VAA provided general arrangement, design of a new mill building, structural design and preparation of bid documents for the State owned ND Mill & Elevator facility. This was a substantial addition to the existing grain elevator and mill to provide additional capacity.
We acted as the Owner’s engineer in preparing documents for public bidding and the project was initially bid as a design/build project. Many of the general contractors in the Grand Forks area objected to this forum, due to the lack of perceived competition. The State was sensitive to natures of this matter and VAA was asked to revise the design so it could be bid out to general contractors.
Special care in the architectural design of the building was given for it to have a similar appearance to the existing facility, utilizing a special siding slightly different than that of a typical mill. The mill was well insulated to eliminate the possibility of condensation on the inside of the bins that may dampen the flour and create contamination.
Careful structural attention was given to the aerial bridge connecting the two structures at the top in order for it locate exactly where needed to connect to the existing facility.
