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Ramtech Completes Modular Building Manufacturing and Installation Phase for New 4-Story Barracks at Fort Sam Houston
[January 22, 2013]

Ramtech Completes Modular Building Manufacturing and Installation Phase for New 4-Story Barracks at Fort Sam Houston


Mansfield, TX, Jan 22, 2013 (PRWeb.com via COMTEX) -- Ramtech Building Systems of Mansfield, Texas has announced that the company has completed the manufacturing and installation of the modular buildings for the fifth and final phase of the MILCON Unaccompanied Enlisted Personnel Housing (UEPH) Advanced Individual Training (AIT) Barracks to be used by the U.S. Army at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. The project is part of a multiple task order under an Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract previously awarded to the Southwest Division of Hensel Phelps Construction Co. in Austin, Texas. Ramtech has been designated as a strategic subcontractor responsible for the manufacture and installation of 152 individual modular sections that are being assembled to create the four-story 272 room structure totaling 116,480 square feet. The shipping of the modular sections began in late November of last year, with the crane setting starting in mid-December. Now that the manufacturing and installation phases for the $9.7 million permanent modular construction project are complete, Ramtech will begin making the inter-connections between the modular sections for the domestic water and drain lines, HVAC ductwork, hydronic water lines for the air conditioning units, and all the electrical runs. The company will also be responsible for water or air pressure testing for each of these systems, as well as the complete fire-proofing at each of the module mate lines. Ramtech's scope of work also includes the grouting of all the ceramic tile, setting of lavatory fixtures and accessories, as well as the installation of 1,360 doors and their respective hardware. Ramtech will then participate in the final inspections and commissioning of the facility prior to the current scheduled completion date of February 2014.



Faced with the challenge of acquiring permanent facilities "faster, better, cheaper, and greener," in 2005 the Army Corps of Engineers embarked on a master planning program to change the way it executed MILCON and BCA programs. Frustrated at not getting quality facilities in the timeframe it needed them, the Corps established a continuous building program that emphasized the standardization of facilities and processes while expanding the use of prefabricated buildings including permanent modular buildings.

Ramtech has worked as a subcontractor to Hensel Phelps on several previous high-profile projects, including the construction and fabrication of 24 single and two story administrative modules for the U.S. Army at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas and the manufacturing and construction of temporary modular barracks facilities for the Army's 4th infantry division at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas. For the Fort Sam project, Ramtech's contract called for the installation at the company's facility of a full-scale completely finished-out modular section to be inspected and then used as a model and guide during the manufacturing phase. According to Gary White, Ramtech's vice president sales and estimating, "Hensel-Phelps had a full-time quality assurance official monitoring our manufacturing process who stated that with respect to the first four phases of the barracks complex, our manufacturing was without a doubt superior to any other manufacturer they have worked with." Because the AIT barracks facility houses U.S. combat troops, the structure is being built to meet the Army's rigid Anti-Terrorism Force Protection (AT/FP) construction standards and progressive collapse requirements for buildings three stories and above. All of the floor sections were designed, built, and install as six-sided unitized boxes acting as rigid cubes when stacked together with the other sections. The building will also meet the requirements of LEED Silver Certification by including waterless urinals, energy star roofing material, recycling of waste materials to achieve a 50% diversion of waste normally sent to land-fills, and utilization of construction materials with a 20% recycled content. Heating and cooling will be provided through a chilled water assist hydronic heat pump system with each unit serving one dorm room. Ramtech will be responsible for the plumbing and electrical connections as well as some of the interior finish-out including the ceramic tile installation. In addition to the sleeping areas, the building will also house a computer learning center, training area, and laundry facilities.


About Ramtech Building Systems Since 1982 Mansfield, Texas-based Ramtech Building Systems has been providing innovative permanent modular buildings for government agencies, healthcare providers, Fortune 500 companies, and educational institutions throughout the Southern United States. As a design-build construction company, Ramtech offers full in-house design, a manufacturer direct product, and complete site construction services all within a single-source solution. By emphasizing a value engineering approach, Ramtech has successfully completed over 3,000 prefabricated buildings for diverse projects of all sizes. For more information, visit the company's website at ramtechmodular.com.

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