MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show connects our contractor members with the members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.
Participating companies highlight and link to new products, product lines, services, solutions or web pages of particular interest. Here are just a few of the recent additions:
Ferguson
Ferguson is dedicated to helping you keep your complicated jobs on schedule by providing custom solutions. We also offer on-site inventory management and local branch customized support.
FARO Technologies, Inc. FARO develops portable 3D imaging devices designed to capture and deliver real world information into the digital world for building and industrial facility documentation during the project lifecycle.
Visit the Smart Solutions Case Studies area of our website to learn how other mechanical contractors found their win-win with cost-saving and productivity-enhancing applications from members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.
This section of our website also includes tips and ideas to help your company save money and enhance your productivity. Don’t miss it!
By using Aquatherm polypropylene-random (PP-R) Blue Pipe® to replace carbon-steel pipe at Berry Global’s injection-molding facility, the P1 Group of Lawrence, KS, successfully completed installation in just 24 hours. The lightweight pipe is easy to transport and easy to join using a flameless heat-fusion technique that saves time. The speed of installation was more than just a productivity win for the contractor; at Berry Global, a mere half-second loss in production time can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
Need More Solutions to Speed Installation and Minimize Downtime?
Visit the Smart Solutions Case Studies area of our website! You’ll see how other mechanical contractors found their win-win with productivity-enhancing and cost-saving applications from members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.
Plus, you’ll find tips and ideas on other ways you and your company can save money and enhance your productivity.
Manual collection of paper time cards in the field is prone to errors, takes too much time, and, most importantly, takes attention away from important jobs in the field. Since rolling out Rhumbix so their foremen could go paperless, Independent Mechanical Industries, Inc. (IMI) has found, “Foremen use the Rhumbix app on their iPhones to record time cards in just minutes, [which] allows them to clear their minds and attack the work in front of them,” said David Reynolds, IMI vice president.
Reynolds and the executive team at IMI, based in Illinois, are constantly looking for new tools for their project teams in the field to “help them run their jobs more efficiently,” he said. Furthermore, IMI wants to attract and retain the best people in the business. “We want to show our field that IMI is advancing in terms of using technology and tools they need. I hope they see IMI as the best place for them to continue their career,” said Reynolds.
Reynolds is the fourth generation of his family to work at IMI. One of his responsibilities as vice president is overseeing operations and information technology. He led the effort to incorporate Rhumbix as a key tool for IMI’s foremen and the home office.
Since rolling out Rhumbix, “all I need to do is log into the Rhumbix dashboard and review hours. I don’t have to put out fires anymore.”
—David Reynolds, Vice President, IMI
Before Rhumbix, “We were faxing over time sheets or snapping pictures on cell phones and sending them in. Sometimes the picture or fax quality wasn’t great either,” Reynolds noted. “The result could be as simple as the payroll clerk not being able to read the timecard, or worse, the time is incorrectly entered and a check gets cut for incorrect time. On top of this, and most importantly, the back-and-forth between payroll and our foremen on correcting errors took valuable time away from production. That’s too much time taken away from the office and the field correcting errors.”
“[Rhumbix] is eliminating errors, saves time, and frees up our payroll clerk for other important jobs.”
—David Reynolds, Vice President, IMI
Reynolds continued, “The ability [of Rhumbix] to eliminate errors from reporting time from the field to the home office was a major draw for IMI to start using Rhumbix.
“At the Home Office, Rhumbix is, without question, an efficiency improvement and timesaver,” said Reynolds. “We simply upload an Excel file from Rhumbix right into our accounting software
(Viewpoint) for payroll. [Rhumbix] is eliminating errors, saves time, and frees up our payroll clerk for other important jobs.”
Since rolling out Rhumbix, the time-card-to-payroll process at IMI runs more smoothly and does not require costly reconciliation. “I’ve been able to become more handsoff. … All I need to do is log into the Rhumbix dashboard and review hours. I don’t have to put out fires anymore,” Reynolds stated.
IMI is continuing to roll out Rhumbix to additional foremen, and the company is seeing even more time go back into production-based activities. Furthermore, IMI is reviewing Rhumbix Pro, which introduces automated reports and dashboards to measure budget vs. actual production data.
“We want to make sure our field knows that IMI is going to give them the best tools to run their job as smoothly as possible,” Reynolds observed.
Anderson, Rowe & Buckley (AR&B) deployed MobiliForms from iBusiness Technologies, cutting labor costs and going paperless painlessly. “Our 100+ field techs are shaving time each day, and I’ve personally recaptured eight hours per week,” said Darin Sheridan, HVAC superintendent, who is tasked with overseeing the solution.
Technology upgrades are notorious for creating upheaval, busting budgets, and falling short on promises. After carefully examining the alternatives, AR&B selected MobiliForms to streamline operations with mobile. The solution paid for itself quickly, implementation took just weeks, and it works hand-in-hand with their current backend software.
“[With MobiliForms,] our 100+ field techs are shaving time each day, and I’ve personally recaptured eight hours per week.”
—Darin Sheridan, HVAC Superintendent. Anderson, Rowe & Buckley, Inc.
“Our primary goal was to standardize processes, but we’ve also been able to cut clerical mistakes and eliminate the need to rewrite tickets, and our customers absolutely love it. MobiliForms is among the best partners we have,” noted Sheridan. AR&B’s service orders, daily reports, requisitions, and timecards now appear exactly the same on iPads as they do on paper, and techs can capture images and signatures digitally. Based in San Francisco, the company has been around since 1921, so there are many long-time employees who did not grow up using digital technology. However, they are adapting easily to their familiar and identical forms on iPads.
AR&B’s critical documents are instantly emailed or stored in the cloud to share with foremen, subcontractors, and customers, which has improved communications and accelerated cash flow. Team members can collaboratively resolve issues quickly as they arise. Sheridan heard about successes other MCAA member companies had replacing paper forms. What compelled him was the fact that MobiliForms did not require any change to his backend software and that all forms would appear identical on the company’s devices.
