Modular Building Info

With safety and security at the forefront, prisons and military bases need observational guard towers to monitor what goes on from day to day. These towers contribute to securing the premises, and are essential to the overall protection of the property.

Porta-King, a St. Louis-based manufacturer of pre-engineered structures has recently completed work on several customized guard towers for several prisons and military bases.

Porta-King’s, PK Structures, customized towers have been utilized along the perimeter of prison grounds, and to monitor range practice and fighter pilot training at a number of military bases. Porta-King has also completed similar guard tower projects for the FBI and local police departments.

For each job, Porta-King was able to provide detailed drawings for approval and on-site review prior to the fabrications of the towers. This design consultation service and installation is available anywhere in the U.S.

According to Porta-King Vice President Gregg Pearlstone, every guard tower is custom designed to meet the exact application specifications.

Another advantage that Porta-King can offer customers is the supply of prefabricated steel or anodized aluminum buildings to shelter personnel and the equipment on top of the observation tower. “As one of the largest manufacturers of prefabricated guard booths, we can supply a turn-key guard tower project. We take complete responsibility for the fit and finish of the entire project,” Pearlstone said.

The experts at Porta-King have designed pre-engineered structures for decades, and are happy to create a customized design plan to meet any specifications. Unlike many competitors’ systems, Porta-King’s PK Structures guard towers utilize a “truly” prefabricated design. All clips and angles used to assemble our towers are welded onto the appropriate structural steel components at our factory. This greatly enhances the on-site assembly time when compared to other similar structures.

Porta-King’s guard towers are constructed utilizing all steel components and can be painted with a durable polyurethane acrylic paint or an optional galvanized steel finish to resist corrosion. The structures are designed in strict compliance with the 2006 International Building Code, and will meet wind and seismic requirements for the area they will be installed.

Porta-King has been a leader in custom-designed prefabricated construction solutions since 1969. In addition to a full line of guard towers, Porta-King manufactures a wide variety of modular buildings used for interior applications such as in-plant offices, break rooms, conference rooms, computer rooms, equipment enclosures. They also provide preassembled buildings for use as guard booths, parking booths, smoking shelters, turnstile shelters and countless other exterior applications. Porta-King’s pre-fabricated building systems provide shelter, storage and security solutions for virtually any working environment. For more information, visit the company on-line at www.portaking.com or call 800-284-5346.

Companies needing to expand and organize their usable work space are “looking up” rather than “out” by installing premanufactured mezzanine structures. Mezzanine solutions give facilities the opportunity to expand quickly and affordably, with very little time or capital lost during the installation process. Businesses are also recognizing the opportunity to maximize their usable space without the hassles of on-site construction.

That’s exactly what happened in Orange County, NY when the Department of Public Works (DPW) was in search of a unique workspace solution. “They were looking for a way to take their existing garage and office space and utilize it to capacity without having to expand the building,” said Gregg Pearlstone, Porta-King vice president. “Since the facility houses an automotive center complete with road equipment, tools and tires, DPW needed an efficient, cost-effective way to utilize square footage to capacity. Our mezzanine proposal provided a custom solution that fit the bill for the client’s specific needs.”

According to Pearlstone, mezzanines are especially popular in warehouses and manufacturing facilities with high ceilings that allow for upward growth. “They give companies and government entities like DPW the opportunity to turn existing, unused ‘air’ space into a usable, secure environment for office expansion, production or storage,” he said.

In the case of DPW, the mezzanine unit provides a secure, safe storage area for tires with the inclusion of a specially adapted tire lift. “The key here being,” added Pearlstone, “that they now have the infrastructure in place to manage other related functions in the future including heavy equipment such as motors.”

Pearlstone indicated Porta-King’s pre-engineered mezzanines are designed with the customer’s schedule in mind, with an installation process up to 40% faster than competitive mezzanine systems.

Porta-King’s mezzanine products come with a number of unique features, including a single piece panelized guard rail system that installs directly onto the deck of the mezzanine, as well as fully pre-assembled stairs. Porta-King mezzanines feature pre-installed beam to column and purlin connections. The beam to column mezzanine connections are AISC Type 1 and Type 3.

In addition to the traditional indoor mezzanines, Porta-King also offers outdoor models for use as guard towers, observation towers and elevated platforms. All Porta-King mezzanines meet the 2006 compliance specifications of the International Building Code.

“We’re a solutions provider for our customers,” concluded Pearlstone. “From conception to application installation, our projects are solution-oriented and are custom designed to meet the specific needs and applications of the business at hand. From an economy of scale perspective, we also give business owners the opportunity to better utilize their square footage allocations without the high cost of new building construction or expansion.”

Porta-King has been a leader in prefabricated steel mezzanines since 1969. In addition to a full line of mezzanine systems and solutions, Porta-King manufactures pre-assembled buildings, steel and aluminum shelters and custom modular wall systems. Porta-King pre-fabricated buildings provide shelter, storage and security solutions for virtually any working environment. For more information, visit the company on-line www.portaking.com or call 800-284-5346.