Process
Our Industrial Facility Expansion Process
Industrial facility expansion projects in Irving follow a sequence shaped by the structural tie-in engineering, the occupied-facility operational requirements, and the City of Irving permit process for building additions. The steps below reflect how we manage that sequence for manufacturing and distribution facility clients in the Irving industrial corridor.
Step
Existing facility assessment and addition scope definition
We begin industrial expansion projects with a field investigation of the existing building's foundation system, structural framing, MEP distribution, and fire protection system. The structural investigation confirms how the existing building will interact with the addition at the shared wall and identifies any existing foundation conditions — settlement, pier capacity limitations, or existing slab damage — that must be addressed before the addition is designed. The MEP investigation identifies the capacity of the existing electrical service, compressed air system, and fire protection main to determine whether the existing systems can be extended to the addition or whether new infrastructure is required.
Step
Structural engineering coordination for addition tie-in
The structural engineer of record for the addition must review the existing building's original structural drawings — or perform a structural investigation if original drawings are not available — to design the tie-in connection between the new tilt-wall panels and the existing structure. The tie-in design accounts for the differential settlement that may have occurred in the existing building since original construction, the Blackland Prairie clay's ongoing seasonal movement at the addition site, and the wind load transfer path between the new addition and the existing building. We coordinate the structural engineer's investigation and design process during preconstruction before the building permit is submitted.
Step
City of Irving permit and fire marshal coordination
Industrial building additions in Irving require a City of Irving building permit that includes a code compliance analysis for the combined existing building plus addition. The addition scope may trigger fire sprinkler system upgrades for the entire building if the combined square footage or occupancy classification changes under the adopted fire code. We coordinate a pre-submittal meeting with the City of Irving Fire Marshal's office to confirm the sprinkler system upgrade requirements before the permit submission is prepared, avoiding the discovery of additional scope at the first comment letter stage.
Step
Foundation and tilt-wall addition construction
Tilt-wall addition construction begins with the drilled pier foundation for the addition in the area adjacent to the existing building. The temporary construction barrier between the existing facility and the addition construction zone is installed before demolition of the existing building's exterior wall begins — in a tilt-wall addition, the existing exterior wall in the shared area is typically removed after the new addition panels are erected and the roof framing is complete. Temporary weather protection covers the open wall area during the transition. The existing building's sprinkler system is maintained in service with a temporary cap during the transition.
Step
MEP expansion, commissioning, and operational handoff
MEP expansion for the addition is installed after the addition structure is enclosed. Oncor electrical service upgrade — including new transformer and panel installation — is coordinated to align with the addition's commissioning schedule. Sprinkler system expansion to the addition is installed and pressure tested, and the hydraulic calculations for the combined system are reviewed by the fire marshal before the system is accepted. The addition is commissioned and turned over to the facility's operations team in a planned sequence that allows operations to expand into the new space without a complete shutdown of the existing facility.