According to Forbes Magazine, more than 50 percent of digital transformations do not go properly, and companies’ expectations are not met. MobiliForms, however, has an extraordinary track record of success within the MCAA/MSCA. The 2016 MSCA Field Service Software Report, conducted by independent laboratory JBKLabs, the research and development team of JBKnowledge, concluded, “Contractors looking for a low-cost, low-risk, and incremental transition to field mobile operations would do well with MobiliForms.”
For more information call 877-565-3261 or visit MobiliForms.com.
By using Aquatherm polypropylene-random (PP-R) Blue Pipe® to replace carbon-steel pipe at Berry Global’s injection-molding facility, the P1 Group of Lawrence, KS, successfully completed installation in just 24 hours. The lightweight pipe is easy to transport and easy to join using a flameless heat-fusion technique that saves time. The speed of installation was more than just a productivity win for the contractor; at Berry Global, a mere half-second loss in production time can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
A Tricky Transition
Berry Global needed to replace a large portion of pipe used to transport cooling water to more than 20 injection-mold and thermoforming machines. The existing carbon-steel piping, along with an undersized chilled-water storage tank, showed excessive corrosion. Cooling the molds is a critical, time-sensitive part of the injection-molding process; the plant already had begun to incur losses because rust and pipe scale were interfering with the cool-water flushing of the molds.
“Our [cooling] cycle time on some of the equipment had increased due to hot cores. This resulted in significant losses in production,” said Jacob Francis, facility maintenance supervisor. Increasing production demands on an undersized storage tank and piping system exacerbated the complex problem.
The system itself is simple. Chilled water leaves the chiller at 55° F and flows directly to the injection-molding equipment. Water exits through orifices in the aluminum or steel molding equipment and circulates to what was originally a 4,000-gallon holding tank before circulating back through the chiller. However, according to Francis, at the required 3,800 gallons per minute, the water never had an opportunity to “settle,” causing air to be absorbed within the system. The completely aerated system not only was rusting badly, but the excessive air also prevented water-treatment chemicals from adhering to and protecting the carbon-steel pipe effectively. Corrosion already had eaten two holes in the chilled-water tank.
The situation would only get worse until the piping was replaced, but that created an even greater challenge: How do you replace 300’ of 10” and 16” welded steel pipe for a manufacturing process that virtually never stops? The plant in Lawrence, one of Berry Global’s 130 facilities around the world, produces food-grade plastic cups and containers for various restaurants and
food and beverage industries. The plant operates 24/7, every day of the year, save a day or two at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Shutting down operations for just one hour comes at a high price—one Berry Global most certainly would have to pay several times over if the piping were replaced with field-welded carbon steel, which can take a long time to install.
Aquatherm Eases Installation
Todd Mihalchik, industrial mechanical estimator and project manager for P1 Group, suggested Aquatherm PP-R piping systems, even though no one from P1 Group had installed Aquatherm pipe in such large diameters. Mihalchik’s conversations with local representatives from the Lawrence branch of Ferguson, a wholesale distributor of plumbing and mechanical supplies with 1,400 locations serving customers throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, and Mexico, convinced him that the piping might be the answer for his longtime client, Berry Global.
Wedged between a costly shutdown and a rapidly deteriorating system, Francis agreed. He gave P1 Group the green light to install Aquatherm Blue Pipe to replace the chilled-water piping serving two thirds of the plant’s injection-molding processes.
Unlike metal pipe, which must be welded into place at the jobsite, Aquatherm pipe components are joined using a safe and simple heat-fusion process to create virtually leak-proof connections in minutes. Because the product is so lightweight, large sections can be fabricated in a contractor’s shop—or in Lindon, UT, at Aquatherm’s North America headquarters—then easily transported to the jobsite. Because Aquatherm PP-R is completely noncorroding, it will not break down, weaken, or scale like metal piping systems and does not require chemical
treatment.
“At first, we were going to have three days for the actual installation, but that got whittled down to just 24 hours. … The timeframe was really challenging, but Aquatherm made things a lot easier.”
—Todd Mihalchik, Industrial Mechanical Estimator and Project Manager, P1 Group
At a training session held just prior to the Berry project, installation specialists Aquatherm Regional Sales Manager Mike Engle and Ferguson’s Nathan Geyer taught P1 Group technicians the appropriate heat-fusion procedures. “About five or six of our installers attended the five-hour course taught by Aquatherm, where they learned all the different heat-fusion welding techniques,” Mihalchik said.
The installation included the construction of a new 10,400-gallon outdoor chilled-water tank, 16” supply and return piping to and from the tank, and assorted lengths of 12” and 10” piping connecting a 16” Aquatherm header to the various injection-mold presses. Nearly all the piping sections were fabricated in advance at P1 Group’s fabrication shop, then installed using rented butt-welding equipment and handheld socket-fusion equipment. The only exception was the 16” header, which Aquatherm’s Design & Fabrication Services team fabricated because P1 Group did not have ready access to the welding equipment needed for the large-diameter pipe.
The fabricated piping sections, some of which were 15’ or longer, were lightweight enough for just two workers to carry into the installation space and hoist into place—a huge advantage for P1 Group, given the project’s ever-shrinking installation window. “At first, we were going to have three days for the actual installation, but that got whittled down to just 24 hours on Good Friday before Easter. The timeframe was really challenging, but Aquatherm made things a lot easier,” said Mihalchik.
A “Fortunate Mistake”
P1 Group workers quickly learned the flameless heat-fusion welding techniques required to join Aquatherm PP-R Blue Pipe, which is not only safer than traditional welding but also saves time.
The only glitch, which occurred during the all-night installation, turned into a blessing for Mihalchik and his crew. At one point, the installers discovered that two of the 10” lines off the 16” header had been cut too short. It might have been a panic-inducing discovery if not for Engle, Geyer, and Ferguson’s Kent Cramer, who were at the jobsite during the installation and were able to oversee some impromptu pipe fusion to adjust the length of the 10” pipe.
“They showed us how easy a fix it really was. In a way, it was a fortunate mistake because now we know we can work through it easily on our own. I’m a 100-percent believer in Aquatherm now for sure,” Mihalchik said.
