Acousti

Gulf Power Company is a Pensacola-based, investor-owned electric utility company with a service territory that spans 10 counties and 71 towns in the northwest portion of Florida. Serving nearly half a million individuals; Gulf Power provides for the electrical needs of those in its area while maintaining a community-oriented company through service projects such as Habitat for Humanity that give back its customers. When Gulf Power began to draw up plans for a new training facility, Acousti Engineering realized that this was a job we wanted to be involved in.

Completed in April 2014, the Gulf Power Training Center was a new ground-up construction project to create a pleasant and aesthetically pleasing location for Gulf Power to train new and current employees. To meet the unique specs of this project, Acousti installed 20,000 square feet of luxury vinyl tile flooring, 7,500 square feet of carpet tile, 3,600 square feet of ceramic tile and ceramic wall tile, 4,000 square feet of athletic flooring, as well as over 22,000 square feet of specialty and acoustical ceilings.

Breaking ground on March 22, 2010, the Nashville Music City Center is a landmark one-of-a-kind convention center built to serve the greater Nashville community and to provide a prominent hub for visitors touring "Music City, USA." The building sits on a sixteen acre site and features a 350,000 SF exhibit hall, a 57,000 SF grand ballroom, 90,000 SF of meeting room space, 32 loading docks, and parking for 1,800 vehicles. The building also features a 360,000 gallon retention tank for run off water used to irrigate the building's exterior landscaping and four acre green roof as well as its plumbing needs.

One of the building's unique features is the exterior, undulating soffit assembly or “eyebrow”, around the building perimeter, that varies in width up to 60 ft. and is 150 ft. above exterior grade. Exterior ceilings on the eyebrow were installed off of 150 ft. booms with leveling mats; over an exterior ‘belly wall’ ceiling that had to be installed off a suspended quick deck cantilever system. This feature was one of the biggest trials for the ceiling the installation team. The metal panels forming the soffit had to create a curved surface in two directions requiring strict tolerances for hangers and panels to avoid excessive twisting and oil-canning of the panels. The curvilinear ceilings inside the entrance were designed to follow the same lines as the exterior eyebrow, another beautiful but challenging installation.

Moving to the grand ballroom the architect designed a one-of-a-kind aluminum panel ceiling system, with real wood veneered onto it, which curves downward as it approaches the walls and continues vertically downward to match up with wood wall panels being installed by the millwork subcontractor. Installation of the 40 ft. high ceiling was complicated and required construction of a 90 ft. x 90 ft. rolling scaffold tower in order to erect it.

Coordinating structure, infrastructure, and finishes for this project was a monumental task. Hundreds of hours were spent creating BIM models of the finishes and interfaces of ceilings and walls. Many on-site coordination meetings were held to review build conditions and make modifications to improve appearance and/or ease of installation. Even so, structural and MEP conflicts in the main lobby required scan analysis and subsequent re-engineering and field modifications to provide required clearances and to align wall and ceiling reveals.

Acousti's main role in the project was to provide and install acoustical and custom metal ceiling and wall panels, for the interior and exterior of this 2.1 million square foot project. Because many of the ceilings/walls are undulating in three dimensions, one of our largest responsibilities was customizing the support systems to create curved surfaces from flat panels. Coordination with all other trades was also highly demanding since the custom ceilings/walls were at heights varying from twenty to one hundred and fifty feet. One significant test was the acquisition of custom materials in a timely manner. Also, since a large percentage of the panels were 'one of' units, there was a lot of mis-manufacturing. Much of our work was modifying panels in field to make them fit so we did not have to wait for new ones to be made.

Acousti surpassed rigorous engineering needs behind complex geometries and unimaginable heights to make Music City Center's guitar shaped appearance distinguish itself from all other convention centers in the country. We installed approximately 150,000 square feet of exterior metal panels with woodgrain laminate on curved soffits mimicking the rolling Tennessee hills one hundred and fifty feet above grade. Behind every metal pan and acoustical ceiling, there was an engineered calculation accounting for wind uplift to maintain structural integrity and provide a safe ceiling system, none of which could have been done without Acousti's longstanding expertise. Having worked on many mega-projects in the past, we had the management team and skilled mechanics to complete whatever work as required and had the necessary bonding capacity and financial strength to complete the job. Other hurdles faced on this project included extended lead times for custom made materials, constant out-of-sequence work, and factoring for temperature extremes. Coordinating the multiple design colors, materials, geometries involving acoustical products, wood veneer on aluminum, Serante veneer on aluminum, and painted steel coil, all mimicking real wood, also had its own challenges. Nashville Music City Center is opened early 2013, and the convention center will stand as a point of pride for both the city it serves as well as Acousti's accomplishments to date. Sector: Convention Centers

GC: Bell/Clark and Harmony Joint Venture

Architect: Thompson, Ventulett, and Stainback Associates (Atlanta, GA); Moody Nolan, Inc.

