When Hurricane Ike roared through the Caribbean during the early morning of September 7, 2008, the Category 4 storm destroyed 80% of homes on the main islands of the Turks and Caicos, according to the Associated Press. But Kingspan ASI’s first 1000 Series Standing Seam Roof System remained intact as winds estimated at 120 mph tore through the project site.

Provo Power Company (PPC), which services all of the Turks and Caicos, hired a team to construct three buildings to house generators on the island of Providenciales. Kingspan ASI is playing a key role in the process, providing durable products and valuable knowledge. “We ran calculations for the wall and roof panel design based on 150 mph winds,” explains Don Drogowski, an engineer with Kingspan ASI. Nearly 30,000 square feet of Kingspan ASI metal panels were specified for the design of the PPC project.

When Hurricane Ike started moving toward the Turks and Caicos, the team quickly completed as much of the first building as possible. “There wasn’t enough time to properly seal the roof, and only three walls had been installed,” recalls Scott Cole, a supervisor with Griffin Insulation. “We created a temporary fourth wall before the storm hit and hoped for the best.”

Despite damage to a large vent, all the metal panels on the partially-completed building managed to withstand the dangerous winds of Hurricane Ike. “When the building was inspected, none of the panel components displayed any signs of damage,” said Drogowski. Cole continues, “Kingspan ASI panels were specified for a reason, and I think this incident makes it very clear.”

Each PPC building features four-inch panels from the Kingspan ASI 300 and 1000 Series, including 6,700 square feet of Kingspan ASI 340 metal wall panels. The durable roof benefits from 3,030 square feet of Kingspan ASI 1040 insulated standing seam roof panels, making this the first 1000 Series project produced by Kingspan ASI.

Alum-Tek, a design firm in British Columbia, assembled the project team and contracted Griffin Insulation (North Palm Beach, FL) to serve as the job supervisor. Other team members include architect John Redmond and Associates and general contractor Norstar Group, both located in Providenciales, and installer Caribbean Structures (Pompano Beach, FL).

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