Organization: MCAA

Using MSUITE and Prefabrication, Limbach Completes Hospital Project Two Months Ahead of Schedule

With MSUITE’s FabPro software, Limbach successfully streamlined operations in a pop-up fabrication shop with multiple trades working side-by-side, minimizing assembly and installation time. The combination of exceptional teamwork, technology, and advanced planning led to completion of the project two months early and helped the building owner save $5.6 million. 

Headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, Limbach has 1,500 employees nationwide and 10 major branches across the United States. As a leading MEP contractor, Limbach leverages MSUITE to offer integrated building systems solutions with expertise in design, fabrication, installation, management, service, and maintenance of HVAC, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and control systems. The firm includes an in-house MEP+C design-build staff and eight fabrication shops with a total fabrication capacity of about 208,000 square feet.  

Facilitating Fabrication 

Although Limbach already uses MSUITE at its fabrication facilities, multitrade usage was a new opportunity. MSUITE’s FabPro software helps manage productivity for fabrication shops. The cloud-based platform offers production tracking and reporting and documents everything from start to installation for multiple trades.  

Once the project team decided to set up a multitrade fabrication shop for the McLaren Greater Lansing Hospital project, the team acquired the Pine Tree Shop, a 25,000-square-foot warehouse, to convert into the fabrication facility they needed. It was a huge advantage that allowed Limbach to quickly manufacture and transport materials to the jobsite, which was only two miles away. MSUITE’s expertise in fabrication helped Limbach come up with the fabrication shop layout for optimal flow. Limbach used MSUITE’s BIMPro and FabPro to take model information to the shop floor and track real-time status and productivity. 

Limbach’s team set up 220 total racks and six assembly lines to add 4,400 linear feet of racks with a total of 71,500 linear feet of conduit, piping, plumbing, sheet metal, cable tray, and drywall. All of these were tested, inspected, and insulated in place. The total assembly time in the shop for Limbach’s scope of work was 8,000 hours for a four-day turnaround per line. The entire process per floor was approximately a three-week turnaround, which included the shop assembly line, delivery, installation, and finalization. The environmental control and ability to streamline the work increased productivity and quality. 

From the beginning, the joint venture Barton Malow-Christman and its stakeholders were on board with Limbach delivering the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection aspects of the project. The group (which included the owner, engineer, general contractor, and subcontractors) invested heavily in design-for-manufacturing (DfMA) principles to engineer the building for prefabrication. 

Connecting Design, Fabrication, and Field 

MSUITE’s management software includes design automation capabilities in Autodesk Revit with seamless integration to fabrication tracking software in FabPro and field tracking software in the field. The entire methodology allows continuous feedback into the process for improvement to facilitate better communication, collaboration, and workflow efficiency.

Using a combination of physical and virtual information that incorporated BIM modeling from MSUITE helped Limbach target the best candidates for prefabrication, improving communication and collaboration among designers and fabricators.

Mark Lamberson, CPD, Limbach’s national virtual design and construction (VDC) manager, said, “MSUITE’s workflows helped Limbach track production and provided to the owner real-time reporting of fab shop inventory, including documentation to support monthly billings.” The data captured also provides easy access to the detailed tracking information required by insurers. 

The DfMA process helped the team visualize racks and corridors to reassure the owner that the strategy would meet the building’s lifecycle needs and aggressive schedule. Using “mixed reality,” a combination of physical and virtual information, the owner’s representatives were able to explore the racked systems to simulate the ease of installation and future maintenance. Mixed reality was also used for quality assurance and quality control of modules and allowed the owner to “walk through” virtual racks alongside the fabricated racks. 

The DfMA approach incorporated Lean manufacturing concepts such as identifying high-value fabrication targets—for example, headwalls, wet walls, and bathroom pods. The team employed the “choosing by advantages” technique to select the right modules for the project. Key decision-making factors included the availability and costs of shop space, jobsite congestion, material handling, and delivery. 

Collaboration Saves Time, Labor 

The McLaren Greater Lansing Hospital project benefited from considerable collaboration across all trade partners on the jobsite. The shop workforce included just 14 people for all trades, resulting in a 30-percent reduction in trade labor onsite for installation of the racked systems. Installing the racked systems in the building took about an hour per rack, totaling 220 hours. 

The assembly on the jobsite was extraordinarily efficient compared with stick-building, and eliminating the extra time onsite produced significant savings. MSUITE helped onsite and fabrication teams alike track the real-time status and productivity metrics. 

Lamberson noted, “The two-months schedule savings resulted in a $5.6 million-dollar direct return to the owner. Two months of unexpected operational time for the health care facility can mean an indirect revenue impact of $60 million.” 

The prefabrication approach yielded other benefits for the project team. Workers were able to test, insulate, and tag all the products in the fabrication shop before delivering them onsite. Having products ready to install as soon as they were delivered helped mitigate the effects of the harsh Michigan winter onsite. The risk of exposure to COVID-19 infection was decreased because fewer workers had to be on the jobsite and those in the prefabrication shop were separated into workstations. 

Limbach offered the following lessons learned from the McLaren Greater Lansing Hospital Project: 

  • Early involvement: Early team involvement is critical to success. 
  • Building the team: All stakeholders must be present (carpenters, etc.). 
  • Fabrication support: Prefabrication must be supported from the top down. 
  • Mindset shift: The team must adopt the attitude of  “What can’t we fabricate?” 
  • Fabrication shop proximity to jobsite: Consider over-the-road requirements, permits, etc. 
  • Team decisions: Use the entire team for decisions; different stakeholders will perceive different benefits and drawbacks.

Barton Malow-Christman team members—VDC Manager Alan Todd, Project Director Colin Martin, Project Manager Keith Berry, and Project Manager Bob Gallagher—joined McLaren Health Care Vice President Dan Medrano, Limbach Assistant Vice President Kevin Dettling, and Harley Ellis Devereaux Project Manager Eric Wingelaar to present the successful McLaren Greater Lansing Hospital project at the Advancing Prefabrication conference earlier this year.

Watch a time-lapse video of the construction of the new McLaren Greater Lansing hospital from groundbreaking to current day: http://webcams.christmanco.com/McLaren-Greater-Lansing-Replacement-Hospital 

For more information, visit www.msuite.com.

Dezincification: Breaking the 15-Percent Zinc Wall

Wieland Chase Explains Processes Leading to Improved Dezincification-Resistance

By Larry Muller, Senior Technical Advisor, Wieland Chase, LLC

Some technical papers and websites on brass corrosion repeat the same caution that dezincification will occur in alloys containing more than 15-percent zinc. A few will go beyond that simple statement to talk about efforts to solve this issue. The 15-percent zinc limit is generally the only thing that stays in the readers’ mind if they are trying to design a part that is in an environment that could lead to dezincification. 

Reading this was a surprise to me after spending 28-plus years as a metallurgist working with a variety of copper and brass alloys. After all, our industry had sold billions of pounds of C36000, a 35+-percent zinc-leaded brass, to the potable water industry without corrosion problems outside of installation or grounding issues. If 15-percent zinc was the dividing line between a suitable brass for corrosion resistance and one prone to failure, where were the complaints, and why did the plumbing industry continue to use it? 

The reason behind this 15-percent zinc content concern is lost to history. Older technical papers don’t provide a trail to the problems that caused someone to establish 15-percent zinc as an upper limit. It just gets repeated in formal and informal articles and papers on corrosion of brass without any attribution or investigation. The problem is that “15-percent zinc” isn’t the full story.

The history of brass used in water applications for the last 100 years shows that brass alloys with up to and over 35-percent zinc have been used successfully to the tune of multiple billions of parts in the United States and Europe. It didn’t happen without some effort, but it did happen, as the following examples show: 

  1. The problem of dezincification in 70-percent copper/30-percent zinc brass tubes in steam-powered navy ship condensers was solved through an addition of an alloying element corrosion inhibitor (1).
  2. The problem of severe dezincification in potable water fittings was solved in Europe in 1980 with the introduction of a brass (CZ132/CW602N) using a high temperature anneal and addition of an alloying element corrosion inhibitor to leaded brass containing 36 percent zinc (2).
  3. In the United States, alloys C36000 and C37700 with about 36 percent and 39 percent zinc, respectively, were used successfully for decades without significant issues with dezincification.
  4. New lead-free brasses have been developed and commercialized with zinc contents greater than 15 percent, some using the single or double approach of alloying element and thermal processing to be dezincification-resistant.

Development of Dezincification-Resistant Brasses With Greater Than 15-Percent Zinc 

It’s obvious then that brasses with zinc greater than 15 percent show no dezincification problems when using the metallurgical advancements of the last 100 years. The following provides explanations and data on what tools are used to make those brass alloys dezincification-resistant, what is meant by dezincification-resistant, and the tests that indicate they will provide long, functional lives. 

What Does Dezincification-Resistant Mean and How Is It Tested? 

The old 15-percent zinc claim that brass “suffers dezincification” is vague. A brass part with zinc levels below 15 percent can show small levels of dezincification according to some published studies, and those with up to 35 percent can show no dezincification. Because the problem can affect alloys with up to 15-percent zinc, obviously some dezincification was considered acceptable. Recently, the brass world changed with the requirement to eliminate the use of leaded brass in potable water fittings (3, 4) and some high-profile PEX fitting dezincification failures in the Las Vegas area (5, 6). It became necessary to: 1) develop new lead-free alloys; 2) to define what “dezincification-resistant” meant quantitatively (7–11); and 3) have tests that would provide guidance on how long a part can be expected to last. 

According to the various standards referenced in Table 1, a brass is considered dezincification resistant if it meets the requirements of the standards shown. There are other tests (Turner, Brandl) but the ISO6509 test has been the international standard since 1981. Independent studies (12–14) have shown this test successfully predicts long-term (greater than 30 years in corrosive drinking water) performance. An important point here is that this laboratory test uses extremely harsh conditions to accelerate the potential for corrosion that will take years or decades to develop.

What Metallurgical Tools Are Used to Make Alloys Meet the “Dezincification-Resistant” Requirements? 

There are three primary tools that make brass dezincification-resistant according to current requirements.

