Modular Building Info

St. Louis based modular building manufacturer Porta-King has introduced a new line of pay shelters to keep parking patrons dry and keep automated machines up and running through bad weather. The rise in popularity of automated parking cashiers continues to change the landscape of the parking industry and is fueling a surge in pay shelter demand. Since most machines require patrons to exit their vehicle in order to pay, parking facility managers are seeing the importance of keeping customers comfortable, especially in inclement weather.

Parking industry professionals recognize that customers usually have a choice when choosing a place to park. This new line of shelters represents one of the changes managers are adopting to make their option more attractive. Rainy weather presents even more problems than patron comfort. When customers don’t have shelter, their money has the potential to get wet between the billfold and the machine. Wet bills can cause serious mechanical problems with the attendant machines.

In addition to protection from the elements, parking patrons also enjoy the safety of visibility with Porta-King shelters. Units can be equipped with conventionally wired or solar powered lighting systems. Dusk to dawn lighting is also available and exterior lights can be added for improved visibility. Standard tempered glass windows in all walls allow light into the shelter while providing better visibility for patrons while making transactions. This gives customer’s a view of the inside and outside of the shelter at all times.

The company’s new line of pay shelters is ideal for a variety of applications, including airports, universities, municipalities and all pre-pay parking facilities. Many credit the superior aesthetics of the shelters as a key characteristic in their versatility. The shelters are constructed of a 2” x 2” x 11-gauge welded steel tubing, and feature tempered safety glass, with the option of acrylic and tinted glazing. The buildings can be equipped with heat for added customer comfort. All Porta-King buildings ship fully assembled and completely pre-wired.

Porta-King has been a leader in custom-designed shelters since 1969. In addition to exterior shelters, Porta-King manufactures pre-fabricated buildings, a full line of modular wall systems and enclosures and structural mezzanines. Porta-King buildings provide shelter and storage solutions for virtually any working environment. For more information, visit www.portaking.com or call 800-284-5346.

In the wake of 9/11, U.S. airports identified the need to make significant changes not only to the way they conducted passenger screening and onsite security, but also to the way airports were designed and built.  Preassembled and modular structures became pivotal parts of the immediate redesign efforts, and remain so as airports now look at long term expansion and remodeling design.  The biggest reason is simple- versatility.

Traditional construction is centered on creating something permanent that will be fixed in one orientation, in one location until it is torn down.  Modular and pre-assembled buildings are attractive to airports because they can be moved as their use or the design footprint of the airport changes.

Porta-King is one of the nation’s leading providers of prefabricated building solutions for airports.  The company has provided building solutions for international airports like O’Hare in Chicago, JFK in New York and Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta, as well as smaller regional airports.

Porta-King’s airport projects have implemented a wide variety of their prefabricated building products.  These structures are used for a wide range of applications including: parking revenue control, security, airport shuttle shelters, outdoor smoking shelters, rental car agency offices, garage offices, baggage screening shelters, pay and display shelters, ticket kiosks and office partitions.

Airport managers have put the safety of passengers, personnel and equipment at the top of their priority list. They’ve identified products like ours as both an immediate and long term solution for providing the necessary protection.

Porta-King has been a leader in custom-designed shelters since 1969.  In addition to exterior shelters, Porta-King manufactures pre-fabricated buildings, a full line of modular wall systems and enclosures and structural mezzanines.  Porta-King buildings provide shelter and storage solutions for virtually any working environment.  For more information, visit www.portaking.com or call 800-284-5346. 

On a recent clean room project for a pharmaceutical manufacturer in Indiana, the customer wanted to use Porta-King’s Versa-King modular wall system, but they didn’t want to have the ledge at each window where dust could collect.  The standard arrangement on the Porta-King system has a flush-mounted window on one side, but the other side normally is inset from the wall surface by a couple of inches.  Porta-King custom designed a second pane with frame that permitted flush mounted window on both sides of the wall panels, eliminating the ledge where dust could collect.  Due to the customer’s stringent cleanliness requirements, both windows were sealed with silicone caulk all around, to assure that no dust could penetrate.  As a side note, this customer also required the use of FRP (fiberglass reinforced plastic) wall panel materials on both sides of the panel for durability and cleanability.  After three months use, the customer is very happy with the results, and has ordered additional areas built to the same specification.

The Client:

Camcraft, based in Hanover Park, IL, is a manufacturer of high-end automotive and hydraulic components. According to the company, its niche is in highly engineered components and assemblies on state-of-the-art and emerging technologies.

The Client’s Need:
After adding 28,000 square feet to its facility, Camcraft needed a fast, cost-efficient solution of installing offices throughout its manufacturing floor. Camcraft required the four offices in order to fulfill three criteria:

 Performance usage: to promote an optimal working environment for Camcraft employees.

 Engineering usage: to provide facilities for Camcraft’s manufacturing processes.

 Quality control labs usage: to create controlled environments in laboratories.

Classic Modular Systems, a Naperville, IL-based distributor of modular office and plant environments, recommended Porta-King’s Versa-King system to Camcraft, based on the units’ quality and affordability.