Francis is equally convinced he made the right decision choosing Aquatherm. In fact, he had another 700’ of Aquatherm Blue Pipe installed for domestic water service to Berry’s nearby warehouse, and he looks forward to identifying even more opportunities to use Aquatherm piping.
No Insulation Required
P1 Group recommended Aquatherm PP-R piping systems for Berry Global’s injection molding facility because they resist corrosion, rust, and scale, eliminating future downtime caused by pipe corrosion. Workers were able to install 300’ of new pipe in just 24 hours.
“The fact that we didn’t have to insulate the pipe is another huge benefit. None of the indoor pipe had to have any insulation, even though we are carrying 55° F water in an 80° F ambient space,” Francis said. Francis added that despite some extremely warm, humid days since the pipe was installed, he has yet to see a drop of condensation on the Aquatherm pipe. “I have one flange where carbon-steel pipe meets the Aquatherm,” said Francis. “I can put a hand on each and feel that the Aquatherm is barely below room temperature while the carbon-steel pipe is really cold.”
An inherent low thermal conductivity (R-value of one or more depending on the pipe size and standard dimension ratio) makes insulating Aquatherm unnecessary in certain indoor applications. Not only does this save installation costs, it creates a cleaner, more uniform installation in which the pipe is exposed for easy inspection. “It really looks sharp,” said Francis, who also credited P1 Group for a very professional-looking installation.
The plant already has seen improvements in system performance, both in terms of chiller usage and pump efficiency. Perhaps even more important, the Berry plant has eliminated future downtime caused by pipe corrosion—at least where Aquatherm is installed. Furthermore, the company has all but eliminated the need for chemical treatment in its piping system. “For a process project like this, Aquatherm was a no-brainer choice,” Francis said.
Faced with new, more stringent building requirements mid-project, J.W. McClenahan Co. got a boost from the engineers at Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co.,® who rapidly designed new trench drains and had them verified by a third party to satisfy city inspectors—all in just four months.
McClenahan is the design/build plumbing contractor on the Transbay Block 8 mixed-use development project, located just two blocks from the Transbay Transit Center in San Francisco, CA. While San Francisco’s building code stipulates placement of a trench drain that can accommodate a 100-gallons-per-minute (gpm) flow of the automatic fire sprinklers in remote areas outside the fire service access elevator lobbies, the city has become more stringent in evaluating drains. McClenahan learned that city building inspectors and the fire marshal were now requiring full documentation for the drains at Transbay Block 8. (Elevator lobby trench drains prevent water from infiltrating the shaft enclosure and keep the elevator lobby area free of water to allow firefighters to do their jobs safely.)
Smith had a standard drain available that met the requirements, but the architects for Block 8 specified lengths that were not yet available anywhere. Rick Kelly, a superintendent at McClenahan, said that one of the problems was that the architects had included different-size door openings into the elevator lobbies.
The other issue encountered was the depth of the trench drain due to structural restraints. McClenahan wanted to put the outlets at the ends of the drain instead of the center, which would affect the flow rate.
McClenahan had two choices. Go back to the architects and have them revise the design to specify the lengths and depths available or find a manufacturer who could come up with a solution that satisfied the design and met the code at the lengths required. McClenahan approached Smith, where engineers got to work right away to design drains that would accommodate the lengths required and the 1 3/4” drain for the shallow application.
McClenahan prepared the customized trench drains from Jay R. Smith in their prefabrication shop. The drains helped them stay on track when unexpected building requirements required a quick pivot.
Smith engineers created and tested lengths from 42” to 123” with outlets in three different positions to ensure water would not overflow the threshold drain and spill into the elevator lobby and hoistway. To meet the San Francisco Fire Department’s requirements, the drains were promptly sent out for third-party testing and verification. The whole process, including the much-needed third-party certification, took less than four months. With that certification in hand, McClenahan had proof of the efficacy of the drains that the city inspectors and fire marshal needed.
While McClenahan’s main concern was that the drains met the required flow rate, the architects were also concerned with the aesthetics. Fortunately, the Smith low-profile threshold drains lived up to those demands as well. The drains use 1/4” grate spacing, which complies with ADA requirements, and they are heel-proof to help prevent falls and injuries.
McClenahan’s Kelly confirmed that Smith was the right choice for the job. “We received the [stainless steel threshold drains] on time, and they are easy to work with,” he said. Transbay Block 8 includes a 56-story residential tower will have 118 condominiums, 279 luxury apartments, and 70 below-market-rate apartments. The ground floor will feature 17,000 square feet of retail space set around an open public paseo. The project is scheduled to be completed in March of 2020.
John E. Green Company (JEG) trusted its longtime partner, Johnson Controls, to help them meet the demands of Detroit Medical Center’s (DMC’s) new tower and identify products that could save the contractor installation time. YORK® YMC2 centrifugal magnetic drive chillers paired with the Metasys® building automation system (BAS) with Central Plant Optimization 10 (CPO10) optimized energy efficiency, while using YORK Solution Air Handling Units and SimplexGrinnell’s addressable notification system ensured speedy installation.
From JEG’s perspective, complex projects run better when working with trusted a partner that carries a diverse portfolio of products and technologies. “There’s a real nice synergy when there is one supplier across the different platforms. Having one person at the forefront makes a much smoother process overall,” Chief Operating Officer Rob Martin said.
The new $155-million tower at DMC’s Children’s Hospital of Michigan in the heart of Detroit is a six-story, 248,000-square-foot facility with state-of-the-art systems and technology. Hospital leaders never wavered in their quest to build a comfortable, safe, healing environment that optimized space, improved efficiencies, and reliably delivered leading pediatric care to 90,000 visitors a year. They gathered architects and designers to work with families, patients, and staff and then methodically evaluated needs and workflows—at one point building a cardboard mock-up of six floors of the proposed tower.
Armed with valuable input, leaders immersed themselves in an integrated design process to drive out waste and boost efficiency. DMC formed a team of key partners and contractors, all leaders in their industries, to carry their vision forward.