Minor alloying additions (0.20 percent maximum): Arsenic (As), Antimony (Sb), Phosphorus (P). These are the alloying element additions that have been researched and put into production over the last 100 years. There’s enough laboratory and real-life performance data to show that they are effective in preventing dezincification in brasses with zinc contents up to 36 percent (Figure 1). Above 36-percent zinc, neither these nor the major alloying elements shown can fully protect the brass because of a zinc-rich phase (beta phase) that forms during processing. 

Major alloying additions (>0.25 percent): Nickel (Ni), Tin (Sn), Aluminum (Al). These alloying element additions have been in use longer than the minor alloying additions mentioned above. They are just as effective as the minor additions but have the same limitations of not being able to protect brasses with greater than 36-percent zinc because of the beta phase vulnerability to dezincification. 

Thermal treatments such as high temperature annealing or forging. This method reduces or eliminates the beta phase in higher zinc brasses. By converting beta phase to alpha phase, it can now be protected by the minor or major alloying additions. The precaution here is that the cooling rate after these thermal treatments has to be slow enough to prevent beta phase from reforming. Fortunately, that process is well understood by the brass mills performing the operation.

What Data Show How These Metallurgical Techniques Improve Dezincification Resistance? 

Figures 1, 2, and 3 show ISO6509 test results from an independent laboratory. Figure 1 shows the range of results from having no special metallurgical protection to alloying plus thermal treatments on alloys from 5-percent zinc to 42-percent zinc. At some point above 36-percent zinc, beta phase begins to form increasing amounts, so nothing can protect it as discussed above (Note: All test results are from Corrosion Testing Laboratories, Newark DE).

In Figure 2, you can see that the use of the two methods of the minor alloying addition and thermal treatment combine to improve dezincification resistance. However, they can only do so much before the beta phase problem negates their beneficial effects. 

Figure 3 shows ISO6509 results for alloys with or without phosphorus and no thermal heat treatments. Except for the 21-percent zinc alloy, there’s a large fluctuation in results until the phosphorus addition is made.

Improving Dezincification-Resistance 

The data and information above show: 

  • the use of dezincification resistance alloying elements are an effective way to significantly improve dezincification resistance in brass with greater than 15-percent zinc; 
  • publications provide evidence that theses metallurgical technologies have been in use in production brass alloys for up to 100 years; 
  • any shortcomings of metallurgically advanced brasses with greater than 15-percent zinc would have been revealed by now; and 
  • this metallurgical technology has been replicated successfully among a number of “new” brasses commercialized to meet the 2014 national low lead requirement.

For more data and explanations, watch the webinar “The Basics of Dezincification”: https://wieland-chase.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Dezincification-Web-Class-ver-2-12-2020.pdf  

References 

  1. Lucey, V. F. (1965, June). The mechanism of dezincification and the effect of arsenic I. British Corrosion Journal, 9–14. 
  2. Copper Development Association. (1982). Dezincification-resistant brass. Information Sheet 36. https://copperalliance.org.uk/resources/36-dezincification-resistant-brass/ 
  3. California Assembly Bill no. 1953 (amended May 25, 2006). https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=200520060AB1953 
  4. Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act. (January 5, 2010). https://www.congress.gov/bill/111th-congress/senate-bill/3874 
  5. Pope, J. (2008, November 4). $90 million faulty plumbing settlement gets initial approval. Las Vegas Sun. 
  6. Sarver, E. (2010). Insights into non-uniform copper and brass corrosion in potable water systems [Doctoral dissertation, Virginia Tech]. https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/handle/10919/29474 
  7. American National Standards Institute. (2019). Plastics piping system components and related materials (NSF/ANSI 14–2019).  
  8. ISO. (2017). Corrosion of metals and alloys. Determination of dezincification resistance of copper alloys with zinc—Part 2: Assessment criteria (ISO6509-2: 2017).  
  9. UL. (2001). Automatic Sprinklers for Fire Protection Service (UL199). 
  10. Australian Standard. (2006; reconfirmed 2016). Dezincification resistance of copper alloys (AS 2345-2006). 
  11. German Institute for Standardization-European Standards. (2016). Copper and copper alloys: rod for free machining purposes (DIN EN 12164: 2016-11). doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.31030/2535041 
  12. Saver, Edwards, & Zhang. (2011). Revisiting dezincification performance for brass plumbing Devices. Materials Performance, 50(5), 70–75. 
  13. Holm, R., Sundberg, R., & Mattson, E. (1982). Experiences with brass components for water installations in Sweden. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Corrosion of Copper and Copper alloys in Building, Tokyo, Japan, 230–238. 
  14. Johnson. (1977, August). Evaluation of rapid tests for dezincification-resistant brass. BNF Metals Technology Center Research Report No. A 1921.  

MSUITE–TigerStop Integration Helps Gallo Mechanical Automate Fab Shop Operation, Cutting Costs and Increasing Productivity

Gallo Mechanical, the Gulf Coast’s leading mechanical and plumbing contractor, saw an opportunity to eliminate paper and automate its fabrication shop with advanced technology. After a competitive bid, Gallo selected MSUITE’s FabPro for its ability to integrate with TigerStop and track time and production in the fab shop. “From the start, the integration between MSUITE and TigerStop saved our firm $4,000,” said Ray McDonald, Gallo’s general manager and fabrication coordinator.

Gallo Mechanical uses MSUITE’s BIMPro design automation solution to increase design quality, eliminate the bore of dimensioning and tagging, and improve productivity by automating spooling and sheet creation 10 times faster than traditional methods. FabPro automates real-time production and material tracking for Gallo’s fab shop. The productivity software increases visibility, productivity, and accuracy in the facility, so Gallo Mechanical can better manage production and materials logistics. “FabPro helps us automate production tracking, mitigate schedule risks by predicting whether due dates are realistic the moment our work is loaded and if materials are available,” said McDonald. 

The TigerStop machine accurately positions and cuts various materials, including copper, PVC, Aquatherm, and Uponor pipe and other plastics for Gallo Mechanical’s prefabrication division. “With the BIMPro-to- FabPro-to-TigerStop integration, the automation and workflows replaced several manual steps and take a quarter of the time,” said McDonald. 

Before adopting MSUITE solutions, Gallo was facing a number of business challenges:

Gallo Mechanical is
streamlining its fabrication
processes by using
MSUITE FabPro integrated
with TigerStop, creating
efficiencies that save
money on raw material
purchases and reduce
scrap and waste.
  • Manual processes (in the fab shop and across departments) 
  • Substantial paper and material waste 
  • Administrative time involved in using paper timecards 
  • Fab shop staff’s lack of familiarity with new technology

Now, the efficient flow of information is transforming metal fabrication. Before Gallo Mechanical implemented MSUITE and TigerStop, paper ruled the day. Employees would transfer paperwork orders to the programmer, attach physical nest reports, set up the fabrication book, and carry it to the shop floor. Upon finishing a job, the machine operator completed a job report to update inventory. If any stakeholder (for example, a supervisor, customer, or executive) wanted to know where a job was in production, staff needed to walk to the floor, talk with operators, and continue hunting until they found the work. 

Since implementing MSUITE’s BIMPro, along with FabPro’s integration to TigerStop, Gallo’s design team automatically uploads designs and manufacturing data to FabPro for nesting. FabPro creates the nesting layout built on the sheet inventory as directed but analyzes several available sheet sizes to select one for optimal material utilization. FabPro nests material by company, job, package, drawing level, and sequence to cut materials in the most effective manner—virtually eliminating waste.

“We are saving 10 percent on every single job. The integration between [MSUITE] BIMPro to FabPro to TigerStop helps Gallo Mechanical save money, increase productivity and efficiency, and reduce risks in the shop.” 

— Ray McDonald, General Manager and Fabrication Coordinator, Gallo Mechanical 

Scheduling jobs in FabPro offers superior production workflows. If an urgent request comes in at the last minute for the fab shop, slipping priority jobs into the schedule is much easier for Gallo Mechanical. Notifications are automatically sent to operators to keep them in sync with workload changes.

“I was printing and delivering books the entire day and built up a massive library,” said Byron Sharp, fab shop foreman. “The MSUITE  FabPro-to-TigerStop integration helps me focus on more important priorities.” 

Gallo has a family atmosphere and many long-time, committed employees. Those employees are familiar with tackling complex problems, but the fabrication staff never used any software before. McDonald explained, “I was deeply concerned how our team was going to react to implementing the monitors and tablets at each workstation, but it was for naught. MSUITE and TigerStop were straightforward to train on and use. I would be hard-pressed from the team to ever pull them out.”

McDonald and the team mapped out every manual step in the fab shop to be configured in MSUITE’s FabPro. Spreadsheets and paper were eliminated and replaced with automated production management software and monitors set at each station. 

“We worked closely with MSUITE’s exceptional client success team to eliminate unnecessary steps, and how to set up an organized process for optimizing our workflows and tracking  employee time,” said McDonald. “TigerStop took two days to turn on, and we started seeing results, as well.” 

“With the BIMPro-to-FabPro-to-TigerStop integration, the automation and workflows replaced several manual steps and take a quarter of the time.” 

— Ray McDonald, General Manager and Fabrication Coordinator, Gallo Mechanical 

Gallo’s shop-controlled environment enables them to maintain high quality and constant productivity levels regardless of project site conditions. FabPro automates real-time production and material logistics from the shop floor to take their fabrication capabilities to a new level. 

Gallo is at the forefront of using MEP manufacturing technology to gain strategic advantages. The MSUITE– TigerStop integration connects model data to shop floor cut stations to automate the cut list creation and optimization and nesting processes. No longer do staff have to create and manage CSV files. With this integration, MSUITE and TigerStop eliminate multiple tedious steps and maximize efficiencies of the cutting process. 

“Not only is our MSUITE FabPro-to-TigerStop helping us save on scrap, but it has also saved us an incredible amount of money on raw material purchases,” said McDonald. “We are saving 10 percent on every single job. The integration between BIMPro to FabPro to TigerStop helps Gallo Mechanical save money, increase productivity and efficiency, and reduce risks in the shop,” McDonald concluded. 

For more information, visit www.msuite.com. 

