Advanced Roofing and Yerkes-South partner to provide re-roofing solutions to the United States Air Force

Keesler Air Force Base (AFB) suffered severe damage to the roofing systems of three of its buildings following a hurricane that came through the coastal city of Biloxi, Mississippi last year. Seeking a roofing company with an enterprise-wide acquisition for requirements for roof replacement, preventative maintenance, corrective repair, and inspection/testing services, the Air Force Business and Enterprise Systems put out a nationwide federal contract opportunity for Roofing Repair, Replacement and Maintenance (R3M) Multiple Award Contract Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (MAC IDIQ) where multiple contractors win a spot on the enterprise contract. Yerkes South/Advanced Roofing Joint Venture (YS-AR JV), an experienced federal, military, state, and local government contractor, competed for a spot on the Air Force shortlist for 8a contractors. They received a five-year contract with a minimum guarantee which allowed the firm to submit a proposal following a site visit. YS-AR JV’s combined team of professionals offers decades of experience specializing in roofing, solar, construction, renovation, and design-build. With 10 offices throughout Florida, the firm has performed extensive work throughout the eastern and southeastern United States. Work began in February of 2021 upon receiving the contract but experienced delays due to the nationwide materials shortage impacting the country, and weather.

Project Scope of Work

Keesler AFB was in need of new roofing systems for its 4331, 4705, and 2818 buildings. Two of the roofs are 14,000-square-feet, with the larger system being 28,000-square-feet on a 30-foot high building. They featured a concrete deck, 3” ISO, ½’’ perlite cover board, and 2-Ply Modified Bitumen, all in hot asphalt. The 10-person crew installed the three new roofing systems by first removing all roofing down to the structurally sloped concrete decks then primed the decks with asphalt primer. Two layers of Johns Manville (JM) 1.5’’ ISO 4×4 and JM ½’’ retro-fit board were installed in hot asphalt, along with 2-Ply JM DynaBase and JM DynaKap FR T1.

Overcoming Challenges During a Materials Shortage and COVID

As with most projects around the country, the unprecedented supply chain disruptions caused delays in completing the Keesler AFB project on time due to delays in receiving ISO insulation. The materials stopped arriving in mid-April due to bottlenecks in manufacturing, which delayed the commencement of work on the last building. Rolls of the modified membrane were available but JM-ISO 4×4 Insulation was the major factor in the delay as it would not arrive until June. The project also faced additional challenges due to weather, limited access to buildings due to COVID-19 restrictions, security, and logistical difficulties inherent to an out-of-state project. Since it was the rainy season in the South, the continuous rains caused a loss of 40 days of work, resulting in increased costs to extend employee housing. This was just part of the challenges the project faced, with the majority being the logistical challenges of being away from the headquarters in Florida. However, the team found that coordinating logistics provided a welcomed challenge that contributed to the overall success of the Keesler AFB project.

Focus on Safety

Safety is a top priority for both companies in this joint venture, so their combined commitment ensured a safe environment for the crew and AFB personnel. Since it was a government project, the crew was required to adhere to all COVID-19 requirements, which included no entry into buildings on the base, frequent use of handwashing stations, and mandatory face coverings. Daily fire permits were secured to safely use the roofing kettles. Although completion of the job was delayed until October, the new Keesler AFB roofing systems were completed with zero safety incidents and to the client’s specifications and satisfaction. The team says the pristine and meticulous hot tar roofs and receiving a zero punch list from the manufacturer were the most rewarding parts of the project. YS-AR JV is proud to have had the opportunity to provide a reliable and safe roofing system for our military.