“There’s a real nice synergy when there is one supplier across
the different platforms. Having one person at the forefront
makes a much smoother process overall.”
—Rob Martin, Chief Operating Officer, John E. Green Company
Tackling Challenges Together
JEG and Johnson Controls have a long history of collaboration, which helped ensure success, according to Martin. “Nobody likes surprises,” Martin said. “It helps to work with a company who is familiar to you and provides technologically innovative products and solutions while meeting schedules and deadlines.”
While patients and families would never see the chilled water plant on the top floor of the new tower, the location raised some challenges. High-capacity chillers could produce enough sound to reach lower floors where children were recuperating. Johnson Controls and JEG chose two YORK YMC2 centrifugal magnetic drive chillers. The energy-efficient design could reduce noise by about 50 percent compared with other chillers on the market.
Enhancing Energy Efficiency
Reliability and energy efficient systems drove the discussion around other products and technologies. For example, chilled water plants can offer the greatest opportunity for energy savings—but only if configured and run correctly. The consulting engineer wanted a BAS that could capture that
energy savings throughout the lifecycle of the plant. Johnson Controls and JEG chose the Metasys BAS with CPO10. Instead of controlling a collection of independent components and controls, Metasys and CPO10 integrate and
harmonize the plant’s entire operation through documented best practices,
algorithms, and ASHRAE recommendations. With CPO10, Metasys can squeeze out five to 15 percent more energy savings compared with standard automation.
Addressing Other Concerns
With existing facilities staff stretched thin, to manage the additional space of the new tower, the new BAS needed to be intuitive and offer easy-to-use remote monitoring. The advanced graphics capabilities and new reporting features of Metasys make it easy for facility staff to view information by location, access
trends, and drill down on the cause of alarms.
Another concern was selecting air handling units with enough capacity and performance for the job. Customization drives up cost, so Johnson Controls proposed its YORK Solution Air Handling Unit, with standard features (factory-
mounted controls, humidifiers, and split coils) that meant installation onsite would happen much faster.
The fan array was also unique for a standard line. It included eight fans instead of one for system redundancy. If one fan went down, the hospital could still maintain 96-percent air flow. Redundancy is especially important in hospitals, because downtime is not an option when operating rooms or entire hospital wings are at risk.
To ensure patient safety, DMC needed redundancy and flexible features in a fire safety system, so SimplexGrinnell’s addressable notification system was selected. The system’s flexible wiring design could lower installation costs by 50 percent,
but addressable notification was also a key selling point. Fire notification testing can be upsetting to young patients and disrupt the peaceful, healing environment. The SimplexGrinnell system tests itself quietly in the background. Each device reports its location and status, giving facilities staff confidence that
the system is performing properly. SimplexGrinnelll is the JCI fire sprinkler
product line.
Benefits of Partnership
By the end of 2017, patients and staff will be completely moved in to the new critical care tower. Silently in the background, the products and technologies carefully chosen by key partners will support the extraordinary work of skilled clinicians and staff. Now, DMC’s Children’s Hospital of Michigan stands ready to
embrace the expanding needs of the communities they serve.
Savvy design from Anvil® International allowed Bennell, Inc. to install all the needed systems in the very small mechanical room of a new residence hall and bookstore at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. Because of the creative design, which included Anvil’s Gruvlok® connections for the heating and cooling pipe, Bennell managed to “make 10 pounds fit in a five-pound bag,” said President Craig Hosler.
Bloomsburg University’s new residence hall and bookstore brings a “wow factor” to campus. For Bennell, the wow factor was Anvil International’s impressive design work to “make 10 pounds fit in a five-pound bag,” said Bennell President Craig Hosler, effectively housing heating and cooling pipe, ductwork, and the electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and fire-sprinkler systems in the building’s complex mechanical room.
The building helps the university alleviate a student-housing crunch, provides much-needed retail space, and creates what a university official calls a “wow factor” that will help the campus compete for new students and enhance the student experience. Completed on time for the fall term beginning August 2017,
the 163,000-square-foot, $61.9-million building has room for 398 students in
suite-style apartments. The building’s mechanical room had to fit heating
and cooling pipe, ductwork, and the electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and
fire-sprinkler systems.
The mechanical room was not the only cramped location on campus. Until the new residence hall opened, said university spokesperson Tom McGuire, many dorm rooms at the university had three students squeezed into spaces designed for two. In welcome contrast, said McGuire, the new facility’s suites are consistent with the college living arrangements that many of today’s students prefer. Besides providing more privacy and elbow room, the new residence also features Chick-fil-A and Qdoba restaurants.
Bloomsburg University is the third-largest within Pennsylvania’s 14-campus state system of higher education. More than 9,600 students were enrolled in the 2016–
2017 school year. The university sits 75 miles north of Harrisburg. Founded in 1839 as a literary academy, the school today offers 56 undergraduate and 20
graduate programs. Like all colleges, Bloomsburg needs to attract students both with responsive degree offerings and inviting facilities.
Standing Out in a Crowd
Bennell, Inc., specified Anvil’s Gruvlok systems for the heating and cooling pipe of Bloomsburg University’s new residence hall because they are easy to install, especially in tight spaces.
“Competition for students these days is very tight among institutions,” McGuire
observed. “We’re in a state with dozens of institutions that students can choose from. So it’s important to have something that’s eye-catching to students and parents as they get to campus. This building will be a showplace and a centerpiece for our admissions office.” New study areas in the building will also improve the learning environment.
Bloomsburg’s students will probably never see the Gruvlok connections that Anvil provided for the building-wide heating and cooling systems. Nor are they likely to know the challenges that accompanied their design and installation. But those issues were substantial, and Anvil responded with the unique expertise of its senior piping designer, Merrill Davis, based in North Carolina.
In his work, Davis takes architectural and structural drawings, adds schedules and equipment specifications, and builds 3D computerized models of hydronic systems. He is accustomed to solving intricate design puzzles. This one, however, taxed his abilities in new and demanding ways.
“We’re used to working with tight spaces,” Davis said. “But this was particularly challenging for coordination purposes with the other trades, because we just had so many people trying to use the same area.”