 

 

Rand Construction Relies on U.S.-Made ASC Gruvlok Products to Keep Hospital Project on Track During Pandemic

Renovating an active hospital is challenging in the best of times; to complete a transplant hospital’s new unit in the midst of a global pandemic, Rand Construction needed products that could be delivered on time and installed quickly and safely. Gruvlok® grooved couplings and fittings from ASC Engineered Solutions were the perfect fit. ASC is a major sponsor of MCAA22. 

In November 2020, Midwest Transplant Network’s headquarters in Westwood, KS, began major mechanical renovations and minor additions to create a new Donor Care and Surgical Recovery Unit. The Midwest Transplant Network is a nonprofit organization that provides services for organ donation and procurement in Kansas and parts of Missouri. By providing an onsite recovery facility for organ and tissue donors, the Midwest Transplant Network reduces the reliance on local hospital resources and ensures that donors receive highly specialized care. 

Rand Construction worked closely with distributor MKS Pipe and Valve, which recommended Gruvlok ductile iron couplings and cast fittings and carbon steel schedule-40 fabricated fittings for the project. “Some of the major equipment, such as the chiller, was already manufactured and shipped with grooved connections. That made it an obvious choice to utilize Gruvlok,” said Fred Thorpe, vice president of Rand Construction. “Gruvlok products were also very helpful in some of the more restricted areas and/or where welding was not an option or permitted,” Thorpe added. 

MKS Sales Manager Kevin Aylward noted, “What really makes [ASC] stand out is the large breadth of their product offering, great customer service, and quality products with dependable deliveries.” MKS made sure that the Gruvlok products for the transplant center met the required specifications for mechanical couplings, achieved savings compared with competitive brands, and were available on the requested delivery timeline. 

The complete Gruvlok order was delivered on time, in one shipment, boxed and tagged to indicate what materials were enclosed. Thorpe pointed out, “By utilizing Gruvlok products, we were also able to install products made right here, at home in the USA.” Because ASC has domestic manufacturing locations, Gruvlok products were less affected by the prevalent delays in production and shipping that happened throughout 2020 and 2021. 

Another key selection criteria that helped secure Gruvlok as the build choice was ASC’s extensive building information modeling (BIM) catalog. All Gruvlok products can be used in digital design projects; ASC provides Gruvlok BIM content in multiple file formats and design program compatibility, including Revit®. 

“We were confident the products would work when we incorporated them into our preliminary planning, layout, design, and fabrication,” said Thorpe. “All of the data needed to make an educated decision was readily and promptly available, so that’s clearly why we chose Gruvlok.” 

Thorpe added, “MKS and ASC Engineered Solutions were excellent strategic partners on the Midwest Transplant Network project,” citing their cooperation with Rand as a key factor in this project’s success. The Midwest Transplant Network Donor Care and Surgical Recovery Unit is expected to begin taking patients in late spring or early summer of 2022. 

For more information, visit www.asc-es.com. MCAA thanks ASC Engineered Solutions for being a major sponsor of MCAA22. 

Wayne Crouse, Inc. Cuts Installation Time with Marley Cooling Towers

Installing Marley® Cooling Towers from SPX Cooling Technologies, Inc., Wayne Crouse, Inc. shaved several days off of the schedule for a challenging project at a large university medical center in Pennsylvania. Extensive advance planning and coordination with the hospital, contractors, and trades was key. 

The 500+-bed medical center’s multiyear master plan required a central plant expansion and replacement of the cooling towers. This complex project included a number of demanding requirements:  

  • New towers must operate more quietly than existing systems to address neighborhood concerns. (Read this SPX blog post on addressing noise issues: https://spxcooling.com/news/addressing-noise-issues/) 
  • Cooling systems must continue to operate throughout the replacement process. 
  • Construction must avoid peak heat load seasons. 
  • New towers must fit into the existing central plant space and tap into existing piping connections. 
  • Access to the emergency department, directly adjacent to the construction site, could not be closed; there must be zero interruptions for ambulances. 
  • The installation process had to navigate beneath an existing parking structure before being hoisted atop the plant. 

Marley Cooling Towers were specified by consulting engineers BR+A and Barton Associates, Inc. to meet the hospital’s requirements for quiet operation, reliability, and redundancy with capacity to allow for future expansion. The general contractor, Turner Construction, chose Pittsburgh-based mechanical contractor Wayne Crouse, Inc. for the challenging installation.

The general contractor’s logistics partner, SourceBlue LLC, procured the cooling towers well ahead of the construction schedule. Wayne Crouse, Inc. staged the towers in a rigger’s yard, which allowed product delivery to the construction site precisely when required and greatly reduced road closures that would impact access to the hospital’s emergency department.  

The cooling tower replacement was accomplished in two phases. Phase one, replacing four Marley cooling towers in service since the 1980s, was completed in spring 2020, ahead of peak summer heat. Phase two, completed in spring 2021, replaced five newer cooling towers from another manufacturer that were noisy and showed early signs of corrosion and deterioration. Future central plant expansion phases will include chiller replacement. 

Wayne Crouse prefabricated piping and valving at their facility and successfully placed all phase-one towers (four cells/eight modules) in position within two days. Similarly, phase-two towers (five cells/ten modules) were placed within three days’ time. 

“There was a good flow of information among the players, and the lessons learned in phase one helped us to beat expectations for phase two. Phase two went even more smoothly, and we reduced rigging from the five days planned to three days,” according to Shawn Bell of Turner Construction.

For more information, visit www.spxcooling.com.

Piping Systems Slashes Cutting Time and Increases Capacity With Watts-Mueller Machines

Piping Systems Inc. invested in a Watts-Mueller cutting system when it became clear that its current tools were too slow for jobs involving large-diameter pipe. Using the WM Classic Series WM-60 6-axis pipe profiler, a job that once took seven hours to cut was complete in less than an hour. “We knew the ability to reduce cutting times so much would give us a competitive advantage and the investment was necessary,” said Piping Systems President Jeffrey Bunker. 

Need for Speed 

Cutting large-diameter pipe can be cumbersome and time-consuming when done manually. After Piping Systems completed the largest project in its history—a 375,000-linear-foot project with diameters up to 72” and wall thicknesses up to 1.5”—the fabricator realized its current equipment conveyor system would not keep up in the long term. “The equipment’s conveyor we had at the time was only rated for a maximum 500 pounds per foot. There was no way we could run heavy-wall, large-diameter pipe,” said Tony Kent, vice president of Piping Systems.

Watts-Mueller’s WM-60 uses 180 ft. of conveyors to transport pipe from the outside into the main fabrication shop, which enables Piping Systems to cut and bevel most large-bore, heavy-wall pipe inside the facility so it can go directly into production.

Bunker added, “Our automated cutting process prior to the new equipment was limited to 42”. Anything more than that was manual or machine-cut, and it was a slow process. After we completed that first large-diameter job, we knew we needed to be able to cut three to four times faster than what we were capable of doing.” 

Safety was also a concern, as large-diameter, thick-wall pipe is difficult to move by hand. To meet customer demand for heavy pipe processing, Piping Systems purchased a system from Watts-Mueller capable of managing 1,500 pounds per foot. 

Previously, large-bore, heavy-wall pipe had to be brought in using forklifts, set up using the overhead crane or saw cut, then moved to a machine beveling operation. “With the added capacity of the WM-60, most of the large-bore, heavy-wall pipe can be conveyed inside the facility, cut and beveled by the machine, and flowed directly into production,” Bunker said. “There are very few touches by humans beyond that.” 

The system is 180’ long and the largest setup Watts-Mueller has installed to date. It includes compatibility with drafting software, which allows Piping Systems to take cutting job files and import them directly to the machine to reduce manual input errors. “Our goal is to reduce input errors, and so the capability to export files from drafting software reduces overall error rates,” Kent said. 

Piping Systems’ principal products include pipe spool fabrication (large bore and small bore), pipe racks, modular piping, and equipment skids. Founded in 1991, Piping Systems works with carbon steels, stainless steels, nickel alloys, low temperature and chrome alloys, and HDPE in four segregated bays within its Hortonville, WI, facility. 

Customized Solutions 

The WM-60 computer-controlled pipe cutting machine conveys and rotates pipe from 3” to 60” outer diameter with a 45’ machine bed capable of supporting 1,500 pounds per foot to a maximum of 50,000 pounds. Located in Puyallup, WA, Watts-Mueller produces 3D profile cutting machines for round pipes, tanks, dished-ends, square and rectangular pipes, and steel beams, as well as automated welding solutions. The company has over 1,743 machines located in Germany, the United States, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, India, Singapore, and Brazil.

Piping Systems’ Watts-Mueller machine is 180’ long and the largest setup Watts-Mueller has installed to date. It will increase Piping Systems’ capacity to meet customer demand for heavy pipe processing and enhance safety.

Large projects require Watts-Mueller to visit a customer’s location to discuss requirements. “We need to see where the machine will ultimately be installed in their shop,” explained David Carr, managing director of sales and marketing. “We complete drawings based off those measurements and design a machine that is then submitted to the customer for approval.” 

Watts-Mueller is capable of building 160”-diameter machines. Training time varies. “Generally, the install is two weeks for a system this large, and operator training takes one week,” Carr noted. “This learning curve is quite short. The fact that an operator with one week of training and a little practical experience can train other employees is a testament to how good the [software] user interface is.” 

Easy Interface 

Software plays a large role in maintaining efficient machines and processes. Watts-Mueller’s software creates 3D contours as part of an integrated process chain. “Instead of creating the [drawing] as an isolated element,” Carr said, “with 3D-Profile Plus (3DPP), the machines work with both upstream and downstream workflows. This significantly reduces production time, material costs, and errors.” 

The 3DPP CAD/CAM comprehensive system provides models cutting geometries, nests numerous parts to be cut on a single pipe, assigns cutting functions to one or several machines (while taking into account each machine’s capacity), keeps track of each stage of the working process for each machine, and calculates and records cutting times and costs. 

Users can reference 3DPP’s extensive reporting functions for calculation or documentation purposes. “This robust software system can be fully integrated into any company workflow as an autonomous software system for the modeling of pipes or by importing drawings from a multitude of CAD software systems,” Carr said. 

