Applied Engineering Services

The Applied team (consisting of Applied Engineering, Fink Roberts & Petrie, and Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf Architects) was selected by Knauf Insulation GmbH to perform the design work for a $180 million expansion of their manufacturing operations in Shelby¬ville, Indiana. The new plant produces commercial and industrial insulations for the U.S. market. The project included a new 375,000-square-foot warehouse, new production facilities, and the associated utility and raw material support systems/structures. The project required a high-voltage electrical substation; a chemical compounding plant; a utility building; a batch house for glass-making raw materials; and new production lines with associated packaging processes. Applied’s work included all of the architectural, civil, structural, and the majority of the mechanical and electrical design. Selection and design of the batch house, wet electrostatic precipitator, regenerative thermal oxidizers, the production equipment, and packaging equipment was performed by Knauf with several OEMs that specialize in fiberglass manufacturing equipment. The Applied team was responsible for many of the support structures and the utility hookups for this OEM equipment. Applied was also responsible for overall site planning and development, including access roads, parking lots, utility relocation/ improvements, fire protection, and landscaping. The design work began in August 2004. Construction began in February of 2005. The project was built in seven phases, with final construction complete in 2007. Shortly after starting design on the final phase of this project, Knauf decided to move up construction of a $40 million loose fill insulation line to the Shelbyville operation. The new project included a new building, glass furnace, loose fill fiberizers, accumulators, an automated packaging facility, and related support systems. Knauf required that the new project be designed and constructed within 15 months. The Applied team responded to this requirement and the new facility was completed on time. Production output from the new facility exceeded Knauf’s original projections.