Roof replacement at an active correctional facility involves more than selecting and installing a new roofing system. Security, facility operations, drainage, mechanical equipment, adjacent walls and windows, and waterproofing conditions can all affect the success of the project.
At the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) Scott Unit in Angleton, Texas, Allana Buick & Bers, Inc. (ABB) provided a building envelope condition assessment and remedial design for a major roof replacement and building envelope rehabilitation project.
The work encompassed 18 individual roof areas across seven levels of the maximum-security facility, along with repairs to walls, windows, masonry, waterproofing, and mechanical systems. The rehabilitation needed to improve building performance while allowing daily correctional-facility operations to continue.
Project Overview
Project: TDCJ Scott Unit
Location: Angleton, Texas
Client: Texas Department of Criminal Justice
Facility Type: Maximum-Security Correctional Facility
Project Scope: 18 roof areas across seven levels
ABB Services: Condition assessment, remedial design, roofing and building envelope rehabilitation
Key Components: Roofing, insulation, drainage, masonry, windows, louvers, waterproofing, control joints, lightweight concrete decking, curbs, wall weep systems, and mechanical equipment
Why Is Roof Replacement More Complex at an Active Correctional Facility?
All roofing work at the Scott Unit had to occur within the secure area of an operational maximum-security facility.
Construction therefore needed to accommodate both the technical requirements of the roof replacement and the security requirements of the facility.
Detailed procedures were established to track contractor personnel, tools, and equipment within the secure work area. At the same time, construction activities had to be coordinated so normal facility operations could continue.
The project also required replacement of facility and ventilation units without interrupting daily activities.
For an occupied correctional facility, security, access, construction sequencing, mechanical coordination, and building operations become part of the roof replacement strategy.
Why Was the Entire Building Envelope Evaluated?
The Scott Unit project involved more than deteriorated roofing.
ABB identified conditions involving:
- Walls and masonry
- Windows and louvers
- Control joints
- Waterproofing
- Lightweight concrete decking
- Curbs and cants
- Wall weep systems
- Mechanical equipment
These components can influence how water is managed at and around a roof.
A new roof may not fully address water intrusion if adjacent walls, openings, joints, penetrations, and drainage conditions remain unresolved. ABB therefore approached the roof as part of the larger building envelope system rather than as an isolated assembly.
Developing the Roof Replacement and Drainage Strategy
ABB’s remedial roof design incorporated a two-ply modified bitumen roofing system along with replacement insulation.
Tapered insulation was incorporated to improve roof drainage while the new insulation also improved thermal performance.
The roof replacement program ultimately addressed 18 separate roof areas across seven levels, requiring the roofing and drainage approach to be coordinated with varying conditions throughout the facility.
Addressing Waterproofing Beyond the Roof
Adjacent building envelope conditions were also incorporated into the rehabilitation program.
Repairs included control joints, masonry, window and louver waterproofing, lightweight concrete decking, curbs and cants, and wall weep-system improvements.
Addressing these conditions was also important to maintaining eligibility for the roofing manufacturer’s 20-year No Dollar Limit (NDL) warranty.
This demonstrates an important consideration for owners planning major reroofing projects: roof warranty requirements may extend beyond the roofing membrane itself when adjacent conditions affect system performance.
Coordinating Roof Replacement With Mechanical Systems
The project also required replacement of facility and ventilation units.
Mechanical equipment located at or interacting with roof assemblies can create additional coordination requirements involving curbs, penetrations, waterproofing, drainage, and construction sequencing.
At the Scott Unit, this work had to be incorporated into the broader rehabilitation while maintaining normal facility activities.
Coordinating roofing and mechanical work as part of the same project helped address these interfaces during design rather than treating them as separate scopes.
Maintaining Security and Facility Operations During Construction
The maximum-security environment created construction constraints that would not exist on a typical commercial reroofing project.
Procedures were established for tracking:
Contractor Personnel → Tools → Equipment → Secure Work Areas
Construction activities also had to be coordinated with ongoing facility operations.
This required the rehabilitation strategy to account for not only what needed to be repaired, but also how the work could be performed within a controlled, occupied environment.
The Result: A Coordinated Roof and Building Envelope Rehabilitation
ABB developed a coordinated rehabilitation program addressing roofing and surrounding building envelope conditions while allowing the maximum-security facility to remain operational.
The project incorporated:
Rather than treating reroofing, waterproofing, enclosure repairs, and mechanical work as independent projects, the rehabilitation coordinated these elements as parts of the facility’s overall exterior performance.
What Can Owners Learn From the Scott Unit Roof Replacement?
Evaluate More Than the Roofing Membrane
Water intrusion may involve walls, windows, joints, penetrations, masonry, drainage, or other adjoining conditions. A roof replacement should consider how the roof interacts with the surrounding building envelope.
Address Drainage as Part of Reroofing
At the Scott Unit, tapered insulation was incorporated to improve drainage. Roof replacement provides an opportunity to address drainage conditions rather than simply replacing existing materials.
Consider Warranty Requirements Early
The project needed to maintain eligibility for a 20-year NDL roofing warranty, making adjacent waterproofing conditions part of the broader rehabilitation strategy.
Coordinate Rooftop Mechanical Work With Roofing
Mechanical equipment, curbs, and penetrations can directly affect roof performance. Their replacement or modification should be coordinated with the roofing and waterproofing design.
Plan Around Facility Operations
At secure and mission-critical facilities, access, security, personnel, tools, equipment, and construction sequencing can directly influence how a roof replacement is designed and executed.
Planning a Roof Replacement at an Occupied Facility?
For owners planning a major reroofing project, the first question may not simply be:
“Which roofing system should we install?”
A more useful question is:
“What other building envelope conditions could affect the performance of the new roof, and how can the work be coordinated without disrupting facility operations?”
The TDCJ Scott Unit demonstrates why roof replacement at an occupied institutional facility can require a coordinated approach to roofing, drainage, waterproofing, walls, windows, mechanical equipment, and construction operations.
ABB provides roofing and building envelope consulting for existing facilities, including condition assessments, remedial design, waterproofing, and construction-phase services.