After a decline in new inquiries in 2020, Watts-Mueller has adjusted how it works with customers to keep projects moving. “By being flexible with pricing and payment terms, we have been able to maintain a backlog,” Carr stated. “We are cautiously optimistic for 2021. Inquiries were up in January, and conversations with prospects are positive—the indicators are good.”  

Piping Systems believes its Watts-Mueller installation will be busy in 2021. “We’re expecting a pretty good year ahead compared to 2020,” Bunker said. “I think we’ll get over the COVID-19 hump by the end of the third quarter and expect things to be under control. 

“We have relationships with other fabricators in place that even if we lost half our workforce we’d have a backup plan in place to continue to meet customer expectations without downtime,” Bunker continued. “We’ve learned to plan ahead for any scenario.”  

Use Watts-Mueller’s calculator to estimate the return on investment of a new system: https://www.watts-specialties.com/contact-roi.php 

For more information, call 832-701-7121 or visit www.watts-specialties.com.

Health System Trusts Brandt and NIBCO Valves and Press Fittings for New Hospital Project

When University Health System in San Antonio, TX, invited Brandt to bid on the mechanical and plumbing contract for their new facility, they requested the same systems and products—including NIBCO valves—that Brandt had used on a smaller project with University Health a few years earlier. “The best sales tool is performance,” said Kyle Holmes, senior vice president at Brandt. In addition, Brandt welcomed the opportunity to use NIBCO pressed fittings for the job, saving labor and avoiding the risks of welding. NIBCO is a major sponsor of MCAA22.

University Health’s planned Women’s & Children’s Hospital is a 521,000-square-foot, 12-story, 300-bed hospital expansion for women, babies, and children. Construction began in September 2019 and is scheduled for completion in July 2023. The project includes the new structure and renovation to the hospital’s central plant, as well as additional shell space for future growth. When completed, 4,000 fixtures will be installed. Headquartered in Dallas, Brandt has established itself as the largest MEP contractor in Texas. The firm’s in-house capabilities range from build/design, construction, and commissioning to service.

Time-Saving Systems

At Brandt, Holmes is responsible for planning, purchasing, and maintaining relationships with manufacturers and vendors. He also has been instrumental in Brandt’s business practices and has worked to establish standards, such as the installation matrix, which ensures that everyone on the Brandt team, from estimation to installation, knows what products are used for different systems, whether domestic water, heating, or chilled water. These time-saving standards are particularly critical for health care projects, which typically have more MEP systems per cubic foot than other types of projects.

Using pressing tools and NIBCO fittings, Brandt made most of the joints inside the racks, which range in size from 20’ to 30’ long so they could be transported. Pressing is especially useful for connecting the joints in a rack system, where insulation can easily catch on fire.

The installation matrix details the specific items required for each system. For example, instead of saying a ball valve will be installed, the matrix specifies a NIBCO PC-585-NS valve. Everything is documented, not only so the building owner can feel comfortable with what is being purchased, but also to ensure that the Brandt team is installing the right items in the right places.

For the Women’s & Children’s Hospital, NIBCO valves were specified for a majority of valves, ranging in size from of 1/4” to 20”, from very large butterfly valves to smaller valves spread throughout the building in the various MEP systems, including hydronic systems, domestic water systems, steam systems for sterilization, and chilled process water systems. A valve matrix was created to designate every valve to be used in every size, in every system.

“Valves are really important, but especially in health care,” explained Holmes. “Valves are actually very complex and have an important job to perform in the MEP system. Often, if you have problems in a system, the valve is likely the issue, whether it is leaking or a function of users not understanding proper use.

“NIBCO does a great job of ensuring that they provide a product that is safe (NIBCO valves are lead-free), high quality, and to spec. They are valve experts!” said Holmes, who has been with Brandt for 22 years and has used NIBCO valves the entire time. “What matters to me the most, is that I know if I have a problem and I call someone at NIBCO, they are going to take my phone call. The relationship is important, so if we need training, I know that NIBCO’s got my back.”

A Pressing Approach

Holmes’ trust in NIBCO led him to choose NIBCO pressed fittings for the Women’s & Children’s Hospital project. Brandt recognized that pressing would help the company save on labor. Also, pressing technology is especially useful for working in existing hospital buildings, where fire watches are required when flames or soldering are involved.

“I was already very interested in NIBCO’s pressing products for the labor savings, but then to not have to deal with flames was a bonus,” explained Holmes. “I knew the buy-in from our organization would be easy if we were working with the same company that provided us with high-quality valves. It also reduced paperwork and increased efficiencies by not having two different suppliers.”

For the Women’s & Children’s project, the general contractor, J.E. Dunn Construction, requested that Brandt prefab the MEP system in large racks. The two companies had successfully developed the racking system for a smaller, previous project.

“In essence, we were building the ‘spine’ of the hospital before the concrete was even poured,” said Holmes. “The racking system is the magical unicorn for us.”

University Health Systems was so pleased with Brandt’s work on a previous project they invited Brandt to bid on their new facility and requested the same systems and products—including NIBCO valves—be used again.

Using the racking system enabled  Brandt to prefab the MEP systems in the Brandt Fab Shop, located less than 20 miles from the project site. In coordination with the general contractor and other trades, thousands of hours were invested to build the racking systems efficiently, test them, and tag them in a controlled environment that is not affected by weather or inhibited by working off of a ladder. 

Using pressing tools and NIBCO fittings, Brandt made most of the joints inside the racks, which range in size from 20’ to 30’ long so they could be transported. Once the racks were moved to the project site by flatbed trucks, each rack had to be connected, which was done via pressing. More than half of the NIBCO fittings are pressed fittings used on the prefab systems. 

“Every time we can, we want to press a fitting,” said Holmes. “Especially in the rack system, where insulation can easily catch on fire.”

Having a high-quality supplier that provides Brandt with efficiency and confidence has been instrumental on this high-profile project—particularly because Brandt’s service division will eventually service the building. “We’re going to get the call when something goes wrong, so for Brandt, using very high-quality products that the manufacturer stands behind is really important to us,” said Holmes.

For more information, visit  www.nibco.com. MCAA thanks NIBCO for being a major sponsor of MCAA22. 

 

icon Mechanical Gets Ahead of Schedule by Adding Trimble SysQue to Revit

After losing a large project because they did not work in Revit, icon Mechanical made the switch to Revit in 2014, later adding Trimble SysQue. Tim Riedle, vice president of engineering for icon, credits the addition of SysQue with helping icon get ahead of schedule on their projects. (Trimble is a benefactor of MCAA22.)

In an industry more pressed than ever to deliver jobs on time and on budget, up-to-date technology solutions are no longer a “nice-to-have” extra but a requisite for maintaining competitive advantage. Losing a project made clear to icon that while transitions can be challenging, the design/build industry demands them. 

Over the course of several years, Riedle has participated in icon’s evolution from Trimble EC-CAD to Autodesk CADmep to Revit. Although Revit is a powerful tool for engineering design, icon needed the ability to fabricate from their models, which led them to Trimble SysQue for use with Revit. Riedle said the benefits far outweigh any risks. “SysQue [combined with Revit] gives us everything we need and allows us to  leverage the full capacity of Revit and all of its design functionality, with real-world content and constructability,” he noted.

“[Trimble] SysQue gives us everything we need and allows us to leverage the full capacity of Revit and all of its design functionality, with real-world content and constructability.” 

— Tim Riedle, Vice President of Engineering, icon Mechanical 

The SysQue content in particular has been a game-changer for icon. Built for consistency by a dedicated Trimble team, SysQue includes a catalog of Revit families from over 680 manufacturers, all button-mapped and built to manufacturer’s cut sheets. Riedle estimated that it would take two icon employees working full time to build and manage a similar database. Such an expense makes no sense when content experts are available to help set up systems, train staff, and field requests for additions when something is missing. 

How often has SysQue’s catalog lacked a part that icon needs? “In the year and a half we’ve had Trimble’s catalog, we’ve requested [only] one item,” Riedle said, adding, “It was a very specialized pharmaceutical valve.” 

Transitioning to SysQue and its managed content catalog added a level of efficiency and accuracy that Revit could never offer alone. For icon Mechanical, the evolution beyond Revit has meant an evolution in streamlined workflows and efficient collaboration. As Riedle looked toward icon’s future, he was excited by the additional efficiencies that can be achieved using the newest functionality introduced in SysQue, including model-based estimating and collaboration workflows. 

For more information and to request a personalized demo, visit mep.trimble.com. MCAA thanks Trimble for being a benefactor of MCAA22. 

Way Engineering Partners With Victaulic to Meet High Expectations for Houston Highrise

Way Engineering, Ltd. partnered with Victaulic to provide the HVAC mechanical work for a new Houston, TX, highrise, saving the contractor money and time throughout the complex project. Thanks in part to Way Engineering and Victaulic, the 1.14-million-square-foot Texas Tower successfully achieved LEED® Platinum status, WiredScore Platinum Certification (for digital infrastructure), and WELL™ Building Standard certification. Victaulic is a major sponsor of MCAA22. 

In 2018, Hines, a privately owned global real estate investment, development, and management firm, began planning  construction of a 47-floor office building in downtown Houston to house their global headquarters. The location (the former site of the Houston Chronicle newspaper) sits at the confluence of the city’s Central Business District, Theatre District, and Historic District. Construction took place throughout 2020 and 2021, with COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in place. 

Reliable Partners

Way Engineering already had a long history of working with Victaulic. “Victaulic partners with you in a way that’s more than a vendor selling a catalog number,” said Derrick Williams,

Building the 1.14- millionsquare- foot Texas Tower in the middle of downtown Houston posed challenges, but Way Engineering overcame them— for example, by using Victaulic products that were easy to transport and install.

executive vice president of operations at Way Engineering. “They partner with you to make the job a success and take an interest in the project, not just an interest in the sale of a product.” 

Way Engineering and Victaulic started preparation right away, working together on engineering, planning, and scheduling. The timing of this collaboration was fortunate, because it meant the bill of materials was finalized before the industry was affected by pandemic-driven supply chain challenges. 

