This 64,000-sq-ft manufacturing expansion represents Zeus Industrial Products’ small-town commitment even as the company expands its reach around the globe. The facility houses centralized engineering, equipment and tooling design; part fabrication; tooling production; and machine assembly operations.

Among the building’s distinctive features is a blue-tinted glass curtain wall that welcomes employees and visitors alike to the new engineering center. To meet an owner requirement to utilize transparent glass, the project team needed to create an efficient, functional ceiling structure with minimal visibility when viewed through the curtain wall.

After an extensive review of alternatives, the originally specified sheetrock ceiling was changed to EIFS stucco, which also offered improved water protection. Choosing this solution enabled the project team to construct a weather-resistant, visually appealing ceiling structure, maintain the construction schedule and deliver Zeus the type of glass and quality of light they desired in their showcase engineering center.

To convey an industrial look that simultaneously demonstrates a high degree of finish, the building’s lobby and common areas were originally designed with precast panels erected atop a polished turndown slab.

Because erecting concrete panels over such flooring would place undue stress on the finished slab, the project team altered the design to extend the precast concrete down to a footing.

The solution created new challenges, however, requiring an intricate process to precisely position each panel for installation in the steel framework. The trade-off was eliminating the erection process from being contingent on pouring a slab vulnerable to damage.

With the panels in place, the project team created a high-quality concrete floor with appropriate chemical treatment and an 800-grit gloss polish that met the owner’s requirements for appearance and minimal long-term maintenance.

As weld dust is a common safety concern in the tool-making process, Zeus’ new engineering center includes a cost-effective,  high-efficiency exhaust system that far exceeds the owner’s specifications for air flow and static pressure.

The system also reduced the need for magnetic “dust dots” in the weld room, creating a more aesthetically pleasing, cleaner and safer environment for crafting complex tools.

The project team’s cost- and time-saving measures also helped the project schedule recover from repeated interruptions due to winter storms and hurricanes.

The final key task involved painting exposed steel, conduit, processing piping and hangers white to present an exceptionally clean and immaculate appearance.

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