A Collaborative Approach
As sometimes happens in complex projects, the mechanical room’s design evolved through several iterations. Each time, Davis took the new drawings
and created CAD-compatible files for the various contractors. In what Davis describes as a “roundrobin,” the electrical, plumbing, ductwork, and other
contractors electronically overlaid their designs on Anvil’s Gruvlok system
scheme, noting conflicts and suggesting changes. The highly collaborative process
ultimately resulted in a model that enabled all of the contractors to fit their systems into the tight space.
Hosler had worked with Anvil previously, but had never used the company’s design services. He came away impressed.
“I’ve told Merrill if he ever finds himself up this way and he needs work, to call me,” Hosler said, adding that Anvil “had a very good knowledge of how to lay out the systems and how they worked—the principles behind them. They were also very tech-savvy when it came to getting information into our hands.”
Once the design challenges were met, fabrication represented the final question mark. To save labor costs, Hosler opted for prefabrication of the mechanical room’s piping in Texas. Davis worked with Hosler to determine how best to split the piping into sections that could ultimately be connected at the construction site. But when the pieces got to the building site, would they fit?
“I was holding my breath about having it done offsite,” Hosler confided. When the shipment arrived, he saw that every piece was tagged as it had been in the drawing, and everything fit together like an erector set.
The new building will be named after retiring university President David L. Soltz, Ph.D. The honor is especially fitting, as Soltz concentrated on building programs and infrastructure during his tenure at Bloomsburg University.
For more information, please contact Anvil’s corporate offices at 603-418-2800 or visit anvilintl.com.
The networking and hiring continued on the second day of the GreatFutures Forum.
More students found their great futures. Here are a couple examples:
Garrett Duncan of Iowa State University is headed to SIEMENS.
Luke Tackes of Missouri State University will join the team at Murphy Company.
Congratulations to the new hires and the companies that have secured their futures by bringing in young talent.
The afternoon’s reception and product display offered an opportunity to see how students perform outside the pressure of the interview room.
In the evening, everyone headed to the NCAA Hall of Champions for a dinner sponsored by the MCA of Indiana, which hosted this year’s Forum. Following dinner, there was plenty of time to explore the interactive exhibits.
The second day of the GreatFutures Forum continued with a variety of education sessions focused on teamwork and discussions.
Kevin Dougherty captured attendees’ interest with tales of communication successes and failures from his own career as a contractor. He offered tips on how to maintain the important lines of communication that add insight to intelligence, seasoning to skill and technique to technology.
Tyler Culp, president of the student chapter at the University of Missouri-Columbia showcased his chapter’s meteoric rise from new student chapter to Student Chapter Competition winners in just two years.
Students got a first-hand look at what it’s really like to be a mechanical contractor thanks to “Ted: A Day in the Life.” The video follows Ted McHugh of West Chester Mechanical Contractors in Aston, PA through a typical workday. In addition to highlighting the daily demands associated with keeping a project on time and within budget, it showcases how a great future is achievable in the mechanical industry. Ted McHugh and his boss, MCAA Past President Mark Rogers, were on hand to answer questions and share their experiences.
In It’s All in the Game – Forum Frenzy (Part I), Prof. Tim Wentz of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln challenged student teams to analyze a project and decide how to organize and manage it to successful and completion. The teams have less than 12 hours to prepare to answer a battery of questions. We’ll see how they do tomorrow morning.
New this year were a series of roundtable discussions designed to provide students with a greater understanding of how contracting businesses operate, the types of opportunities typically offered to young professionals, and when and how to make the move upward in a company. Paul Lakin and Kalen Cartwright shared Everything You Want to Know About Mechanical Contracting and Your Future Job. In How to Turn Opportunities into Successes, Shaabini Alford encouraged students to challenge assumptions along the road to success. Kathy McCauley separated facts from fiction and as she answered questions from students about company culture.
Day two of MCAA’s Great Futures Forum opened with an energetic video. See for yourself!
Career Development Committee Member Jon Finch noted that MCAA’s annual career-related conference has grown from and event with 60 attendees to this year’s more than 300.
MCAA President Greg Fuller welcomed attendees to his hometown of Indianapolis, saying “I’m delighted to note that this year we have our largest attendance ever, by a wide margin.” His remarks highlighted the opportunities the mechanical industry offers, both in terms of great futures and lifelong learning available from MCAA.
Before we begin our sessions, I’ve been asked to offer a few serious words of advice. Let me start with a few words about myself, so you know where I’m coming from.
I’m the owner of North Mechanical Contracting, a mechanical construction and service contractor serving commercial, industrial, life sciences, institutional and public sector clients across central Indiana.
I started by becoming a journeyman plumber in 1985, became a superintendent and joined North Mechanical in 1991 as a Project Manager. I transitioned into the company’s leadership as Vice President and purchased the company in 1997, becoming President and Owner. I know you can do the math… that’s 12 short years from starting at the company to becoming it’s owner and president.
And that is just the type of opportunity you can find in the mechanical industry.
All it takes is the willingness to work hard, be willing to take on new responsibilities, and continue learning throughout your career.
For example, our industry is always one of the first to incorporate the latest advances in technologies and practices into our companies – ever increasing use of tablets, Smartphones and apps, augmented and virtual reality, BIM and LEED, drones and total robotic stations. They are changing the way we do business, manage projects and relate to our customers.
Education is a priority at MCAA – in fact, we call ourselves the “education association.” Our education programs for your career include: – an Institute for Project Management and an Advanced Institute for Project Management; – an Advanced Leadership Institute for senior executives; – an annual conference for our contractors specializing in the service side of our business; – an annual conference that focuses on fabrication and modularization, two trends virtually transforming the way projects are built; – an annual conference on construction technology; – an annual conference focusing on the all-important topic of jobsite safety; – and many, many other conferences, seminars, workshops, webinars, publications and apps…I could go on, but my point is that MCAA member companies take education very seriously, and so do we as their association.
There are people here who have started incredibly successful careers and companies using these resources and educational programs. I dare say that you can, too.
We have a lot of resources on the web.
