Over the years, Leavitt Engineering has provided structural and consulting
engineering for various projects at Darigold's Caldwell, Idaho plant. In
2007, we provided design construct and construction management services for
several major plant additions and improvements. In early spring of 2007, we
installed a new triple stack, hold tube, fusion heater, and cooling tower.
Installation of new equipment in a busy existing plant is always a
complicated process. Special and unique procedures had to be designed and
implemented to snake the new equipment into the existing plant. Our team
designed, fabricated, and installed additional structural foundations,
support framing, and access to the equipment, which was all required to
support and operate the new equipment.
During the following summer, we constructed two large mat foundations
within the plant to support 40,000 gallon silos. Vinyl containment walls
were constructed around the project within the plant to environmentally
protect the ongoing dry milk production operations. Structural shoring and
bracing was constructed to temporarily support the roof while the roof
framing was reconstructed to cut two 14 foot diameter openings for the
silos. The silos were lifted and installed down through the roof openings
allowing their top to project through the roof. Leavitt Engineering designed and
constructed the roof alterations and supervised the silo installation, roof
repairs, and silo anchorage.
The fall 2007 Butter Plant addition was our biggest and most challenging
project. Major structural repairs and upgrades were required to bring the
existing warehouse and cooler into compliance with current ASKA
requirements. We demolished existing walls, replaced the existing floor
drainage systems, built two new in-plant offices and a lab, installed
equipment, removed existing tanks, added new walls, window, and doors, made
various repairs, and painted the repairs and improvements. The Butter Plant
addition included new butter churns, an automatic salt metering dispenser,
conveyors, packaging, a pallet stacking robot, wrapping, and cooling
operations.
The following winter, projects included structural design of foundations
and a new concrete containment structure for the vertical and horizontal
sludge tanks. Topographic survey and civil design of storm drainage were
included. Leavitt Engineering also designed and detailed a new spiral staircase to
provide multi-story access in the plant.
