Front view of Savannah Convention Center with new GAF roof

Savannah Convention Center

Expanding to meet growing demand for events in a historic, vibrant Southern city.

Project Summary

  • EverGuard® PVC 60-mil smooth membrane
  • EnergyGuard Polyiso Insulation Green Circle Certified for recycled content
  • #2331 PVC Adhesive is a contact-type bonding adhesive specially designed for bonding PVC single-ply roofing membranes to various substrates
  • Liberty SBS Self‑Adhering Base Sheet Self-adhering modified bitumen roofing membrane
  • Securock® 1/2" cover board a high-performance roof board
  • DensDeck® Prime 5/8" roof board a thermal barrier and re-cover board with excellent fire resistance pursuant to ASTM E84

Job Details

  • Location

    Savannah, Georgia

  • Roof Size

    1,800 squares on new construction, 2,500 squares on re-roof of existing building

  • Completion Date

    Estimated September 2023

About the Savannah Convention Center

The Savannah Convention Center is a 330,000 sq. ft. waterfront complex on the Savannah River featuring 100,000 sq. ft. of divisible exhibit space, 50,000 sq. ft. of prime meeting space, including 13 meeting rooms, four executive board rooms, a 25,000 sq. ft. Grand Ballroom, and a state-of-art 367-seat auditorium.

Continued demand for more space from customers prompted a feasibility study which confirmed the need for expansion. This expansion will include an additional 100,000 square foot exhibit hall, 40,000 square foot ballroom, 15 meeting rooms and 900+ parking spaces.
Contractor adding new roof on Savannah Convention Center with DensDeck roof board
Contractors adhering new commercial roof on Savannah Convention Center
Contractors installing new roof on Savannah Convention Center
Side view of contractors adhering commercial roof on Savannah Convention Center
GAF EverGuard PVC being loaded onto new commercial roof
Contractors rolling GAF bonding adhesive onto a flat roof
Contractors installing GAF commercial roofing materials on roof
Aerial view of contractors working on installing a new roof for the Savannah Convention Center
Aerial view of contractors installing a new PVC roof over metal with GAF roof materials
Side view of new Savannah Convention Center roof installation
Front view of Savannah Convention Center with a new GAF roof
Contractor adding new roof on Savannah Convention Center with DensDeck roof board
Contractors adhering new commercial roof on Savannah Convention Center
Contractors installing new roof on Savannah Convention Center
Side view of contractors adhering commercial roof on Savannah Convention Center
GAF EverGuard PVC being loaded onto new commercial roof
Contractors rolling GAF bonding adhesive onto a flat roof
Contractors installing GAF commercial roofing materials on roof
Aerial view of contractors working on installing a new roof for the Savannah Convention Center
Aerial view of contractors installing a new PVC roof over metal with GAF roof materials
Side view of new Savannah Convention Center roof installation
Front view of Savannah Convention Center with a new GAF roof
Fully adhered PVC assembly components from GAF roofing
The Challenge

The Savannah Convention Center is a community asset that supports a very vibrant tourism and meetings industry. Growth as a destination for both leisure and business travelers has led to increasing demand for larger events and more space. A feasibility study confirmed the need for expansion and led to the $276 million project that will double the Convention Center’s exhibit hall space to 200,000 square feet, add 40,000 square feet of additional ballroom, and a new 900-space parking garage.

The roof specification for this new structure included an adhered PVC assembly. The new roof's unique parabolic shape combined with transition walls and perimeter details added a level of complexity not seen on a typical low slope roof design. The project also specified a replacement of the roof for the existing facility that would match the new build. In total, this involved more than 4,300 squares of roof, creating a challenge for the scale of the installation project but also a challenge in securing timely delivery of the PVC single ply membrane and other materials in the roof assembly.

