Gerdau Ameristeel is the second largest minimill steel producer in North America, with a number of minimills, scrap recycling facilities and downstream operations serving customers throughout the United States and Canada.
The company recently undertook a major capital project to expand its Jacksonville Steel Mill, to add approximately 400,000 tons to the rolling mill, and matching the facility’s expanded melting capacity of more than 1,000,000 tons.
After a successful project providing a ventilation solution for its process area, Gerdau again called in Colt’s partner Moffitt to find a ventilation solution for the coil handling area of the plant.
The handling area sits directly next to the process area, connected by an open wall through which the coils travel, and it gets very hot as the newly formed coils can reach temperatures of over 1700°F (900°C).
The facility had been using cooling fans in an attempt to push the heat off the coils and away from the workers. The extremely high temperatures and the constant nature of the heat, meant that this did little to help the workers feel more comfortable.
Moffitt proposed a scheme of three Labyrinth natural ventilators instead. These vents would allow for a greater volume of air to move more quickly through the facility and enable the hot air to escape the work space without getting trapped. With its turn-key service, Moffitt helped let the building breathe and made a cooler and more comfortable environment for the plant personnel.
