An Important Job for Brandt

The jail redevelopment project was a perfect fit for the Brandt Companies, a design-build contractor based in Carrollton, Texas, near Dallas. This would be the first design-build jail project ever completed in Texas, and the Brandt team was excited to take that on.

Still, there was even more to it. The correctional facility is an important community asset and Brandt would have a unique opportunity to help enhance public safety and support inmate rehabilitation.

Community has always been a major piece of Brandt’s mission. Since it’s founding in 1952, the company has made numerous commitments, both through its contracting work and volunteer spirit. Over the past decade, Brandt has forged a major partnership with Special Olympics Texas, which provides year-round training and competitions for children and adults with disabilities.

“Our company is passionate about providing opportunities for our state and local community,” said Chad Salge , vice president of Virtual Design and Engineering at Brandt. “The Rockwall County Correctional Facility seeks to rehabilitate and reintegrate inmates back into the community, and that had a lot of significance for our team. Projects like the correctional facility and our support for Special Olympics, they’re all part of our efforts to build community.”

The Unique Challenges of Building a Jail

The correctional facility upgrade was spearheaded by Rockwall County Commissioner Dennis Bailey . The owner’s representative, Broaddus, selected the general contractor, design-build team Adolfson and Peterson, and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing contractor, Brandt.

"We asked Brandt early on to come in and be kind of a multi-contractor," said Bailey. "They handled the HVAC but also the plumbing and a lot of other issues."

The detention facility offered a new challenge for Brandt. First, equipment had to be both effective and tamper-proof, ensuring no pieces could be used for self-harm or to hide weapons. Also, because inmates are not allowed to freely leave during an emergency, the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) has strict rules on removing smoke and other agents from the building.

"A jail is certainly not a simple place to build," said Bailey. "You've got the state overseeing everything you're doing, and you have to get approvals before you even get into the building."

Still, Brandt's decades of experience as a design-build contractor, and internal expertise in both correctional facilities and state requirements, helped the company anticipate what was needed to complete the facility and gain TCJS approval.

"We knew the challenges inherent to this type of project, the security aspects and how you build things," said Scott McMillan, Senior Mechanical Engineer at Brandt. "We definitely had to do things differently, down to the grilles, security bars, and ductwork. It all points back to security and life safety, which made it a really unique project."

The Smoke Test

Perhaps the greatest challenge was ensuring the systems detected and removed smoke within the state’s very stringent requirements. TCJS guidelines are clear about how the equipment and controls must operate during a smoke event, and the Brandt engineering and commissioning teams worked hard to get it right.

The team worked closely with the fire alarm installer and Trane to help improve the sequence of operation, which was critical to the project’s success. As they encountered problems during months of preliminary testing, the team would make the necessary adjustments and test again. This ongoing process continued until it produced repeatable results.

"We spent months trying to find ways to break the system," said McMillan. "We were lighting smoke candles in buckets in different parts of the room, trying to find ways we could fail the system. The rules are quite strict: we have 60 seconds to detect the smoke and 15 minutes to clear it. If we can't do that, we don’t pass the test, and we can't occupy the building."

For the Brandt team, Trane was the obvious choice for equipment and controls because they shared a determination to deliver great results regardless of the challenges. Because it was a design-build job, they wanted all systems to be fully-integrated and thoroughly tested, and having collaborators with that same attitude was critical. In addition, Brandt’s experience with Trane’s team on similar projects inspired tremendous confidence.

"It was very intentional that we wanted to work with Trane," said McMillan. "Trane has great resources on the controls side and smoke control projects, in particular. Ultimately, Trane delivered and was instrumental in the success of this job."

The TCJS final inspection and testing was challenging. All parties were on site to troubleshoot problems. It is not uncommon, despite months of testing and commissioning, for the team to hit a snag during the final tests. "The team anticipated what the inspector’s questions were going to be and had the manpower to fix all the problems before they left," said Bailey. "It was a great team effort."

TCJS had planned to be at Rockwall for several days but, with the rigorous effort from all participants, wrapped everything up in one (long) day.

For their hard and diligent work on the jail, Brandt was recently awarded the TEXO Distinguished Building Award and an Associated General Contractors Texas Building Branch Award.

A New Detention Facility

Jails are unique facilities because there are people inside trying to break things. Since the facility opened, there have been a few incidents – someone tried to remove the plates on the intercom system – but overall, the facility has worked out well.

"Anytime you get into a new facility, you're going to have a little bit better sense of ownership and morale," said Garrett. "Instead of being in an old, dank, dark place, with a lot of maintenance issues, we have this nicer, larger space, which helps us do our jobs."

Even though the facility has been open for nearly two years, that doesn't mean the project is over for Brandt. The company is committed to maintaining the detention center long into the future.

"We want to serve the client through the project's entire life cycle," said Salge. "For the Rockwall correctional facility, we design, build and maintain it. And then, further down the line, when they need additional renovations, we have all the historical IP to serve them."