The Solution

Local roofing contractor Metalcrafts A Tecta America Company was successful in winning the bid. Metalcrafts A Tecta America Company utilized the GAF Design Services team to create the submittal and finalize the assembly that will be utilized. Vice President Allen Lancaster credited support from the GAF Territory Manager in securing the order and delivery commitments. "The biggest challenge of this project was logistics. Working with GAF, we were able to order all of the materials for the new roof and re-roof at one time." Lancaster remarked that GAF was "very good in keeping us informed in coordinating material delivery" of more than 140 truckloads of material.

Prior to the start of the project, the GAF Field Services team was able to walk the roof with the contractor to go over the assembly and the details associated with the roof installation. The assembly included EverGuard® PVC, Securock® cover board, 2.6" EnergyGuard Polyiso Insulation mechanically attached with Drill-Tec fasteners, Liberty SBS Self-Adhering Base Sheet, and DensDeck® prime board. Alexis AuBuchon from Hansen Architects, P.C., the local associated architect for the project, reinforced their frequent specification of PVC for public projects like this, "because of the long-term durability and maintainability of the product.” To accommodate the parabola-shaped roof design which slopes in all directions, she said "one of the advantages of PVC is the flexibility of the membrane.”

An Easy Process

Overseeing the massive project, Savannah Convention Center Director of Operations, Ronnie Hickman, expressed confidence in Metalcrafts A Tecta America Company’s process and GAF product for the new roofs on this facility, stating "the whole process was great from start to finish. Any questions we had, they were answered.”

“From the beginning, GAF was instrumental in helping us with parameters and guidelines to create a firm price and secure the product order.”

Allen Lancaster
Vice President, Metalcrafts A Tecta America Company

*NOTE: Contractors enrolled in GAF certification programs are not employees or agents of GAF, and GAF does not control or otherwise supervise these independent businesses. Contractors may receive benefits, such as loyalty rewards points and discounts on marketing tools from GAF for participating in the program and offering GAF enhanced warranties or guarantees, which require the use of GAF products. Your dealings with a Contractor, and any services they provide to you, are subject to the Contractor Terms of Use.

Featured Materials

EverGuard® PVC 60‑mil Membrane
EverGuard® PVC 60-Mil Membrane

Time-tested technology in a PVC roofing system for premium performance and durability.

LEARN MORE >

Panel of GAF EverGuard Polyiso Insulation
EnergyGuard™ Polyiso Insulation

High thermal value panel with glass fiber reinforced cellulosic felt facers (GRF) bonded to a core of isocyanurate foam

LEARN MORE >

Contractor installing Liberty SBS Self-Adhering Base Sheet by GAF.
LIBERTY™ SBS Self-Adhering Base Sheet

Self-adhering modified bitumen roofing membrane to be used as a base sheet or a ply sheet

LEARN MORE >

Bucket of EverGuard PVC Bonding Adhesive 2331
EverGuard® PVC #2331 Bonding Adhesive

EverGuard® PVC Bonding Adhesive is a contact-type bonding adhesive specially designed for bonding PVC single-ply roofing membranes and flashings to various roofing substrates.

LEARN MORE >

Related Case Studies

The Stanley Center for Peace and Security in Iowa with new EverGuard roofing materials by GAF.
The Stanley Center

Requires extensive sustainability criteria, including Living Building Challenge Red List free materials, solar panels, and rooftop rainwater collection

LEARN MORE >

Contractors installing GAF commercial roofing materials at the Bozeman Public Safety Center
Bozeman Public Safety Center

The Bozeman Public Safety Center houses the Bozeman Police Department, a fire station, the Municipal Courts and Prosecution and Victim Services.

LEARN MORE >

This convention center in a Kansas suburb received an upgrade to its 20-year-old roof with GAF EverGuard SA TPO.
Convention Center in Kansas

This 200,000-plus square-foot site that hosts 300-plus events every year received an upgrade to its 20-year-old roof.

LEARN MORE >

IT Tech Park, received a completely new TPO roof system.
IT Tech Park

One of the world’s largest IT facilities received a completely new TPO roof system totaling more than 200,000 roof squares.

LEARN MORE >