“Victaulic was active in bringing options to the table; not just waiting to receive the order,” said Williams. “Because we used building information modeling [BIM], we knew early on what would be needed for the job. Victaulic took the initiative to review the advanced bill of material and coordinated scheduled, bagged-and-tagged deliveries. This meant when we required material, it only took two to three days to have it onsite, not four to eight weeks. This made a big difference because you need the flow of a job to never stop; you’re always pushing to meet the schedules set by the general contractor.” 

Anticipating Challenges Together 

The chilled water system for Texas Tower includes four chillers, four cooling towers, 12 pumps, two heat exchangers, fans, filtration systems, duct systems, piping up to a 20” diameter throughout the building to serve the air handling units (AHUs), and risers from the basement to the cooling towers. On the risers, all branches were isolated with Series 761 Vic-300™ MasterSeal™ Butterfly Valves. Then, Series 732 Wye Type Strainers and TA Series 789 Grooved End Manual Balancing Valves accompanied the AHUs to optimize energy efficiency throughout the tower and for ease of installation. 

Having enough pressure is critically important for highrise buildings like Texas Tower. Victaulic’s off-the-shelf Series 761 Vic-300 MasterSeal Butterfly Valves eliminated the need for a specialty high-performance butterfly valve, saving costs and allowing more lead-time. “The planning process across the board, through all parties, was exemplary. Since the inception of the project, Victaulic took on a role as a specialized engineering resource in response to high-performance valve requirements,” confirmed Stan Whitfill, Way Engineering’s executive project manager. “They get involved in the BIM process, and they bring value-engineered options to the table. A lot of companies don’t put in that time and risk until they have a purchase order in hand,” added Williams. 

Way Engineering and Victaulic collaborated closely on engineering, planning, and scheduling for the new Houston, TX, highrise. Their partnership helped the project meet some of the industry’s highest building standards.

In addition to meeting Hines’ high-performance butterfly valve requirement, Way Engineering eliminated flex connectors at the pumps, using three flexible couplings in a line instead. Mechanical connections also allowed Way Engineering to cost-effectively install a temporary loop on the 27th floor to hydro-test part of the system early and eventually connect the higher floors. 

“Being in the middle of downtown Houston is always a struggle for contractors for many reasons, including limited staging and storage areas,” said Corbin Best, territory sales manager at Victaulic. “Aside from a reduction in specialized equipment needed onsite while utilizing mechanical connections, one of the biggest advantages seen at Texas Tower was the ease of mobility and installation when there was one service elevator that all trades had to share to access 47 stories.” 

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, there were limits on how many people were allowed in the building at one time. Way Engineering found that Victaulic products required fewer field connections, and the contractor could fabricate spool pieces offsite, cutting down labor onsite. 

Despite the obstacles, Way Engineering and Victaulic’s collaboration upfront and consistent communication—with each other and with Hines—facilitated a successful project. 

For more information, visit www.victaulic.com. MCAA thanks Victaulic for being a major sponsor of MCAA22. 

Sloan Scientist Crafts New Formula to Better Estimate Peak Water Demand

For decades, engineers have relied on a formula dating from 1940 to estimate peak water demand, a key factor in specifying the smallest pipe size that will provide sufficient water pressure for every fixture in a building to function normally. Sloan’s chief scientist, Kay Herbert, Ph.D., has developed a new formula that yields more accurate water demand estimates— which can save costs, reduce water use, and prevent bacteria growth. (Sloan is a benefactor of MCAA22.) The new formula is ideal for modern engineers grappling with green technology, touch-free fixtures, and hygiene concerns in the post-COVID-19 era. 

Why Estimating Water Demand is So Important—and So Difficult 

Pipes that are too large increase cost unnecessarily and can collect excess water that may breed pathogens. Pipes that are too small do not allow enough water volume for fixtures to operate properly under peak demand. Engineers are charged with specifying the right sized pipes—not just for the main building intake, but for every pipe in the building. That specification depends on an accurate estimate of peak water demand—the maximum average load on the system in one hour. 

If a building only had one fixture, estimating peak water demand would be easy. But estimation is complicated: 

  • Even small buildings have several faucets and flushometers, and large buildings can have thousands of them. 
  • Faucets and flushometers do not run continuously—only when people use them. 
  • The number of people in the building may vary widely from one time of day to another or from one day to the next. 
  • Fixtures in different parts of the building may be set with different flow rates. 
  • Multistory buildings must employ mechanical pumps to overcome the loss of water pressure as water rises in vertical pipes. 

Roy Hunter’s ground-breaking paper in 1940 took these variables into account and became the standard for estimating plumbing system loads for generations of engineers. While Hunter’s system has greatly contributed to plumbing applications, it leaves some gaps for modern plumbing systems. 

Many engineers use the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) calculator, based on Hunter’s curve, which does not account for different water pressures or fixture flow rates. 

Hunter’s Curve Explained—Without Calculus 

Hunter’s curve assumes that every plumbing fixture has an expected on-time, during which it draws water at a specific flow rate for a specific duration of time. Every fixture also has a minimum expected time between uses, impacted by the number of people in the building, their behavior, and the properties of the fixtures. Estimating peak demand takes into account the following variables: 

  • Fixtures 
  • Flow rate 
  • Duration 
  • Time between uses
  • Number of people in the building 
  • Fixture characteristics 
Herbert’s method for estimating peak water demand is more accurate than Hunter’s and easier to obtain, as the calculations can be achieved on a laptop computer. With more accurate estimations, engineers can specify the right sized pipes, which translates to lower costs, less likelihood of pathogens breeding in pipes, and more
efficient use of water.

Because several of these variables change drastically over time, estimating peak demand becomes a probability problem. Hunter proposed using the 99th percentile of each fixture’s likelihood of being in use—in other words, the most fixtures running at the same time—to create his probability curve. 

However, Hunter had to assign arbitrary values to each fixture to account for multiple fixture types with different flow rates. That’s why Hunter’s method can be off by more than 20 percent in estimating peak demand with modern fixtures. 

How Convolution Conquers Complexity 

When you account for all the probabilities for each variable, the complexity of accurately estimating peak water demand is truly staggering. For instance, as water is pumped higher in a tall building, water pressure varies from one floor to the next. A flush valve set to a given flush volume will open for a shorter duration at higher pressure, translating to a lower probability that the valve is open, which impacts the demand calculation. You can have a different calculation for every floor in the building. 

According to Herbert, exact enumeration of all the variables in play requires 2n calculations—with n being the total number of fixtures in the building. A building with 1,000 fixtures would require 21,000 calculations, which would require NASA-level computational power. Other methods are more accurate for large buildings but less accurate for smaller buildings. 

Herbert’s formula is the most accurate yet. It involves convolution—a mathematical operation on two functions that expresses how the shape of one is modified by the other. For non-mathematicians, Herbert describes convolution as “a fancy type of multiplication.”

With convolution, the number of calculations required to account for all the probabilities in a peak demand estimate is only n2, where n is the total number of fixtures in the building. In a building with 1,000 fixtures, that’s 10002, or one million calculations, which is a much lighter computational load. 

How much lighter? Dr. Herbert runs it on a laptop. 

Three Reasons to Use Herbert’s Formula 

More accurate peak water demand estimates are important for three reasons. 

  1. Cost. Most engineers specify larger pipes than needed, knowing their estimates can be off by as much as 20 percent, said Herbert. They reason that it is better to spend too much than to risk the pipes failing to deliver enough water during peak demand. 
  2. Hygiene. Too-large pipes are more likely to retain standing water, which can breed Legionella bacteria (that cause Legionnaire’s disease) and other pathogens. 
  3. Sustainability. Modern faucets and flushometers deliver optimal water-saving performance when they are adjusted to the right flow rate. To estimate peak water demand more accurately, engineers need more accurate flow rates—so they are more likely to inform installers of the correct flow rates to set. 

Finally, estimating accurate peak water demand is just good engineering. With Herbert’s formula, there is no excuse for anything less. 

For more information, visit www.sloan.com. MCAA thanks Sloan for being a benefactor of MCAA22. 

 

Olson Plumbing Saves Time, Cuts Costs with Josam Drainage Products for Hospital Installation Project

Tight timelines are a constant in building, but supply chain disruptions triggered by the COVID pandemic have complicated matters further. Olson Plumbing turned to Josam Company for drainage products that could meet the specifications and timing required for a new Colorado hospital. Josam’s packaging, labeling, and shipping method saved Olson Plumbing time onsite, cutting labor costs. 

St. Clare is a new, 140,000-square-feet, state-of-the-art orthopedic hospital located in Colorado Springs, CO. The building features 72 beds with 10 operating rooms; a full emergency center with 14 treatment rooms; an imaging department that includes radiography, magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, and ultrasonography; a helipad; a laboratory; sterile processing facilities; a full kitchen; and a parking garage with a rehabilitation field on the upper level. 

Pivot to Josam Products

Olson’s project manager met with the design team to determine the best drainage solutions and assisted through the design phase to get the drainage products selected and approved, coordinated, and procured in time for installation. The project schedule was expected to be fairly fast-paced, with the material required onsite quickly. Disruptions to the supply chains complicated the original procurement plans given the demands of the project. 

Working closely with Olson Plumbing, Josam and its manufacturing representative, RKR, stepped in to provide the required drainage products on time to meet the project’s schedule requirements. The design team was satisfied with Josam’s drainage product selections and the various options available to them. Josam provided approximately 250 drains and carriers for the project, ranging from floor sinks, drains, and cleanouts to specialized drains for the rehabilitation field. 

Packaging Improves Productivity 

Olson Plumbing was impressed with Josam’s superior packaging, labeling, and shipping method, offered at no extra charge. Josam recognizes that receiving, identifying, and matching up incoming products on a jobsite can take a considerable amount of time and typically increase labor costs. In particular, drains and carriers often require multiple components, so they are time-consuming to assemble and parts can easily be lost. Olson Plumbing saved time and labor costs because each item was individually wrapped and tagged with specific product designations for easy on-site identification and transportation. 