MCAA.org has hundreds of these same publications that you can download, for free. You just need to create a profile, identify your student chapter, and you’re in.
And the mcaagreatfutures.org website has been redone and relaunched this week to provide news on our student chapters and our industry and assist you in getting your resume in front of our members. If you haven’t logged in and uploaded your resume, talk to Adrienne or Megan or Harlee or any of the staff here and get that done today.
So I’ve told you that in my opinion, you will find more success, more variety of responsibility at an earlier age, and more exposure to new technology with one of our companies that with a gc. I firmly believe that.
What I want to add is that the mechanical industry is a family, where people build connections and develop life-long relationships.
We all watched with horror as Hurricane Harvey flooded homes and vehicles across Houston. The destruction devastated over 350 individuals in MCAA’s family, folks who work for member companies. MCAA started a disaster relief fund, and in three weeks we raised a significant amount of money and were able to cut checks totaling 443 thousand dollars to these individuals to help them rebuild their lives.
That’s family. It’s our family. And we’re inviting you to join it.
In closing, let me say that I have no doubt that whatever path you follow, you are going to have a great future! I look forward to seeing many of you at our annual convention in March in San Antonio, and at the finals of the student chapter competition there.
So enjoy your time here, please take advantage of the educational and networking opportunities, and please join me in giving yourselves a round of applause for being here! After all, we are the champions!
“Despite being on the executive board of my school’s MCAA Chapter, I still didn’t fully appreciate what it is actually like to work for a mechanical contractor until this presentation. The “A Day in the Life of Ted” video was an excellent view as to what makes your section of the industry different than a typical building contractor.” That was one student’s reaction to the video at MCAA’s GreatFutures Forum.
The video follows Ted McHugh of West Chester Mechanical in Aston, PA through a typical workday. In addition to highlighting the daily demands associated with keeping a project on time and within budget, it showcases for students how a great future is achievable in the mechanical industry!
MCAA’s 2017 GreatFutures Forum kicked off with the Futures Fest career fair on September 28, 2017. The first-ever such event for this conference was a huge success. Representatives from almost 40 participating MCAA member companies were on hand to connect with hundreds of students. Conversation was plentiful, with discussions focused around the employment and internship opportunities available at each company.
The event facilitated two matches. Cole Zeiler found his great future with HMH Contractors, Inc. and Kenneth Bankard found his with F.E. Moran, Inc. Congratulations to MCAA members and students alike!
If being hired wasn’t enough, the students each received a $500 gift card. Their employers qualified for a reward in the form of a $1,000 internship grant, our way of saying “thanks” for giving a bright, well-educated future professional his or her start on a great career.
Space will be available throughout the conference to continue the conversations with more extensive interviews. Those hired, and those who do the hiring, will qualify for the same rewards throughout the conference.
MCAA’s career-related website has a new look and new features. What hasn’t changed is our commitment to connecting members with the students who will comprise the industry’s future workforce. So what will you find at MCAAGreatFutures.org? We’re glad you asked!
Resumes
Looking for new talent to secure your company’s future? Make MCAAGreatFutures.org your first stop. Here, you’ll find the resumes of the bright students who participate in MCAA Student Chapters.
Looking for a specific skill like BIM or Autocad? Enter it into the keyword filter and you’ll get an instant list of students who fit the bill.
Prefer to search by university? We’ve got you covered – just select the university from the list and hit Submit.
Just want interns? Only looking for full-time professionals? The results can also be filtered by job type, so you can narrow them down depending on your needs.
Access to the resumes is exclusively for MCAA members, giving members first dibs on the talent the association’s Career Development Initiative has helped to nurture. To see candidate details, simply login with your MCAA.org username and password.
Our Universities
Visit this section of the site to check out our newest addition – university home pages. Each page provides a more detailed look at the university’s academic program, awards, and activities along with the basics like contact information. In addition, each page highlights resumes of the university’s students who are looking for their great futures.
An interactive map at the top of the page lets you filter the results to find universities near you. Or, skip the map to browse all universities.
News & Resources
This area of MCAAGreatFutures.org highlights job-related news content, including news submitted by our student chapters.
For MCAA members, this means information about how to manage interns, applying for internship grants, and the like.
Students get targeted information about our industry, job search tips, and information about Career Development Initiative programs like the GreatFutures Forum and the annual Student Chapter Competition.
Educators have their own area, too. In addition to information about Career Development Initiative programs and news from student chapters, they see information about programs specifically for them, like faculty grants.
Curious about what other groups are looking at? Browse all news and resources to find out!
Click and CONNECT with DATELINE, MSCA’s monthly newsletter! What you need to know to catch up on the latest news and information and all things – MSCA.
Technology is a bear that many of us have to wrestle with. It is big and daunting from afar but it is not going away. The good news is that many of your peers are adapting to this change, learning about new tools and processes, and coming armed to the fight.
MCAA’s 2017 Technology Conference is helping them prepare. It keeps leading contractors at their best, provides solutions and takeaways for everyone and prepares second movers to make the changes necessary to compete.
Set over three days in Austin, Texas this November 8-10, the Tech Conference combines the absolute best technology speakers in the business with topic specific breakout sessions and peer-to-peer interaction. This is done because the best ideas can come from not only the industry leading technology mavens, but from other contractors around the country trying out the newest solutions in their area.
Content this year is meant to include all MCAA and MSCA members. This includes large, small, plumbing, mechanical and service contractors. The curriculum was expanded again. While the general sessions will relate to everyone, breakout sessions will dig deep on specific topics related to BIM, operations, service, ownership and IT.
Please take a look at the program and register today. Space is limited and this conference has sold out every year. To register or learn more, visit the MCAA Technology Conference Website.
Fittings Eliminate Dead Legs, Preventing Bacteria Growth
While renovating a historic building, Commonwealth Plumbing found that Viega’s double drop elbows were the best solution for accommodating new bathroom sinks in a tight space with limited design options. By using pressed fittings, Commonwealth not only saved time on installation but also avoided soldering in an old building with a lot of wood.