Work: Exterior Linear Metal Ceiling, Cherry Grain, Painted 150,000 sfInterior Linear Metal Ceiling, Cherry Grain, Painted 45,000 sfStained Beech Laminated to Linear Metal Ceiling 40,000 sfStained Beech Laminated to Metal Wall Panels 10,000 sfStained Beech Laminated to Custom Formed Ceiling and Wall Panels 60,000 sfBarz Ceiling Panels 60,000 sf Standard Acoustical Ceiling 420,000 sf

During the kickoff meeting Messer Construction stated that they were looking for options to enclose the skylight area in the front of the building along the windows. Acousti immediately sent electronic data pages the same day with three different options; including price comparisons. Of the three options we presented, one was a real wood linear system and the other two options were different Hunter Douglas metal ceiling systems. The customer ultimately selected a metal ceiling system for fire rating reasons and a complete submittal package was sent to the architect for review which included electronic shop drawings.

Acousti’s greatest challenge on this particular project was access to the ceilings due to both their height and needing to maneuver around the monumental staircase built to access the third floor. Acousti along with six other contractors decided to have a scaffold built over the staircase to achieve the utmost safety for our crews. This stationary scaffold allowed free access to the requisite height so that all scopes of work could be accomplished in both a safe and timely manner.

Acousti is very proud of its achievements on this project. Ultimately we are very pleased that: 1)We managed to provide a safe work environment for our employees in an otherwise hazardous area. 2) We played a large role in assisting with the design of the project thanks to our expertise with interior construction systems. 3) We completed the project in a timely manner and on-budget in order to best meet the needs of our client.

Sector: Education

GC: Messer Construction

Architect: Moody Nolan, Inc.

Acousti Engineering Company of Florida recently had the honor of being featured in Walls & Ceilings Magazine, both for our advancements in the industry and for our recent project at Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL.

The article not only focuses on Acousti’s history, achievements in our 70 years in business, and industry leading manufacturers; but also on of our more recent contracts, the Florida State University Champions Club seating at the fourth level in this stadium renovation project.

Ceiling Systems Installed in FSU

For this project, Acousti supplied and installed specialty metal ceilings manufactured by one of our trusted manufacturers, Hunter Douglas Architectural. The ceilings consist of 300C Metal Linear Plank Ceilings, High Profile Series Beams and Tavola Beams in the main lounge and restaurant areas.

Two of Hunter Douglas’ Beams and Baffle products were utilized for this project. High Profile Series extruded aluminum beams were used to frame the bays, while Tavola light gauge aluminum beams were used for the infill beams. This combination allowed for cost economies and enabled a lightweight (“down weighted”) assembly.  The finish selected for the college was our decorated powder coat wood-look, Swamp Cypress.

Acousti is proud to have worked on this project with all of the parties involved, including our longtime friend and supplier, Hunter Douglas. Ron Rice, Hunter Douglas’ General Manager, Ceilings and Walls, was kind enough to say the following of us, “The knowledge, expertise and craftsmanship they exhibit with all product types furnished and installed is exemplary.”

You can read the full, featured article in the September 2016 issue of Walls & Ceilings Magazine here: http://www.wconline.com/articles/90374-acousti-engineering-co-installs-high-end-ceiling-system-at-florida-state-university

Acoustics are an important part of designing many types of spaces including music halls, hospitals, malls and more. During Acousti Engineering Company of Florida’s 65+ years of service, we have been a part of many challenging and rewarding college and training center projects including Edison State College, Florida State University, Tidewater Community College, Manatee Technical Institute, and Meharry Medical College. The acoustics for a school or classroom can be very technical, but also stylish and intriguing.

Featured College Acoustic Project: Meharry Medical College

In this project, Acousti was tasked with enclosing the skylight area in the front of the building along the windows. Of the three options presented, one was a real wood linear system and the other two options were different Hunter Douglas metal ceiling systems; the customer ultimately selected a metal ceiling system for fire rating reasons.A complete submittal package was then sent to the architect for review, which included electronic shop drawings.

One of the biggest challenges for this project was gaining access to the ceilings due to both the height and limited maneuverability due to the monumental staircase built to access the third floor. Ultimately, Acousti along with six other contractors, decided to have a scaffold built over the staircase to achieve the utmost safety for the crews. This stationary scaffold allowed free access to the requisite height so that all scopes of work could be accomplished in both a safe and timely manner. During this project Acousti Engineering Company of Florida was able to:

Provide a safe work environment for our employees in an otherwise hazardous area.

