Challenge:
Select the ideal sectional door for a speculative industrial development that would meet the developer’s cost efficiency and safety requirements.
Solution:
A total of 81 Amarr® 2002 20-gauge Ribbed Panel Steel Doors: (77) 9' 2" wide x 10' high 116 MPH wind load-rated doors (16.6 positive/18.3 negative PSF) with a 3" Rapid Install Vertical Lift Track System with TrackLock and (4) 14' 2" wide x 16" high 116 MPH wind load-rated doors (15.1 positive/17.2 negative PSF) with standard 3" vertical lift track. All doors feature one 24" x 6" plexiglass window and factory-applied White finish.
Results:
A hard working, heavy-duty ribbed panel steel door solution designed for long term use that is safe, cost-effective, flexible, time-saving, and can be easily adapted to meet any all wind load requirements throughout the U.S.
Application:
TCC (Trammel Crow Company)- Macarthur Speculative Industrial Development
Environment:
Distribution Center
Location:
Grand Prairie, TX
TCC (Trammel Crow Company)-Macarthur – Grand Prairie, TX
Mammoth doesn’t seem to adequately describe the sheer size of TCC (Trammel Crow Company)-Macarthur, a new 392,000 squarefoot speculative rear-load industrial development that sits on 213 acres along I-30 in Grand Prairie, Texas.
At more than four football fields long, TCC-Macarthur is the developer’s fourth project along the I-30 corridor industrial submarket between Dallas and Arlington.
While the front of TCC-Macarthur contains inviting architectural elements and landscaping that help promote a high degree of curb appeal resulting in what Mark Johnson, FAIA, Architectural Sales Manager at Amarr describes as “handsome industrial,” the development’s backside is the focal point for all future loading dock activity.
With 77 loading docks and four larger openings that feature vehicle access ramps, TCC-Macarthur was designed for either a single user or multiple tenants to provide last mile distribution in the heart of the Dallas-Forth Worth metroplex.
The right door for the right job
As with any speculative distribution center (DC), every loading dock position needs a sectional door. TCC-Macarthur’s specifications and a long-term relationship with contractor The Conlan Company led to 81 Amarr® 2002 Ribbed Panel Steel Doors being installed.
Each of 77 loading dock doors is 9' 2" wide x 10' high. Four additional larger doors for vehicles or other equipment to pass through measure 14' 2" wide x 16" high. All 81 doors also feature one window, factory-applied White finish and wind load reinforcement.
The Amarr sectional doors are all rated to
handle up to 116 MPH wind speeds that
exceed non-coastal area wind load
requirements in Texas.
The Amarr sectional doors are all rated to handle up to 116 MPH wind speeds that exceed non-coastal area wind load requirements in Texas. The 77 loading dock doors can handle 16.6 positive/18.3 negative pounds per square foot (PSF) and the four larger doors are rated for 15.1 positive/17.2 negative PSF. Amarr’s wind load reinforcement system for each door includes several engineered strut reinforcements, as well as manual locking mechanisms on each side of the doors and meets the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) windstorm resistant construction specifications.
With material and labor costs factoring into a speculative development like TCC-Macarthur, Amarr provided a solution to meet both with the company’s Rapid Install Vertical Lift Track System with TrackLock on all 77 dock doors. The four larger Amarr doors rely on standard 3" vertical lift track.
The differences between the standard vertical lift track and Amarr’s Rapid Install Vertical Lift Track System are readily apparent. Standard vertical lift track is based on a two-piece design that is spliced together and relies on horizontal braces connecting the track to the wall.
Depending on the construction, standard vertical lift connectors may interfere with conduit, fire sprinklers, ventilation, or other obstructions. Additionally, standard vertical track systems contain no connectors between the left and right-side vertical tracks leaving them more vulnerable to improper installation and/or safety concerns developing down the road.
In contrast, Amarr’s Rapid Install Vertical Lift Track System for sectional dock door applications up to 9' 4" wide x 10' high is structurally superior to a standard vertical lift system and is also designed to save on both time and material because it uses a one-piece ridged track from the floor to the spring assembly.
The Rapid Install system is preassembled and can save up to 30 minutes per door on 3 installation time due to less assembly and drilling in the field. For a project the size of TCCMacarthur, that’s a substantial savings of nearly 38½ labor hours.
TrackLock provides added safety
To stabilize the tops of the two vertical tracks and keep them aligned at the exact desired installation width, Amarr’s TrackLock keeps the door firmly within the tracks as it opens and closes. A standard that only Amarr offers, TrackLock provides an extra measure of safety for the end-user and simplifies the installer’s work to insure properly spaced track installation.
“If a door dislodges from its vertical tracks because they’re not held in alignment at the top, the door has the potential to fall, resulting in door damage or worse yet, injuring anyone below the door,” Johnson stressed. “The Amarr TrackLock mitigates this risk, resulting in improved safety for workers and durable longterm door operation.”
Amarr doors offer upgrade flexibility
For easy visibility of trailers backing up to the loading docks by loading dock staff, the interior left side of each Amarr 2002 20-gauge Ribbed Panel Steel Door features one 24" x 6" plexiglass window. Using one window per door provides adequate outside viewing and the desired security. The loading dock doors all use pull ropes for opening and closing the doors, while the four large access doors use manual chain hoists.
While TCC-Macarthur is not a climate-controlled facility and R-value insulation was not a factor, the Amarr 2002 doors can be retrofitted with insulation panels in the future if a tenant wants to add them to maintain the temperature inside the building. This after door installation insulation capability provides the added flexibility to suit a tenant’s needs in the future.
“Amarr is constantly working on new solutions to keep speculative buildings affordable,” Johnson emphasized. “Even though a ribbed panel steel door like the 2002 is ideal for costconscious speculative building developers, it also offers the added flexibility for necessary upgrades such as wind load protection and more.”
He concluded, “For TCC-Macarthur, the 2002 Ribbed Panel Steel Door combined with the Rapid Install Vertical Lift Track System is a great solution for developments with high expectations concerning safety and longterm operation.”
Available Architect Resources
For details on the 2002 Ribbed Panel Steel Door, visit Amarr Steel Sectional Overhead Doors.
To explore more about available Lift Options, including the Rapid Install Vertical Lift System , visit Amarr Commercial Door Lift Options.
We also offer Continuing Education classes, CAD and BIM drawings, LEED resources and more!
Visit Amarr Architect Resources to learn more or contact us at 800-503-DOOR (3667).