Custom Ridge Ventilation for Mechanically Exhausted Poultry Housing

Project Requirements

A large-scale egg producer and Summit EPC required a continuous ridge ventilation system for multiple poultry facilities. The system needed to provide the make-up air volume established by the project team, integrate with the roof system, minimize the potential for rain intrusion, discourage bird nesting, satisfy regional structural requirements, and remain practical for high-volume production.

The Challenge

Each building included a long center corridor open to the ridge with mechanically exhausted poultry rooms on both sides. The project team determined the required airflow (CFM). R&S then translated that airflow requirement into a passive intake ventilation system capable of delivering the required air volume without creating air velocities that could draw rainwater into the building.

Previous facilities had shown that conventional ridge ventilators could be susceptible to water intrusion under certain operating conditions. The objective was to solve that challenge through the ventilator design itself while also accommodating structural loading, bird protection, roof integration, manufacturability, and cost.

©Summit EPC

Design Development

Rather than adapting a standard ventilator, R&S worked with Summit EPC through multiple design iterations. Using the required CFM, R&S determined the vent opening and overall size needed to provide the required make-up air while maintaining acceptable intake velocity.

The hood geometry, airflow path, bird screening, and roof curb were refined together to improve weather protection, reduce nesting opportunities, and ensure proper integration with the roof system. Because of the vent size, internal reinforcement was developed for regional live, snow, and uplift loads, with independent third-party structural review supporting the final design.

The project also included value engineering to reduce manufacturing cost without compromising performance, followed by fabrication of a full-scale mockup for customer evaluation before production.

©Summit EPC

Project Outcome

The completed system provided the required passive make-up air, minimized the potential for rain intrusion, satisfied structural requirements, and simplified installation through a coordinated vent and roof curb solution supplied by one manufacturer. Following mockup approval, the design moved into phased production for multiple facilities.

“R&S worked closely with us throughout the design and mockup process to develop a ventilation system that met the owner’s airflow, structural, and operational requirements. Having the vent and curb developed together simplified coordination and gave us confidence moving into production.”

— Dan Smith, Project Manager, Summit EPC

Design & Technical Highlights

• Vent sizing based on customer-provided CFM
• Air-velocity optimization to reduce water entrainment
• Custom ST Gravity Vent design
• Coordinated vent and ridge curb design
• Integration with standing-seam roof panels
• Internal reinforcement for wind, snow, and uplift loads
• Third-party structural review
• Bird screening optimized to reduce nesting
• Value engineering for high-volume production
• Full-scale mockup validation