Rising to the Challenge
The central dining facility at Emerson College in downtown Boston was built around 115 years ago. With a historic structure of that age, the space needed to install completely new plumbing came at a premium. In addition, the renovation included metered faucets on timers, adding a level of complication.
New hot-water plumbing systems were designed for two bathrooms in the dining facility. One bathroom had enough space to install regular tees, but the other bathroom was too small. Viega double drop elbows were selected for the tight space.
“It’s a very old building and just has the issues that come with renovations to a very old building. We had to drop individually to each sink as opposed to having the space to run it horizontally down right to the fixture,” explained Peter Hannon, vice president of Commonwealth. “Due to space within the wall, we didn’t have that luxury. The tight quarters made the double drop elbows the best choice.”
An average user will take 30 seconds or less to wash his hands. Most of the time, that means the water will have been sitting in the pipeline for a while. It will not be freshly heated water until the line is purged. By using Viega’s double drop elbow fittings in the bathroom installation, dead legs in the line were eliminated completely.
“Installing the double drop elbows allows us to get the piping much closer to the fixtures to minimize the dead legs,” Hannon said. “Having warm water at the faucet is a better experience for the user, so they’ll think the best of the facility.” A series design was installed in the other bathroom, the one with more space, which allowed Commonwealth to use more traditional fittings.
Staving Off Stagnation
Stagnant water in plumbing lines can lead to the development of Legionella bacteria. These bacteria can cause Legionnaire’s disease, which can be fatal. Legionella bacteria are particularly concerning in facilities such as hospitals or nursing homes, where users might have compromised immune systems.
At Emerson College, the main focus was providing hot water to users in spite of the low-flow faucets. In a series design installation, like the sinks in a bathroom, when water is turned on at the end of the line, the water circulates through the whole system, purging the line and providing hot water to the active fixture almost immediately.
“We’ve done a loop system before similar to this,” said Hannon. “This was the first time we’d used these particular fittings, the double drop elbows. We met our installation goals. Especially where there was a lot of wood in the building, pressing saved us from having to solder.” Time and labor savings, along with quality of connections are important factors in Commonwealth’s use of Viega solutions. “We’ve been using Viega for a number of years and have had very good luck with it,” Hannon said. “We recommend and submit it for projects as often as possible as a product to use.”
Remote Troubleshooting Ability Saves on Service Calls
To meet the stringent standards for climate control required to protect its treasured artwork and artifacts in storage, the University of California Berkeley’s Regatta Museum installed Daikin Rebel® commercial rooftop systems, paired with the Daikin Intelligent Equipment® solution that provides real-time data. Using the software solution saved time and money during the 6-week startup and commissioning process of a critical control application where rooftop package units are seldom used. “With some fine-tuning, Daikin optimized the control of the Rebel units to meet required tolerances of +/- 2 degrees and +/- 5-percent relative humidity,” said Matt Dodds, Daikin application engineer for commercial rooftop units.
For the major renovation of 21,000 square-feet of its warehouse space, the museum specified two 10-ton Daikin Rebel rooftop systems to maintain optimal cooling and tight humidity control. “The variable speed compressors on the Rebel rooftop units have the capability to provide temperature and humidity control at significantly less cost than the installed price of an air-cooled chiller desiccant system with storage tank,” said Daikin representative Steve Dobberstein.
University of California Berkeley’s Regatta Museum’s storage facilities contain thousands of historic artifacts. The museum installed Daikin Rebel commercial rooftop systems paired with the Daikin Intelligent Equipment solution to meet its stringent standards for climate control and to preserve the integrity of the collection.
Each Rebel rooftop unit is connected to the Daikin Intelligent Equipment solution, which gives the museum real-time data it can use to anticipate and respond to operational needs. Intelligent Equipment is factory-installed, so there is no need to call in a controls-specific contractor during equipment installation. At the Regatta’s climate-controlled warehouse, Intelligent Equipment was used to calibrate the rooftop equipment during the commissioning process. Intelligent Equipment controls give almost 350 diagnostic points on the Rebel units. By allowing technicians to dive deep into unit diagnostics, Intelligent Equipment identifies potential problems. During the set-up for the museum, technicians could see and adjust equipment settings remotely, eliminating the need for the facility manager or building owner to make a service call.
“The customer trusted using Rebel rooftops and Intelligent Equipment in this climate-control application. The fact that a Daikin applications engineer halfway across the country can be virtually hands-on with Intelligent Equipment allowed us to sell the job,” Dobberstein said.
“Intelligent Equipment provides a window into basic trending information on base temperature and humidity and other control points such as compressor speed, fan speed, and unit state, giving engineers the ability to adjust the settings and troubleshoot,” said Dodds. “On a remote basis, you can go into the data for a deeper level of insight than you would by talking to a service technician standing by a unit on the roof.”
Dobberstein added, “Intelligent Equipment gave access to hundreds of diagnostic points unobtainable from the facility’s building automation system. [It] is also a helpful application because of the high cost of technician services,” noting the platform’s remote troubleshooting capability eliminated several service truck rolls during commissioning.
With highly secure Ethernet LAN or high-security cellular network connections available, the museum always knows that the only individuals accessing their equipment are those who keep their system running at its utmost peak efficiency.
When the Steamfitters UA Local 602 Mechanical Trades School needed equipment to use in its apprenticeship program, SPX Cooling Technologies donated a Marley® NC cooling tower, enabling the school to present students with a real-world environment. Instructors use the complete new cooling system to teach students how to troubleshoot and fix problems with HVAC systems.
Union Beefs Up Training Spaces
The Steamfitters UA Local 602 Mechanical Trades School benefits from equipment donations like those of SPX Cooling Technologies for hands-on training in its apprenticeship program.
Steamfitters UA Local 602 Mechanical Trades School recently expanded and renovated its training facilities. The union, which represents journeymen, apprentices, and helpers working in the heating, air conditioning, refrigeration, and process piping industries, sought equipment donations to outfit the school and help with its apprenticeship training mission. The school’s training centers in Landover, MD, and Springfield, VA offer a five-year apprenticeship and train a diverse group of over 700 students ranging in age from 19 to 70 years old.
