Mennell Milling Company Gets Special Design Precast Concrete Structural Beams

Roanoke, VA, 2006

Special design Precast Concrete Structural Beams

34 units – 2’6” – 4’0” tall x 28’3” – 32’3” long  Weights 11,722 lbs. to 18,302 lbs.

When Mennel Milling Company purchased Roanoke City Mills in 1994, they knew that the plant, built in 1917, would eventually have to be replaced.  When it was time to build a new mill, Mennel looked to 35 acres of property purchased years earlier in Roanoke County as its new home.  Mennel officials decided to increase the size of the mill which doubled its capacity and increased its ability to serve more customers, making it the second-largest mill owned by Mennel.

As the mill serves a considerable number of customers in Virginia, Mennel wanted the new mill up and running as soon as possible.   As Construction of the new 10,000 cwt mill was being planned to begin in January 2006, the general contractor contacted Permatile Concrete Products Company to discuss the possibility of using precast concrete structural beams for the floors and roof that could be placed as soon as the slip was completed.  The contractor had used precast concrete beams on another Mennel Mill project and understood the efficiency and effectiveness of utilizing a precast concrete beam that could be delivered to the project site ready for installation.  Permatile manufactured 34 total precast concrete beams ranging in size from 2’6” width x 32’ 3” length to 4’0” width x 32’ 3” length and weighing 12,000 to 18,000 tons each.  The beams were ready for delivery ahead of the final slip pour and were installed immediately upon being unloaded from our trucks saving considerable forming and pouring time for the building interior.