Commercial Locomotive Service Shop Gets Insulated with Closed-Cell SPF

HARTFORD, CT – October 1, 2013 – Commercial freight trains on the Connecticut Southern Railroad (CSR), which spans 78 miles between Connecticut and Massachusetts, carry food and construction materials back and forth daily. In order to transport goods from place to place, the trains need to be properly serviced in a maintenance shop owned by CSR. The Connecticut-based shop was not the most comfortable place for workers during the brutal Northeast winters. Taking that into account, the owners of the locomotive service shop decided to make the environment inside their building more comfortable for their workers by opting for an application of spray polyurethane foam insulation.

The owners brought in MJL Associates for the project, which consisted of applying SPF to the exterior walls and the underside of the roof of the warehouse. The 500,000 sq. ft. building, which had been constructed three years prior, had a three-inch layer of fiberglass insulation on the underside of the roof and no insulation on the walls. According to MJL's owner, Michael Lieto, the batt insulation did little to nothing for the building to retain heat. He also mentioned that the building had condensation issues where water would come through the walls and ceiling and then freeze inside the building, which created a safety hazard.

"It got so cold in there during the winter that the standing water that got on the concrete floors froze, so the floors themselves were literally freezing," said Lieto. "This created a huge problem in that workers could slip and hurt themselves inside a building that is supposed to be OSHA compliant."

The project took place while the warehouse was operational and trains were frequently coming in and out for maintenance. Lieto said it was challenging to figure out a proper schedule between his crew and the warehouse workers.

"It was a joint effort," said Lieto. "We tried to keep to ourselves as best we could and made sure we weren't disrupting any of their operations. Since the building was so big, we could work around them without affecting our time frame."

The crew used a man lift to get to the top of the exterior walls and the roof, which was 25-feet high at its apex. The crew was outfitted with fresh air respirators and Tyvek suits, as well as hard hats, safety glasses, and steel-toed boots to be in compliance with OSHA. They also had fans on during the application for ventilation.

Using a Graco Fusion air-purge spray gun, the crew applied two inches of Gaco WallFoam 183M, a 2 lb. closed-cell spray polyurethane foam made by Gaco Western, to the building's envelope, spanning a total spray area of 12,000 square feet. According to Lieto, the crew utilized nearly five sets of foam during the application.

Lieto noted that the temperature got down to 40ºF late in the day, and that midway through the SPF application there was a noticeable difference in climate inside the building.

"We noticed the building was retaining a lot more heat, especially when a train was pulled in, because a train brings in a lot of heat," said Lieto. "It was a sign that SPF will provide substantial energy savings for the owners and that the workers will have a very comfortable winter."

After the SPF was installed, the crew applied 20 wet mils of DC315, a thermal barrier coating made by IFTI, to protect the foam and comply with building codes. Once dried, the thickness of the coating was 14 mils.

The crew had one rig on site equipped with a Graco Reactor E-30 proportioner. It took the three-man crew five business days to complete the job.

Lieto pointed out that aside from sealing the building envelope and eliminating condensation, SPF will provide a more peaceful working environment via sound attenuation.

"There were other industrial facilities surrounding the area, so it was extremely noisy when we started spraying the warehouse." said Lieto. "Now, you can barely hear a thing."

About MJL Associates: MJL Associates provides their clients with the latest in Spray Foam Technology. Servicing the Connecticut and New York areas since 2010,. MJL's professional work is represented in their clean craftsmanship, providing a quality product and ensuring that insulation needs are met. MJL believes in the highest levels of Customer Service, the most important value in the creation of any long term working relationship. For more information on MJL Associates, please use the contact information and links provided below.