MJW to Replace Industrial Roofing at Georgia Pacific Plant in North Florida

MJW Consolidated is replacing more than 65,000 square feet of roof at Georgia Pacific’s Palatka, Fla., paper plant, which is undergoing a major expansion and upgrade.

The roof replacement work consists of two projects, one that is providing 40,000 square feet of new roof for the plant’s kraft paper production building and another that is replacing 25,000 square feet of roof on the tissue paper production building.

The extensive work, which began in late February, is expected to take 10 months. The five paper and tissue machines at the facilities will continue to operate throughout the projects.

The scope of work includes construction of a temporary sub-deck to shield the production floor during construction; demolition and disposal of the existing concrete panel roof; refurbishment and replacement, where needed, of structural steel supports; installation of drains and piping; and installation of the new stainless steel roof.

MJW is self-performing all of the work with the exception of the laying of the roof, which is subcontracted. The MJW team includes ironworkers, carpenters, equipment operators and pipe fitters.

“Our crews will draw on our knowledge of the Palatka site, where we have a great understanding of the plant operation, a long history of successful projects, and full cooperation with the plant operators to coordinate with the other construction activities and ongoing production taking place at the site,” said Justin Freeman, MJW project manager.

Demolition and removal of the existing concrete roof is especially challenging in this high-traffic environment, Freeman noted. “Our team has an outstanding safety record, and proven schedule coordination methods, which are going to be significant factors for ensuring the work is completed without incidents or delays,” he said, noting that the kraft paper and tissue building jobs will be performed simultaneously.

The new roof will consist of five layers, including an 18-gauge stainless steel deck, vapor barrier, isolation board insulation, hot rolled tar and gravel.