Simmons Food Column Retrofit
Glass FRP column repairs incorporated concrete protection against high-temperature equipment cleaning in a Simmons Foods production environment.
Delta Structural Technology completed a column repair and strengthening project for Simmons Foods. The 2015 scope combined crack injection, glass fiber wrapping and a concrete protective layer around square columns. The proposal addressed an important plant-specific exposure: high-temperature jet cleaning of food production equipment could affect an unprotected composite repair, so the protection of the reinforcing system was considered from the outset.
- Market
- Food & Beverage
- Services
- Column repair, glass FRP and protective concrete cover
- Location
- Location to confirm
- Structural members
- Concrete Column Strengthening
Project challenge
The repair involved existing square columns within a food-production environment. The structural repair could not be considered separately from the surrounding cleaning process. The team needed to account for cracking, the column geometry and the physical protection of the wrap. The planned work window also required coordination with the plant around the Labor Day weekend.
Project approach
Delta’s proposed treatment began with injecting cracks, followed by two layers of glass fiber reinforcement. A formed concrete cover was then proposed to shield the composite from high-temperature jet-blast cleaning. Internal constructability review specifically considered the forms needed for the square columns. This sequence integrated repair of the existing member, composite reinforcement and a durable physical barrier suited to the identified exposure.
Delivery and coordination
Operations and estimating personnel reviewed the relationship between forming, material selection and the available work window. The proposal described five columns, each approximately one foot square and twelve feet high, as the planning basis. Those dimensions informed access and forming discussions. The project required the strengthening crew to plan around both the structural detail and the plant’s cleaning and production environment.
Project significance
The Simmons column project highlights a practical consideration for food-industry repairs: the protective treatment around FRP can be as important to the installation concept as the fiber itself. Delta’s approach joined crack treatment, reinforcement and cover in one coordinated scope. The resulting case illustrates how plant operating conditions shape a structural repair package.
