to reach out to ASM Modular Systems to see if we can team up and find a solution.

This would be the tallest access flooring system that they would have created. Their strongest pedestals at the time would not be able to withstand the live loads and seismic loads that they would experience at this height and location. So we tasked Engineering to come up with a solution. We needed a 7’6” pedestal to reach the floor height of 7’8”. They increased the length and gauge of the steel tube, also using a cylindrical tube instead of the normal square tube, to reach the live and seismic load conditions calculated. Once they were tested and approved, we had to get them manufactured, and shipped, via overnight airfreight, in so we can install ASAP.

This is the first time we’ve done an installation like this before. It required the use 8”, 36”, and 7’6” pedestals, scaffolds with walk boards had to be built and set up, and our guys had to be 100% tied off with harness’s to install most of the floor. First time we ever had to tie off to install floors.

Once completed, we used Johnsonite rubber floor tile to install over the access floor panels, in the stairwell we used Johnsonite stair treads with a silver grey, high-contrast insert, and our pedestal adhesive was provided by H.B. Fuller. Once the pedestal was created, the project went on without a hitch. All seismic calculations, engineering, testing, manufacturing (of both finished floor material and Access flooring system), and installation was completed between 9/01/2018-10/01/2018. Very proud of the teamwork of all parties involved, definitely that of our installers. They provided an exceptional install in a very short period of time, and at the quality Acousti strives for.

Most Aggressive Timeline / Schedule

The LCC is located in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Previously it was a three tiered room with access flooring, where operators would have stations and instrumentation equipment set on three levels for observation, telemetry, and tracking purposes. When it was constructed in 1967, Acousti performed the original access floor installation and there hasn’t been an extensive renovation since 2006. We received a phone call out-of-the-blue to take on this project. They were looking for a way to level out the three level construction to a single complete level of access flooring. The greatest elevation difference between the existing substructure and new finished floor height would be 7’ 8”. We had a very tight schedule and budget for the job. They gave us one month to figure out, and install a system that would work. Usually you would build a steel substructure to the height needed, but this would cost more time and money then we had. We started our hunt for a solution that can work for this raised access flooring system. The problem was the height. Most access flooring systems have a typical floor height of up to 24”, and some bolted systems up to 48”. This would still require us to build a 4 foot steel substructure. We decided to reach out to ASM Modular Systems to see if we can team up and find a solution. This would be the tallest access flooring system that they would have created. Their strongest pedestals at the time would not be able to withstand the live loads and seismic loads that they would experience at this height and location. So we tasked Engineering to come up with a solution. We needed a 7’6” pedestal to reach the floor height of 7’8”. They increased the length and gauge of the steel tube, also using a cylindrical tube instead of the normal square tube, to reach the live and seismic load conditions calculated. Once they were tested and approved, we had to get them manufactured, and shipped, via overnight airfreight, in so we can install ASAP. This is the first time we’ve done an installation like this before. It required the use 8”, 36”, and 7’6” pedestals, scaffolds with walk boards had to be built and set up, and our guys had to be 100% tied off with harness’s to install most of the floor. First time we ever had to tie off to install floors. Once completed, we used Johnsonite rubber floor tile to install over the access floor panels, in the stairwell we used Johnsonite stair treads with a silver grey, high-contrast insert, and our pedestal adhesive was provided by H.B. Fuller. Once the pedestal was created, the project went on without a hitch. All seismic calculations, engineering, testing, manufacturing (of both finished floor material and Access flooring system), and installation was completed between 9/01/2018-10/01/2018. Very proud of the teamwork of all parties involved, definitely that of our installers. They provided an exceptional install in a very short period of time, and at the quality Acousti strives for.

Suppliers:

Johnsonite
H.B. Fuller Construction Products Inc.
Ardex Americas