Allen Canning Facility Wins Design Honor

Allen Canning Co.’s new facility recently won an honorable mention in the Steel Joist Institute 2009 Design Awards.

The project won the honor in the industrial category for its innovate use of steel joists. Entries are judged based on flexibility, aesthetics, the speed of construction and the cost value of the project.

Don Peters Construction of Cave Springs was the general contractor on the project and Burrough-Brasuell Corp. of Van Buren provided structural engineering and architectural services. The project used all-galvanized material utilizing a combination of welding and bolting.

The project included erecting a new structure over Allen’s existing food processing plant in Van Buren. Making the project even more noteworthy, an ice storm struck the plant in January 2009 and caused structural failure of the existing facility, resulting in a production shut-down. The project schedule was altered to require complete construction and demolition in a single phase with a 90-day window.

The project was completed three days ahead of schedule and within budget.

Airflow control improvements led to a better working environment, according to the Steel Joist Institute.