Assist with the design of the project thanks to our expertise with interior construction systems

Complete the project in a timely manner and on budget.

For over 65 years, Acousti Engineering Company of Florida and its offices throughout the Southeastern United States have been the industry leader on interior construction systems, providing first class service to contractors, architects, and end users alike. Our skill, experience, leadership, and unparalleled commitment to exceptional quality and detail make us the premier choice within the industry.We provide solutions to all your construction needs from pricing and budgeting all the way to management and implementation.

Good acoustics play a significant role in the effectiveness of instructional and educational spaces. Classrooms with excessive noise reverberation make it difficult for students to understand what is being taught. This is especially true for children with learning disabilities who have a far more difficult time paying attention to their teacher, which is neither good for the student nor the rest of the class. According to a recent paper issued by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) along with representatives from the acoustics industry, the optimal Reverberation Time (RT 60) for a classroom is .5 seconds (in the speech intelligibility range). Tips for Soundproofing a Classroom:

Install absorption materials on the rear wall, opposite the instructor. Covering them with reflective surfaces causes too much reverb.

Add acoustical treatments to the rear ceiling area. Remember to keep the front ceiling to midway reflectivity to help with the projection of the instructor or teacher’s voice.  

In order to reach the suggested reverberation time of .5 seconds, you may need to add additional acoustical treatments to the upper side walls or walls opposite windows.

When soundproofing a classroom, these guidelines will greatly increase the students’ ability to understand the instructor and create an enhanced learning environment. Acousti Engineering Company of Florida has had the opportunity to work with many educational centers over our 46 years in business. One of the projects we completed utilizing this acoustical technology to augment education was for Manatee Technical Institute in Bradenton, FL. The two-story, state-of-the-art $44 million facility, boasts 210,000 square feet of space for about a dozen academic programs, including architecture and construction, culinary arts, manufacturing, information technology, hospitality, healthcare, tourism, and more. Acousti was the

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acoustical wall

take great pride in the fact that before computer access floors were commonplace, we were responsible for the Saturn project’s flooring system at Cape Canaveral, Florida, the largest installation in the world at that time. Though the Saturn project has long since passed, our expertise in computer and access floor systems has only grown. We provide steel, wood-core, or aluminum panel solutions pedestal-mounted to conceal air ducts, wiring, piping, or other items underneath the floor without compromising accessibility for our clients’ computer and access floor systems needs.

Our 20 locations are here to serve you, conveniently located in major locations all across the Southeast. We provide solutions to all your construction needs from pricing and budgeting all the way to management and implementation. We have four core business areas serviced by our over 1,500 employees: Ceilings, Floors, Walls, and Specialty Construction. Our other specialties include, but are not limited to:

Suspended Acoustical Ceilings - Commercial, Educational, Institutional and Industrial applications.

Partitions - Demountables, Drywall, Whisper Walls, Prepanelized and Modular systems.

Flooring - Carpet, Resilient, Ceramic, Stone, Sheet Goods, and Wood.

Access Flooring Systems - Building Platform Technologies and Raised Computer Flooring.

Specialty Systems - Clean Rooms, Hospital Walls, and Folding Walls and Partitions.

Suspended Acoustical Ceilings - Commercial, Educational, Institutional and Industrial applications.

Partitions - Demountables, Drywall, Whisper Walls, Prepanelized and Modular systems.

Flooring - Carpet, Resilient, Ceramic, Stone, Sheet Goods, and Wood.

Access Flooring Systems - Building Platform Technologies and Raised Computer Flooring.

Specialty Systems - Clean Rooms, Hospital Walls, and Folding Walls and Partitions.

Since the advent of acoustical ceiling and wall technology, Acousti has proven itself to be a leader in the industry offering a wide array of acoustical ceilings, specialty ceilings, and wall solutions to our customers and installing millions of square feet of suspended acoustical ceilings annually in commercial, educational, institutional, and industrial settings. We also offer comprehensive ceilings solutions to our clients with materials that range from basic 2’ x 4’ exposed grid and lay-in ceiling panels to intricate metal, linear, wood, and custom integrated systems featuring full control and distribution of acoustics, air-conditioning, lighting, and fire-rated ceilings. Our services include all major ceilings manufacturers and product lines as well as many other specialty and boutique lines, including acoustical wall panel systems custom-fitted to almost any configuration utilizing the widest selection of fabrics, art work and materials.

We currently have relationships with Armstrong, Johns Manville, Whisper Wall, Sound Concepts, Decoustics, Hunter Douglas, CertainTeed Ceilings Corporation, Chicago Metallic, Ceilings Plus, and USG on all ceilings solutions.