The Cargill Foam Application Testing Lab project involved renovating an existing 18,500 square foot facility to serve as a research and development lab for bio-based polyols foam testing. Key challenges included addressing hazardous chemical storage and emissions requirements, constructing support structures for large carbon absorbers, and accommodating schedule changes. Through close collaboration between Cargill, the architect, and contractor, solutions such as containment pits, revised structural designs, and temporary occupancy were implemented to resolve issues and keep the project on track.

1. Cargill Foam Applications Testing lab project challenges:
Size/Scope: The Cargill Foam Application Testinglab project was an 18,500 square foot temperature
controlled, research & development wet Laboratory and office Bio-Based polyols foam testingfacility
located at 13400,15th Ave. in Plymouth,Minnesota. The design/engineering and construction support was
a design/build effort in conjunction with thegeneral contractor, McGough Construction (project manager:
Ken Seiler), Industrial electric and Metropolitan Mechanical Contractors Inc.(MMC). McGough was a
pre-qualified, preferred contractor for Cargill. This project had an extremely aggressive design and
construction schedule. McGough (Ken Seiler) and AMEC (Dan Caouette) would be required to work
closely together in order to consolidate and stream line conventional design and construction phase
protocols.
The proposed facility would be conducting research and development practices using large amounts of
biological chemicals, low flash point chemicals and have atmospheric emissions issues. Cargill proposed
to build this facility offsite from their corporate campus. The first step was to conduct a real estate search
that would compliment both a project plan (Dan Caouette) and business plan (Cargill). The first was to
locate a building that would allow this facility to function as an “H’ or Hazardous industrial occupancy.
The other key requirement was to locate a building with acceptable aesthetics. This facility was to have
multiple partners and conduct many presentation tours. They did not want it located in a heavy
industrialized zone. Tryingto implement a potential heavy industrial facility into a commercial/business
district would be the first challenge. A building was located in Plymouth, Minnesota. It was situated in a
heavy commercial or light industrial zoned area. The following items highlight key initiatives,
requirements and directives, delegated and required by the Cargill Project Manager (David Hromadka)
along with the challenges and resolutions as a result of this. (All italicized action items for each phase
were addressed, coordinated and/or performed by Dan Caouette):
1) The following items convey and werea part of the project management support issues, during the
proposal, schematic/pre-design,whitepaper,real estatesearch and client interview stage.The
construction document phase would also be negotiated and implemented to meet schedule
deadlines. (Action items: Proposal package analysis and client negotiation, Preliminary discipline
team and final checks, Develop project management plan, Project budget development, weekly client
project status/budget reports, Communications matrix, Design safety, Organization chart, Code
review analysis, end user group interviews, Preliminary cost estimates and schematic development,
Industrial hygiene coordination, Revise project budget, Develop design and construction phase
schedule with critical path milestones, Monitor and revise schedule as needed, Target client driven
scope changes, Conduct weekly engineering and design construction document reviews (30%, 60%
and final), develop 90% cost estimate (+/-10%), Coordinate material specification and material
procurement documentation, submit insurance bond and safety plans, communicate drug testing
protocols,):
 Occupancy & equipment needs required
A. H3 classification.
B. TDI dispensing tankand distribution system (closed).
C. Liquid chemical storage rooms.
D. Primary and secondary liquid containment pits.
E. Five wet labs with 100% make up air, nitrogen, compressed air,hot and cold lab water.
F. (12) 9’-0’ bench top exhaust hoods and ovens.
G. Burning and cooling rooms.
H. Main floor mechanical room.