Olson Plumbing also took advantage of Josam’s prefab carriers before on-site delivery. Josam’s carriers are available in a standard 500-pound prefab package, with load capacities also available in 750 and 1,000 pounds. 

Because they are among the first products required on the jobsite, time is of the essence when it comes to drains. Josam had the right products for Olson Plumbing right when they needed them. 

For more information, visit www.josam.com. 

AMS Mechanical Solves Mysterious Pump Failures with Metraflex Magnet System

Called on to help a Chicago condominium that was having repeated pump failures, AMS Mechanical Systems determined the cause to be metal debris in the pumps. Metraflex Company’s LPD Mag, a high-efficiency, low-pressure-drop Y-strainer with a neodymium magnet, proved to be the perfect solution. AMS found the new, low-cost strainers were easy to install and effectively fixed the problem. 

Pinpointing the Problem 

First, the pumps in the residential downtown building began making excessive noise before starting to leak or seizing up. The building had a new, closed-loop system that consisted of 11 individual pumps with electronically commutated motors (ECMs), 11 LPD Y-strainers, and boilers that used copper heat exchangers. 

Since the system was put into service in 2017, AMS was brought in to replace 30 pumps with ECMs caused by pump failures within the first two years. Having to replace a pump is no easy or cheap task. “In just one year alone we replaced more than a dozen pumps,” explained John Lueder, client manager at AMS. 

Looking at the pumps, it became evident that the powerful magnets in the ECMs were attracting iron oxides and other magnetic particulates into the wet rotor of the pump. The buildup on the rotor either wore through the housing, resulting in a leak, or the pump seized up. 

“It is a brand-new system,” said Lueder, “so it was weird when the pumps kept failing.” The source of the iron oxides causing the trouble was the carbon steel pipe. Further analysis determined that the copper heat exchanger was causing galvanic corrosion of the carbon steel pipe, which resulted in additional iron oxides that ultimately found their way into the ECM pump wet rotor and caused failure. 

Lueder consulted with Dan Watkins, vice president of Bornquist, the local manufacturer’s representative for Metraflex, who also assisted in the initial design of the system. Watkins is very familiar with the LPD Mag Y-strainer from Metraflex and knew it would be the perfect solution.

According to Watkins, “Almost every single pump failure was due to excessive debris; the iron oxides were definitely causing issues.” 

A Simple Solution 

Because this system already had 11 standard LPD Y-strainers supplied by Metraflex, the solution seemed simple: the LPD Mag Retrofit Kit. With the kit, the contractor simply removes and

AMS solved a Chicago condominium’s recurring pump failures with Metraflex’s LPD Mag Retrofit Kits—an easy-to-install, low-cost fix that keeps metal debris out of the pump motors.

replaces the standard LPD cover plate with the retrofit cover plate that includes a dry well for the powerful neodymium magnet. 

“It was like a no-brainer,” Lueder said. “We felt better about trying something with minimal effort and a low price point after we have spent thousands replacing failed pumps. The installation was easy, and there was no drawback to using them.” 

Dave Smolen, service technician with AMS, had the same opinion. “The kit was simple to install and intriguing. I was willing to do anything to help me in not having to replace these pumps so often.” 

Smolen continued, “These LPD Mag cover plates have been installed for nine months now, and I have had no troubles with the ECM pumps.” 

Seeing Is Believing 

The next step was to blow down the LPD Mag strainers to clean out any debris or iron oxides. The LPD Mags were blown down in accordance with the instructions provided with the product. The pumps were on and pressurized and 150° F, at 25 psi. The magnet was pulled halfway out, the valve was opened, then the remaining length of magnet was pulled out. This process pulls the metallic particles down into the blow-off port, allowing for a clean blowout. 

One of the unique advantages of the LPD Mag strainers is that you can blow them down with the pumps running, as well as with the system shut down. Lueder explained, “The blow-down process went well. We needed to be more prepared and ready for the rush of water, but the magnet held the particulate really well. The instructions made sense, and it worked to remove the metal particulate in the line.” 

When blown down, the first strainer released a large cloud of black sediment followed by relatively clear water. For the second strainer, the system was shut down and the cover plate was removed completely to get a sense of what was being attracted to the magnet. 

After seeing the large accumulation of sludge and iron oxide that the magnet had attracted, it was time to reinstall the cover plate and blow down the second strainer. The system remained on and the engineers held a large bucket to capture debris from the blow down. 

The third strainer to be blown down was installed at a higher elevation and required a hose to direct the water into a container. After hooking up the hose to the blow-down valve, the blow-down process was the same as for the other strainers. 

The LPD Mag works around the clock. Using the formula for exponential decay and knowing the volume of water circulating, users can predict when 95 percent of the magnetic particles will be captured. 

Since the installation of the LPD Mag Retrofit Kits, there have been no more pump issues. “We did not find any additional pumps with an issue related to that. So, so far so good!” said Lueder, three months after the first blow down. Nearly a year after installation, it is evident that the new LPD Mag Y-strainers with neodymium magnets have brought the mechanical room a (silent) sigh of relief. 

For more information, visit www.Metraflex.com/lpdmag or call Metraflex at 312-738-3800. 

Auburn Mechanical Overcomes Process Pitfalls With Procore Mobile Solution

Founded in 1975, Auburn Mechanical of Auburn, WA, has decades of experience taking on large, complex projects, but internal processes—communication, documentation, record keeping, and information sharing—can pose the biggest challenges. Justin Pritchett, construction division manager at Auburn Mechanical, points out that the more manual steps involved in such processes, the higher the risk that those steps will not be completed. Procore’s integrated, fully mobile digital construction management solution puts Auburn Mechanical’s voluminous project information literally at the fingertips of craft labor in the field, streamlining processes and reducing the risk of lost, missing, or incomplete data. 

“The amount of information that we need in order to build our projects can be overwhelming at times,” Pritchett said. With Procore’s mobile solution, “you can have it all on a mobile platform that literally fits in your pocket. We definitely believe our adoption of technology is a competitive advantage for our organization.” 

Enhancing Collaboration 

For example, Auburn uses a daily construction report (DCR) to record details of a project’s evolution. A cloud-based DCR produces a much more granular record than its manual paper predecessor. 

Pritchett explained, “Our previous process used Microsoft Office Suite to do our daily construction report—a Word file. We’re a full mechanical firm, so we could have plumbing, sheet metal, refrigeration, and pipe-fitting forepersons on the jobsite, and all of them need to participate in the DCR. When it’s a Word file, it’s either this awkwardly shared document, or it’s, ‘Hey, I did my portion. Now, you all do your portions.’ Everyone drags photos off their phones to a desktop and uses a snippet tool to cut the photo and place it in the DCR. That’s a heavily manual process. The biggest risk is that it doesn’t happen.” 

Procore makes collaboration easier. “Everybody can simultaneously work in the DCR in real time, so when you take that quick photo to document progress and site conditions— that gets into the DCR very quickly and easily, and multiple forepersons can do that concurrently,” Pritchett pointed out. 

Information at Hand 

“Our firm’s operations group has this mission of perfection at the point of connection,” said Pritchett. “This means perfect information in the hands of our craft labor.” Procore’s mobile solution makes all project information available right there in the field. There is no roaming the jobsite in search of an answer. Pritchett stated, “We want our specialized craft labor to focus on production and quality and safety, and not have questions about how the building comes together.” 

In fact, Pritchett continued, “From a field-specific perspective, the usability from a mobile device was hands-down the reason why the field wanted to use it. We pulled up Procore on an iPad, showed it to our field leadership, and they were ready to make the decision right there.” 

Mobile technology has changed the landscape. “On our major projects, our project engineering team is linking the submittal data, the installation manuals, and our spool drawings to the various documents in the shop drawings—all of it accessible on their mobile devices. Today our field can very quickly pull up the shop drawing and look at the submittal—to understand precisely what they’re supposed to install,” Pritchett said. “And then through the Procore Model module, they’re able to look at the 3D model for precise comparison—again, right there in the field.”

“We pulled up Procore on an iPad, showed it to our field leadership, and they were ready to make the decision right there.” 

— Justin Pritchett, Construction Division Manager, Auburn Mechanical 

Partnering for Success 

Pritchett also praised Procore’s certification process for training. “We had all of our major project forepersons, our project managers, and all of our field leadership go through Procore’s certification classes. They were immediately up to speed.” 

Pritchett looked forward to the promise that new technology brings to the field. Recent engineering graduates who are very familiar with new technology are working alongside veterans with decades of experience and institutional knowledge. “When you team those two people together, you’ve got the technology expert learning from the building expert. That’s a natural partnership. At Auburn Mechanical, we’ve been able to pair those project engineers with master builders. This is a digital solution, a people solution, and a process solution. 

“We can leverage technology to build more economical buildings, to produce more affordable housing for those in need. We’re an industry that can leverage technology for the common good,” Pritchett observed. 

For more information, visit www.procore.com. 

Installing Hydronic Systems in Health Care Facilities: Tips from IMI Hydronic

The performance of any health care building is linked to the HVAC ecosystem, as accurate indoor temperature and air quality are critical in health care settings. However, each project comes with its own set of challenges. IMI Hydronic Engineering has over 300 years of combined experience on hydronic systems. 

Renovation Projects 

Renovating health care facilities requires finding solutions for individual system problems and also improving the system performance. Some of the most common HVAC problems involve system noise, temperature fluctuations, and power disruptions. 

System Noise 

Disruptive system noise is the result of vibrations across valves and pipework. Noise can come from air and dirt circulating in pipes, high flow speed, or a too-high pressure drop in valves. 

Air vents, dirt separation, and degassing solutions help keep the system “clean” and avoid air bubbles that lead to system noise. They also increase system efficiency. Oxygen in the system can significantly reduce the efficiency and durability of equipment. 

Installing differential pressure (DP) controllers on the floor circuit helps control the available pressure and, if needed, rectifies the pressure interval entering that specific zone. Controlling the pressure helps avoid overflows that lead to large pressure drops, vibration, and noise. Proper balancing is also critical to prevent overflows. Installing a pressure independent balancing and control valve (PIBCV) can perform both balancing and DP control. 

