In February 2023, Varco Pruden and VP Builder Lemartec, a MasTec Company, completed the expansion of PortMiami’s 471,500-square-foot Cruise Terminal F, a large-scale retrofit project requiring continuous operations, structural changes, and unification of multiple roofs.
Unique features require creative thinking and flexible teamwork
When Florida-based builder Lemartec was awarded the expansion contract for PortMiami’s Cruise Terminal F expansion, James Partridge, Estimating Manager at Lemartec, knew instantly this project needed to be designed and executed with precision and total synchronicity between parts and players.
With so many rare and extraordinary conditions, the Lemartec and Varco Pruden teams got to work quickly. This meant aligning on approaches and using years of experience to figure out solutions to unique issues.
The enhanced terminal needed to reflect a modern character and identity and provide Carnival Cruise Line guests with an expanded space designed to enrich the customer experience. At its core, the terminal had to be functional, beautiful, and operational.
The design-build challenge was threefold. To integrate with existing structure. To complete the expansion during COVID. And, to remain fully functional throughout the process.
Innovative solutions provide immediate benefit and long-term functionality
“This was a complex project that demanded fully integrating teams, technology and A&D expertise,” says Partridge. “To complete the multiple ridgelines and rolling wave blue roof profile we had to creatively combine innovative engineering approaches and superior manufacturing.”
This meant creating a continuous and undulating metal roof that could withstand the toughest weather conditions while being unique and elegant when viewed from above, from the ship and street level, recounts Partridge. These components needed to have their own presence but integrate seamlessly with the terminal entrance, bus canopies, and existing tropical landscape.
“This build was really about integrating three different buildings to look like one, cohesive structure,” says Partridge. He recalls the unique challenge of having to build up both sides of the roof with steel and then having to match up all three roofs to make it appear as one building, when in fact, it was three side-by-side buildings.
“But, we did it, our teams did it, we locked it up and we made it so distinct with the blue coating,” Partridge recounts.
This is the first building in South Florida to have the SSR™ Standing Seam Roof System installed vertically. The unusual shape of the building is accented by a white SSR panel stripe at the north side of the roof for the entire length of the building, along with a bright red LED stripe seen at night.
Award Winning Design Build
Honoring the design vision of this project was at the forefront of the team’s objective which meant that outside-the-box thinking and alternate solutions had to be considered to realize the design specifications.
For example, Partridge recalls having to seek out flat stock and have it custom-shaped in order to meet the design specifications for the project. This, in addition to ensuring the roof met all installation guidelines with state approval for high-velocity hurricanes.
It was this kind of dedication and commitment to design and build excellence that garnered the attention of the Metal Building Contractors and Erectors Association and earned Lemartec the 2023 Building of the Year.
“This build was the ultimate retrofit, it had it all – a combination of brand new buildings, modifications of and attachments to existing buildings, optimization of operational flows, and exterior canopies,” says Ryan Hill, President of Varco Pruden Buildings. “We are so proud of our partners at Lemartec and were thrilled to work with them on this mammoth and high-visibility project.”
Lemartec is a national General Contractor/Construction Management Firm, and MasTec’s vertical construction arm. As a MasTec company, Lemartec maintains international capabilities and strategic partnerships throughout the Americas and the Caribbean to service the most complex of projects within the industries they serve, including industrial, aviation, power, and large commercial.
Varco Pruden offers endless opportunities for pre-engineered metal construction. If your business needs to expand your current building or needs a new building, speak with a VP builder about how a steel building from Varco Pruden can be your solution.