2. I. Roof top mechanical room supporting3, 14,000 lb carbon absorbers.
J. Structural exhaust stack.
K. Two 25,000 cfm RTU lab make up plenums.
L. Office area, reception area, breakroom and toilet rooms.
M. Badging and card access needs
N. Alarm and paging system.
O. Fire suppression system
 Contact City of Plymouth and present tenant improvement design development drawings,
MSDS, proposed liquid and aggregate chemical amounts and usages.
 TDI (toluene diisocyanate),required special attention.Exposure to this product was harmful.The
client required a 600 gallon storage tank. It was decided to place this storage tankin its own
room and dispense product in a closed liquid piping system. This ingredient also reacted and
expanded when subjected to water soa dry or aggregate fire suppression system would be
required in this room.
 Address primary and secondary liquid containment issues in the TDI room. The City required
containment for thelargest standingvessel or tote within this room.To solve this problem, the
existing concretefloor slab was demolished, a 6’-0” x 6’-0” x 4’-0” deep cast in place concrete
containment pit (based on largest volume amount stored) with corrosion resistivegrating.The
rest of the floor slab in this room was sloped to the pit.The containment pit was also sealed with
an epoxy finish to avoid any possiblefuture soil contamination.
 A carbon scrubber system was required to filter process exhaust before being emitted. Three 16’-
0” x 8’-0” x 8’-0”, 14,000 lb. steel carbon absorbers wereengineered to accommodatethis process.
The carbon beds were required to be climatecontrolled in order to work effectively and each had
8 maintenanceportals on top that needed to be accessed frequently. This meant installingcarbon
filter vessels inside the building and erectinga penthouse (with open floor) above them.
 The existingroof structurewas not capableof supportinga penthouse and carbon filter assembly.
A concretefoundation and steel support structurewas tobe erected inside the building and
penetratethe existingroof membrane.The carbon absorbers weretobe placed on the structure
approximately 8’-0”above the concretefloor, leaving clear usablelab floor space below. The
penthouse was to be built directly aboveand sharethe load distribution.
 A 30’-0” x 20’-0” opening in the existing roof membranewas required. The existing roof support
bar joists in this area would need to be removed as well. The steel support structurewould also
be designed and erected to support the roof structureat theperimeter opening.
 Two 30’-0” long x 15’-0” wide, 25’000 cfm roof top unit plenums were to be placed on the roof.
This also required its own independent support structure.Additional footings, steel columns and
support beams were designed and erected from the floor below. The columns penetrated the roof
membraneand tied intoroof top unit support beams above.
2) Upon completion of the construction documents, theconstruction phasecommenced. The following
items denote needs, problems and resolutions addressed. (Action items:, , Coordinate pre-
construction walk-through, Generate construction schedule complete with critical path milestones,
Establish RFI and field bulletin documents and protocols, Attend weekly site meetings, Monitor
schedule and provide weekly status/budget reports, Coordinate start up and commissioning
procedures, Assist Cargill with end user group move-in, generate and conduct punch
list walk thru, revise final cost report and Attend lessons learned meeting, Coordinate specialty
equipment vendors):
 Mold was discovered behind the existingfurred out gypsum board wall and on the interior face
of the exterior wall.It was also discovered that thewall cavity had no form of insulation or vapor
barrior.Dan Caouette & Ken Seiler suggested that it would be best to hire a mold remediation

3. specialist to evaluatethe condition. After insurance estimates and insuranceadjustments were
generated and negotiations were conducted, the Landlord accepted to pay for thedamages.
 During construction of the Chemical Storage room, the client notified the architect that they
would be storingmore than the exempt amounts of liquid chemical than they originally stated.
This criteria was on record with theCity had to be revised. Primary and secondary containment,
increased air exchange and low point exhaust now needed to be re-addressed.To rectify this
problem, a change order was submitted by Dan Caouette to accommodate floor demolition, a 10’-
0” x 4’-0” x 4’-0” deep containment pit, increased fan sizing and additional exhaust ductwork.
 The carbon filters could not be put in position from within thebuilding. Forklift mast s would
conflict with existing roof bar joists.Two choices were discussed between Dan Caouette & Ken
Seiler, use a helicopter to fly the units into position or move the proposed filter locations and
penthouse close enough to the exterior wall to allow placement with a crane. The decision was
made to alter the plan and use a crane. Additional design and construction costs wereabsorbed
by engineering and construction budget dollars.
 The Mechanical engineer’s design called for a pre-engineered penthouse to be placed on top of
the carbon filter support structure.The product lead times werepushed out during construction,
affecting theschedule. Dan Caouette & Ken Seiler discussed alternatives which would not affect
schedule or cost. The decision was made to submit a change order to erect a conventionally
framed and insulated penthouse assembly.Open penthouse floor grating was incorporated to
access thetops of the carbon absorber port holes.Dan Caouette adjusted the cost estimateand
budget to reflect a cost deduction to the client.
 Cargill had hired theend user group prior to design. Many of the lab staff came from different
parts of the United States. The staff members were already on payroll and had nowhere to office.
They needed to be moved into the new facility as soon as possible.Dan Caouette & Ken Seiler
negotiated a temporary Occupancy Certificatefor the office portion of the facility with theCity
building official and Fire Marshal.The City approved the Certificateprovidingthe lab or lab
equipment was not in use and a twohour occupancy separation wall was complete and
inspection approved.