Air Temperature 

Different areas of a health care facility have different temperature requirements. A difference of 2° F too hot or too cold can increase energy consumption by 6 to 11 percent. Hospitals have five to seven times high¬er annual consumption than conventional office buildings. Ensuring the right temperature can have a significant impact on energy bills. 

Most buildings operate under 20 percent of flow during 80 percent of the heating or cooling season. Switching from constant to variable flow allows delivery of just the right amount of flow required at a given time. Valves with the equal percentage characteristic (known as EQM) ensure precise control even in low-flow conditions. A PIBCV adjusts the design flow independently of the DP variation, so complex calculations and commissioning are no longer necessary.

Power Disruptions 

Power disorders or outages can sometimes be inev¬itable. Installing actuators with a fail-safe function, like IMI’s TA-Slider, a digitally configured actuator, mitigates the consequences. With the fail-safe feature, the actuator moves to a predefined position in case of a power failure, ensuring that a safe power flow is achieved. 

New Build Projects 

Building a new health care facility requires meticulous system design. The correct selection and sizing of prod¬ucts ensures accurate performance, reliability, and durability. Also, diligent follow-up during the installation and commissioning ensures that the system startup matches design conditions. Following are some critical considerations for a good hydronic system design and smooth operation. 

Smart HVAC System 

A smart HVAC system offers multiple benefits, including easy access to critical system parameters, remote troubleshooting, and automation. IMI’s digital actuator connects the controls’ system to any building management system, where operation can be monitored and analyzed and equipment can be controlled. 

The IMI connected valve (TA-Smart) takes smart systems to a whole new level with internal control feedback. It continuously measures the flow, delta temperature, and power, and logs this information in a smartphone app even without a building management system. In addition, it communicates those data to its own actuator to change its input signal, ensuring the desired conditions for smart autonomous control. TA-Smart can also be used for energy metering purposes by zone.

Good Design 

Well-designed controls have fewer variants and more installation possibilities and can adapt to on-site conditions, saving time and mitigating risk. IMI’s solutions are fully configurable via a smartphone app, HyTune, so you do not have to climb into dark ceilings with screwdrivers to set dual in-line package switches. 

Confidence in Commissioning 

System start-up is a lot smoother if the system design and product sizing are properly done. IMI’s software tools simplify this process. For example, system information can be uploaded to TA-Scope, a diagnostic measuring instrument, to validate system conditions. IMIs’ centralized technical team, the Engineering Support Center, is available to review your HVAC drawings and support you with hydronic calculations, product selection, and sizing. 

For more information, visit www.imi-hydronic.com. 

Jarrell Beats Completion Date With CerroPress Fittings

Missouri’s C.E. Jarrell Mechanical Contracting Co. Inc. finished an extensive project ahead of the fast-track completion date by using CerroPress® press-to-connect domestic water fittings and CerroTube™ copper plumbing tube from Cerro Flow Products LLC®. Press fitting saved time and labor compared with sweating or soldering joints. Without a need for flame, Jarrell did not need a fire watch or special permits. They installed CerroPress copper fittings in sizes 1/2” to 2 1/2” throughout the facility. 

The client was Rapid Locking Systems (RLS) LLC®, a manufacturing company that has been growing dramatically and urgently needed to expand. They selected a location near Lambert International Airport in St. Louis, MO, and set an aggressive construction schedule of five months to convert an 80,00-square-foot white box into a space for manufacturing, warehousing, offices, research and development, training, and a showroom. Jarrell was contracted to install rooftop units, ventilation, compressed air piping, and plumbing. 

RLS President Paul Schubert said he was “very excited to have manufacturing, office staff, and training all under one roof.” Moving to such a large space, with a fast-track schedule, required a lot of design/build mechanical systems.

Jarrell elegantly solved conflicts of the domestic water system with sanitary drains by using CerroPress 45-degree elbows and reducing tees.

Jarrell Vice President Greg Harty, pointed out, “It’s a great project for us. Something that we specialize in is the design/ build process, keeping everything under one roof so that when there is a need, it can be done in-house and not outsourced.”

The RLS project has several single-user and shared bathrooms that all share wet walls with kitchens and break rooms, creating congestion in 3 1/2” and 5 1/2” studs. Jarrell elegantly solved conflicts of the domestic water system with sanitary drains by using CerroPress 45-degree elbows and reducing tees. Press-to-connect fittings offer the advantage of achieving watertight joints in tight spaces. 

The domestic water system design for this project required a tee with the branch leg larger than the inlet or outlet legs. This particular size is not standard in the fittings industry. The challenge was solved by using CerroPress bushing reducers to accomplish the engineer’s design.

Jarrell’s installation of CerroTube™ and CerroPress fittings was “a work of art,” according to Bob Dienstbach, Cerro product development manager. 

More professionals each day are choosing to join ASTM B88 seamless copper water tubing (K, L, and M) with press fitting technology. CerroTube can be connected with CerroPress fittings to create a system quickly and economically. Manufactured to precise dimensions for perfect fit, CerroPress fittings use high-performance, chloramine resistant O-rings and hard-tempered, 99.9-percent pure copper to achieve best-in-class test results and performance. 

For more information, visit www.cerroplumbing.com.

Advice from Ridge Tool Company: Look for Tools That Help You Work Smarter, Not Harder

In today’s high-tech world, when people talk about tool timesavers they tend to focus on the latest Bluetooth technology or the newest gadget. Yet, technology is not the only way to cut down time on a jobsite: tools that allow you to work smarter, not harder, can help any professional get to the next jobsite more effectively and efficiently. Here are a few questions to consider when evaluating the timesaving merits of a tool: 

  • Can the tool do more than one job? The best tools seem to help you do more with less: less gear, less time, less looking around. Anytime you can rely on a tool to perform more than one task, that is a win. You will reach in your toolbox less and have less to haul onto a jobsite. For example, some wrenches provide multiple surface wrench sizes on one side and have an open box-end for line nuts. This type of wrench has you covered for straight stops, appliance legs, shower heads, faucet nuts, stool bolts, and more. 
  • Are you maximizing the tool’s versatility? Knowledge of a tool’s full ability is also key to saving time and limiting redundancy in your toolbox. Pressing tools are a good example. Plumbers appreciate press tools because they save time on connections and eliminate the need for soldering. Some press tools can do more than just press pipe connections. For example, Ridge Tool Company has designed their RIDGID press tools to be multipurpose. Understanding that no two jobs are created equal, Ridge Tool built the RP 342-XL for them all: Its versatile design packs major power and boasts the widest range of applications of any press tool. It can press 1/2” to 4” copper, stainless steel, and carbon steel pipe and 1/2” to 2” PEX—in less than 10 seconds. It is also compatible with the full line of RIDGID Standard 32kN press tool accessories, including the StrutSlayr™ Strut Shear Head, Press Snap™ Soil Pipe Cutter, and all MegaPress jaws. 
  • How reliable are the tools you buy? Any tool is a timesaver if it is reliable. Think about the tools you have owned the longest. Which tools push through a hard job without breaking? What brand is a one- or two-year tool versus a lifetime of performance? When you are constantly having tools break down and you are investing time and money to replace or repair them, that is a waste. Buying reliable, proven tools is the best timesaver (and moneymaker). A strong warranty program is nice, but if the tool is always breaking—even if the repairs are free—that downtime will cost you money every time. 
  • Are you buying tools for today or tomorrow? This question builds on the issue of reliability. Sometimes cost is a hard line that you cannot cross. But when you can, always consider your long-term plans. You might buy a smaller drain cleaner because it costs less. Yet, you know that the larger commercial drain cleaner will allow you to do 10 times as many jobs and build your business in the future. Which is a better investment? Tool redundancy has its place, but for higher-cost items, it can be a drain on expenses and a sore spot if your small drain cleaner is collecting dust in a warehouse a year from now. 
  • Will I have to start from scratch when I need to upgrade? When you buy equipment to meet your immediate needs, consider whether there are products designed to complement the equipment as you upgrade. For example, RIDGID reels, imaging cameras, monitors, locators, recorders, and drain cleaning equipment are designed to work together, so setup time is fast and compatibility is a given. Along with faster setup time, purchasing tools that integrate with each other can save you money and minimize downtime for training. 

Saving time equals more jobs, and that means more income. There are many ways to adjust your tool inventory so you can work smarter, not harder. 

For more information, visit www.ridgid.com. 

Dormatech Sees Explosive Growth Fueled by BuildOps Cloud-Based Software Solution

Dormatech Mechanical Systems of Northern California faced a familiar litany of challenges using multiple software platforms to manage its business. After switching to an integrated BuildOps software solution, Dormatech rapidly increased revenue by 50 percent. 

The multiple systems were impossible to fully integrate, leading to inefficiencies and redundancies that inhibited the company’s ability to grow. Spotty Wi-Fi and cellular connections frequently interfered with technicians’ ability to communicate with the office, delaying new work orders and slowing other paperwork. 

In response to these ongoing difficulties, Mark Mulholland, Dormatech’s president, and Dorothy Natividad, chief financial officer, made the adoption of an all-in-one, cloud-based software solution a top priority for the company. Over the course of a year, the Dormatech team tested several different platforms. Dormatech ultimately selected BuildOps, a fully integrated solution that empowers commercial mechanical, plumbing, and electrical contractors to effectively manage operations and field service on a single platform while maximizing efficiency and driving profitability. 

“We went through a few different software systems,” said Mulholland. “There were multiple platforms that we tried unsuccessfully to integrate, which created many challenges.”

Technicians frequently could not send reports into the office or receive updated assignments because of software that relied on wireless or cellular connections instead of operating through the cloud. Disparate disconnected systems meant repeated effort and increased risk of human error across workflows, from dispatch and scheduling to quoting, invoicing, and accounting. 

“What made BuildOps stand out was that it was cloud-based,” Natividad said. “Because it’s an all-in-one software platform, it encompasses and integrates every function, including quoting, dispatch, administration, and purchasing. The bundled package means BuildOps is more efficient and accurate than relying on multiple separate platforms.” 

In addition, Natividad said, the onboarding process and integrating BuildOps with Dormatech’s existing digital infrastructure were efficient and intuitive. The increased transparency and accuracy provided by BuildOps streamlined workflows and dramatically enhanced customer experience. 