How Porta-King Helped
In January and February 2006, Camcraft installed four 3” Versa-King units by Porta-King to create the foreman’s office and three quality control labs. This load-bearing model creates a controlled environment for production use, as well as provides shelter for Camcraft’s expensive inspections equipment. One Versa-King unit also encloses the bead blast room- where glass beads are sprayed onto components- which prevents dust from entering the manufacturing floor.

Due to the versatility of the Versa-King, Camcraft is able to increase or decrease the units’ sizes according to future needs. Camcraft can easily add, modify or remove electrical and other wiring as needed. The R-13 insulation rating of the wall panels’ solid polystyrene core also provides an excellent sound barrier between the labs, office and manufacturing floor. 

The Results
The Versa-King units manufactured by Porta-King accomplished several important things for Camcraft:

 The company now uses three quality control labs for in-process inspections, which occur during the manufacturing process.

 These special facilities maintain Camcraft’s highly controlled environment.

 The Versa-King units facilitate superior plant supervision by providing Camcraft’s foreman with an office on the manufacturing floor.

Porta-King has been a leader in custom-designed, prefabricated buildings since 1969. The company manufacturers a full line of modular wall systems and enclosures, including single and two-story designs, as well as structural steel mezzanines, preassembled exterior buildings and shelters. For more information, visit www.portaking.com or call 800-284-5346.

ST. LOUIS, MO— From parking lots to government buildings to Fortune 500 companies, many industries use Porta-King’s Durasteel shelters to enclose their turnstiles and protect equipment from inclement weather.  Not only do these shelters protect sensitive equipment from the elements, but they also heighten security.
“Porta-King’s shelters protect sensitive keycard readers and access control equipment from the weather while adding an extra level of security at nearly any facility,” said Gregg Pearlstone, Vice President at Porta-King.  “These shelters can prevent trespassers from climbing turnstiles in order to gain access into secured areas.”
Many facilities install Durasteel shelters near their guard booths, allowing security personnel to constantly supervise people passing through secured areas.  During long security checkpoints, Durasteel shelters also protect employees and customers from the weather.  Since these shelters are shipped fully assembled, installation is quick and cost-efficient.  If clients require installation service, Porta-King offers a nationwide network of factory authorized contractors who can provide turn-key installation services.  All shelter models include an industrial grade acrylic enamel paint finish, bituminous coating on structural support tubes and anchoring plates, factory-installed roofs with gutters and standard glazing of 3/16” tempered safety glass.
Shelters are available in designs with two, three or four walls, and with flat or domed roofs.  Options for Porta-King shelters include interior and exterior lighting to improve nighttime visibility, polycarbonate or Plexiglas to prevent breakage and turnkey project design and installation.
Porta-King has been a leader in custom-designed shelters since 1969. In addition to its exterior shelters, Porta-King also manufacturers pre-fabricated buildings for guard booths and many other exterior applications. Porta-King also offers a full line of modular wall systems and enclosures including single and two-story designs, as well as structural steel mezzanines used for storage, production and elevated office space. Porta-King buildings provide shelter and storage solutions for virtually any working environment. For more information, visit www.portaking.com or call 800-284-5346.

Porta-King has Solutions for Congested Ports

Multi-purpose Buildings Increase Security and Maximize Limited Space
ST. LOUIS, MO— According to the American Association of Port Authorities, over the next 15 years the amount of cargo handled by U.S. ports will double to 4 billion tons per year, partly due to outsourcing. This challenges the maritime industry because ports are already understaffed and receive less than 10% funding from the Transportation Security Administration’s annual budget, despite the threat of maritime terrorism. As more employees and security equipment are needed, more buildings are required.
 

Although assembled buildings have been used at ports for a long time, their purposes keep expanding as they accommodate new security measures and technological equipment.
 

Gregg Pearlstone, Vice President at Porta-King, notes that assembled buildings are no longer just traditional guard booths but are complex and electronically-integrated building systems.
 

“At Porta-King, we are constructing buildings that serve as freestanding data centers, security and truck checkpoints and even kennels for guard dogs,” said Pearlstone.
 

According to Porta-King, many ports are adding state-of-the-art options to their buildings to make them more secure and technologically integrated. Popular features include bullet-proof construction, shelves and cabinets for security equipment, intercom systems, data ports, climate control, service sinks and dimming lights. Porta-King structures can also feature lighting packages for increased security and can include roll-down shutters for hurricane protection. Porta-King buildings can be made corrosion-resistant by using aluminum and special paint.
 

As maritime traffic becomes even more congested, Pearlstone believes that Porta-King buildings are ideal because of their mobility and effective space management.
 

“Since American ports are so busy and have limited space, Porta-King buildings are necessary because they can easily be moved around ports,” said Pearlstone.
Porta-King has been a leader in custom-designed, pre-assembled buildings since 1969. In addition to its exterior pre-assembled buildings, Porta-King offers a full line of modular implant offices in single or two-story designs, as well as structural steel mezzanines used for storage, production and elevated office space. Porta-King buildings provide shelter and storage solutions for virtually any working environment.