Apprentices are assigned to a union contractor and jobsite, and they generally work 40 hours per week. Classes range from soldering and brazing, health and safety, and drawing and blueprint-reading to basic and advanced refrigeration and electricity.
James Balderson, assistant training director, explained that the nonprofit school has a very small equipment budget, so he has to think creatively to beef up the equipment available for HVAC training. Balderson is the coordinator for the school’s HVAC department and trains air conditioning, refrigeration, and boiler technicians.
“Being able to expose our students to real equipment gives us a greater advantage compared to teaching out of a book,” said Balderson. “Classroom time is necessary, but we must reinforce it with hands-on training.”
Balderson notes that he and other instructors regularly ask vendors if they know anyone discarding equipment. “If they are going to replace equipment and it’s still usable, we’ll arrange to come get it. Hands-on knowledge is the most important part of the steamfitter’s trade, so the ability to have access to real equipment to solve real-time problems is essential in the industry.”
He developed a long equipment wish list, at the top of which was a cooling tower. SPX agreed to donate a factory-assembled single-cell crossflow Marley NC® 8401 cooling tower. Originally constructed as a demonstration cooling tower for trade shows, the tower is typical of what students would see in the field every day, making it an excellent fit for the school. “When I was in the field, the Marley brand was known as one of the superior cooling towers out there, so I was happy when I heard we had an opportunity to get one for our program,” Balderson said.
Cooling Tower Central to Training
The Marley NC, provided by SPX Cooling Technologies for training, is also being used to cool the school’s newly designed classrooms for interactive learning.
The cooling tower is key to the students’ hands-on training. When it was delivered, the apprentices helped install the tower, and now it is being used to cool one of the new classrooms. The instructors also use the tower in conjunction with other pieces of HVAC equipment in the classroom. The availability of real operating equipment allows instructors to intentionally put “faults” in the system as it runs, so they can train students to troubleshoot. When the system shuts down—for example, a pump stops pumping water or a fan no longer pulls air through the heat
exchanger—the apprentice is tasked with identifying the problem and fixing it.
“We could buy trainer units, but having the real thing is so much better,” said Balderson. “A working cooling system where I can place faults that HVAC technicians have to fix is the best way to train. They can process firsthand how important it is to properly maintain equipment and components and how water treatment is critical to product lifecycle.”
In sum, Balderson said, “Without these kinds of equipment donations, we could not provide the education we do. They help us educate our apprentices to a high level.”
MCAA members continue to seek ways to stay competitive. This issue of Smart Solutions demonstrates how our Supplier Partners are helping you resolve demanding technical challenges, increase efficiency, and improve productivity. Read how an exceptional designer from Anvil® International helped Bennell, Inc., figure out how to install multiple systems in a cramped mechanical room. Similarly, engineers at Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co.® rapidly designed new trench drains to keep J.W. McClenahan Co.’s project on track.
Learn why Arden Building Companies chose Victaulic’s easy-to-install grooved connections to speed up installation for a major renovation. Or how Commonwealth Plumbing used Viega fittings to accommodate the tight spaces of a historic building.
Also see how contractors are tackling complex jobs. James Craft & Son Inc. found that only EVAPCO, Inc. had cooling towers with a small-enough footprint, yet large-enough capacity, to meet its client’s needs. Daikin’s commercial rooftop systems, paired with its software solution, met the stringent demands of a museum storage facility. With aerial lifting by Erickson Inc., Hill Mechanical Group placed equipment on a downtown Chicago rooftop in just a few hours. John E. Green Company trusted Johnson Controls products to meet energy efficiency demands and save installation time. P1 Group installed 300’ of Aquatherm piping in just 24 hours, minimizing downtime for their client.
Members are always finding new tools and products to beef up productivity, such as Uponor’s AquaPEX® crosslinked polyethylene piping, which saved Metropolitan Mechanical Contractors installation time. Josam Company’s easy-to-install Pro-Plus trench drain system cut labor and installation time for Miinc Mechanical Contractors. Atomatic Mechanical Services’ relies on the quality of Wheatland Tube’s domestic pipe to ensure leak-free pipes and save time both onsite and after installation.
On the technology side, to battle “the paper demon,” Egan Company installed KEY2ACT’s MobileTech solution, slashing billing time and eliminating time-consuming paperwork. Implementing an integrated software solution from Jonas Construction Software helped Flo-Tron Contracting reduce payroll processing time by 50 percent. Anderson, Rowe & Buckley deployed MobiliForms from iBusiness Technologies, cutting labor costs. With Rhumbix, Independent Mechanical Industries, Inc.’s foremen fill out time cards on their phones in minutes, minimizing errors. Milwaukee Tool’s digital equipment tracker helps JH Kelly manage inventory and recover tools quickly.
Finally, read about SPX Cooling Technologies’ donation of a Marley® NC cooling tower to the Steamfitters UA Local #602 Mechanical Trades School for its apprenticeship program for another example of how our Supplier Partners recognize the needs of the field and work with you to meet them.
Ferguson
FARO Technologies, Inc.
The second day of the GreatFutures Forum continued with a variety of education sessions focused on teamwork and discussions.
In It’s All in the Game – Forum Frenzy (Part I), Prof. Tim Wentz of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln challenged student teams to analyze a project and decide how to organize and manage it to successful and completion. The teams have less than 12 hours to prepare to answer a battery of questions. We’ll see how they do tomorrow morning.
The event facilitated two matches. Cole Zeiler found his great future with HMH Contractors, Inc. and Kenneth Bankard found his with F.E. Moran, Inc. Congratulations to MCAA members and students alike!
MCAA members continue to seek ways to stay competitive. This issue of Smart Solutions demonstrates how our Supplier Partners are helping you resolve demanding technical challenges, increase efficiency, and improve productivity. Read how an exceptional designer from Anvil® International helped Bennell, Inc., figure out how to install multiple systems in a cramped mechanical room. Similarly, engineers at Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co.® rapidly designed new trench drains to keep J.W. McClenahan Co.’s project on track.