“The most surprising thing about using BuildOps was how user-friendly it is, and how easy the flow is working through each module,” said Natividad. “It’s definitely improved our business. We’re able to track jobs, track quoting and deploy field resources more efficiently, allowing us to protect revenue.” 

“We’ve seen an increase in day-to-day operations efficiencies that’s going to add up to significant savings in time and energy over the course of a year. I would strongly recommend BuildOps to other companies in field service.” 

— Mark Mulholland, President, Dormatech Mechanical Systems

Because of the ease of operability and accessibility, technicians readily adopted BuildOps in the field. “Our field team loves the BuildOps product,” Mulholland said. “It only took a few days for them to get up to speed. They’ve expressed appreciation for the ease of use and the ability to transition from smartphone to tablet, depending on the job. That functionality is an important feature in optimizing efficiency.

“BuildOps has also provided unparalleled support compared to other companies we’ve worked with,” Mulholland continued. “They worked with our team extensively to configure the software specifically for our needs and worked closely through onboarding. It’s been refreshing to have a team that supports us and answers our calls and emails in a timely manner.” 

The results speak for themselves: In the company’s first quarter using BuildOps, Dormatech increased revenue by 50 percent compared with the same period the previous year and increased quoting output by 80 percent. 

“It’s been an amazing experience,” Mulholland said. “We’ve seen an increase in day-to-day operations efficiencies that’s going to add up to significant savings in time and energy over the course of a year. I would strongly recommend BuildOps to other companies in field service. We see BuildOps as a strategic partner that can provide a backbone for our company and a platform for growth.” 

For more information, visit buildops.com. 

Tips for Increasing Productivity in Today’s Construction Environment

The construction industry continues to feel the ripple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Many jobsites fell quiet in 2020 as projects were delayed or cancelled due to uncertainty in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic. And while things are rebounding, ongoing supply chain and project timeline issues continue to be challenges for many companies. 

This makes it more important than ever for contractors to find ways to improve efficiency and make up for lost time on projects. While that has always been a priority, it’s especially critical in today’s construction industry. Read more about ways to improve productivity and save time on projects. 

Improving Productivity 

As contractors look for ways to improve efficiency and productivity on projects, investing in new technology or making a change to processes or techniques can deliver results. Here are three factors to consider that can help your operation save time and money: 

Invest in new technology to save time. When operators have the ability to make welding adjustments remotely, it can deliver significant time savings, not to mention reduce safety risks. The time spent walking between the weld joint and the welding power source to change parameters and processes can add up—resulting in hours wasted every day. This is especially true on large jobsites where the operator may be hundreds of yards or several stories away from the machine and needs to make frequent adjustments. If an operator makes the trip to the power source four times a day and takes an average of 15 minutes each time, that’s 250 wasted hours per year—totaling $11,250 in lost productivity. With ArcReach® technology from Miller Electric Mfg. LLC, operators have complete control at the weld joint using a wire feeder or stick/TIG remote. This allows them to reduce or eliminate the time wasted by walking back to the power source. Wireless Interface Control on Trailblazer® and Big Blue® welder/generators is another technology from Miller that provides full front panel access from wherever operators are working on the jobsite, so they don’t have to go back to the welder/ generator to adjust parameters, change welding processes, or turn the machine on and off. 

Streamline steps in the process. When contractors can complete parts of the construction or welding process with the workers they already have on the jobsite—rather than hiring a third party for those tasks—it helps them reduce costs and gain better control over the schedule. One example of this is welding preheat, which is required in many welding applications on construction jobsites. If the contractor pays a subcontractor to come to the site and use resistance heating for this work, it can add significant time and cost to the process. Setup time can be up to three hours per weld joint, and preheating contractors may charge up to $2,000 per joint. With the new ArcReach Heating Systems from Miller, contractors can do the preheating work in-house, with the operators they have—and often using the welding power sources they already have onsite. This eliminates the need to bring in more subcontractors by enabling welders to do the welding preheat quickly and easily. 

Consider making a process change. Converting to wire welding processes is another change that contractors can make to improve productivity and efficiency. More companies are transitioning from stick welding to wire welding on construction jobsites, due in part to the significantly higher deposition rates and travel speeds that wire processes can deliver. These gains can be realized while still meeting high weld-quality requirements and also improving jobsite safety. 

Efficiency Gains Through Technology 

As the construction industry deals with many challenges—from supply chain issues to labor shortages and strict timelines—contractors are looking for more efficient ways to do business. There are solutions available to make up lost time and keep ahead of schedule. New welding technologies and more productive processes can help deliver results to improve efficiency and quality. 

For more information, visit www.millerwelds.com. 

PypeServer Software Saves A&R Mechanical Hours Every Day

A&R Mechanical Contractors, Inc. credits PypeServer software with dramatically improving efficiency in its fabrication shop; pipe cutting tasks that used to take hours can now be done in 10 minutes or less. Justin Powers, A&R’s virtual design and construction (VDC) and fabrication business unit manager, oversees work across the spectrum from contract award to field installation. He described his company’s typical workflow and tools and the impact of integrating PypeServer software.

A&R’s VDC projects are detailed by tradespeople using Revit with Fabrication components. These VDC designers work closely with project superintendents to ensure that the model is accurate, constructible, and efficient. A coordination manager compiles clashes, runs meetings, and keeps the schedule, while also maintaining a single point of contact for a project. After sign-off, spooling is completed using BIMPro (from MSUITE), and exports are sent to PypeServer for nesting and pipe inventory. Lastly, spools are uploaded to FabPro (from MSUITE) for shop data and schedule tracking. A&R Mechanical uses a TigerStop cutting table for hangers and small-bore piping and an HGG machine for larger-bore steel piping. 

A&R selected PypeServer software for its interface and usability. Powers explained, “For us, the most crucial aspect of the software is usability. If the operator in the shop cannot operate the software reliably and without frustration, no amount of efficiency gained will be worth it in the long run.” 

Powers noted that installing PypeServer was easy, but the learning curve was steep. “I believe this was due to being one of the first to utilize PypeServer with an HGG Machine,” he pointed out. With support from PypeServer’s staff, A&R got everything working as promised. “I have complete confidence that as new ideas and solutions are suggested, the PypeServer team will work with us to ensure that our machine is operating at peak efficiency and precision,” said Powers. 

“With PypeServer, … tasks that took a couple of hours before can now be done in 10 minutes or less.” 

— Justin Powers, VDC and Fabrication Business Unit Manager, A&R Mechanical 

The effort has already paid off for A&R. “With PypeServer, the shop operator is no longer manually entering the pieces into the profiler,” Powers explained. “Instead, our exports are done efficiently and are stored on the machine for use at any time. Now, we can nest multiple spools and even whole projects on one piece of pipe. Tasks that took a couple of hours before can now be done in 10 minutes or less.” 

PypeServer has proven to be an excellent value for A&R’s fabrication process. Powers pointed out some specific gains: 

  • The efficiency and speed with which the operator can begin cutting following spool assignment 
  • The availability of custom parameters, such as negative root gap (allowing A&R to lengthen a piece to account for a land being ground onto the pipe) 
  • The efficiency of nesting across multiple projects and spools 

Powers acknowledged that being one of the first shops to integrate HGG machines with PypeServer software came with many bumps and challenges. Still, he credited the PypeServer team for putting in the extra time and effort to get A&R’s machine working as efficiently as possible. “PypeServer is a true innovator and leader in the space, and we couldn’t have done it without them,” said Powers. 

For more information, visit www.pypeserver.com. 

Nashville Machine Company Conquers Tough Task With Lochinvar’s Flexible, Efficient Products

Nashville Machine Company took on the complicated task of removing and replacing an aging water heating system so large it would not fit through the mechanical room doors. Installing a new system from Lochinvar went smoothly thanks to the flexibility of the Lochinvar products, which also promised excellent energy efficiency, making them the ideal choice for the project. 

Vanderbilt University has made great strides toward sustainability thanks to its SustainVU program to improve the university’s impact on the community and the environment. When its Student Recreation Center needed a new water heating system, Vanderbilt’s Plant Operations team worked with Ferguson in Nashville, TN, to find an efficient solution. Having had extensive experience with high-efficiency Lochinvar equipment, the Ferguson representatives invited Chris Dickerson of Lochinvar to check out the existing equipment and provide a recommendation for a retrofit system. 

After inspecting the equipment and the size of the mechanical room, Dickerson recommended replacing the 2.4-million-Btu/hr water heater and its 1,000-gallon storage tank with four 500,000 Btu/hr ARMOR® Water Heaters (AWN501PM) and five Lock-Temp® Round Jacketed Storage Tanks (RJA200). Space constraints influenced the recommendations; the five 200-gallon storage tanks were the largest units that would fit through the mechanical room doorway. 

The Vanderbilt and Ferguson teams had great confidence in the Lochinvar ARMOR water heaters, which offer thermal efficiency up to 98 percent, and they agreed that this was the ideal replacement system for the recreation center.

When it came time to remove the old equipment, Nashville Machine Company had to cut the old, large water heater into pieces to get it out of the mechanical room. Despite the complex piping arrangement, the expertise of the installation team and the flexibility of ARMOR’s venting options allowed for a smooth, successful installation.

Nashville Machine Company had to cut Vanderbilt University’s old water heater and storage tank into pieces to get it out of the mechanical room. They replaced it with four Lochinvar ARMOR water heaters and five storage tanks small enough to fit through the mechanical room doors. The flexibility of ARMOR’s venting options allowed for a smooth, successful installation.

Since installing the Lochinvar ARMOR Water Heaters and Lock- Temp Storage Tanks at the Student Recreation Center, Vanderbilt University has seen an average savings of 26 percent on monthly gas bills because of the significant increase in efficiency.

“We’re continuously working towards improving sustainability on campus, and projects like this one help us to greatly reduce our impact on the environment,” said Samuel Hirt, director of campus recreation at Vanderbilt University. “The Lochinvar equipment has been operating perfectly since day one, and the energy savings are incredible.” 

For more information, visit lochinvar.com.