Customized Products Help Contractor Minimize Installation Time, Save Client Millions in Financing
In urgent need of more space, Erie County Medical Center Corporation (ECMCC) shortened the construction timeline for its new long-term care facility from two years to 15 months. MLP Plumbing & Mechanical, Inc., of Cheektowaga, NY, met the challenge by relying on Zurn products. Zurn Industries, LLC, helped MLP eliminate contractor hours by providing customized, engineered solutions to fit jobsite dimensions and install easily. As a result, the ECMCC saved millions of dollars financing its $103-million project.
The existing 87-year-old Erie County nursing home was running out of space. The compressed schedule enabled ECMCC to open its new, 390-bed Terrace View Long-Term Care Facility in Buffalo, NY, in February 2013. The new facility is grouped into small, 12-bed households, each with its own living room, fireplace, kitchen, and dining areas. Each floor has a large outdoor terrace and an indoor terrace lounge.
“I chose Zurn products because I was looking to save time on a necessarily fast-paced job,” says Chad Krajewski, MLP plumbing foreman, who worked with two MLP colleagues on this project: Mike Balon, foreman, and Bill Quefflec, project manager.
“Many construction projects are now ‘hurry-up’ and clients want them to be completed in record time while still significantly cutting labor costs,” Krajewski said. “Zurn solutions are a great option for contractors.”
Zurn Industries supplied five labor-saving products for the ECMCC project:
Z1231-EZ Lavatory Carriers are concealed arm lavatory carriers pre-assembled at the factory. Onsite, the scale on the adjusting bar allows the installer to quickly set centerline dimensions. Krajewski said these carriers were significant time-savers.
The -TC Neo-Loc Test Cap Gaskets for drain outlets allowed workers to set the drains, then prepare and pressure test the line without additional test balls. The gaskets also acted as a seal for drain outlets, protecting the system from infiltration of loose debris or waste. Once testing was finished, the gaskets were easily removed
Z415-BZ and Z1400-BZ Leveling Drains and Cleanouts enabled the contractor to adjust leveling and height of drains and cleanouts after the pour was complete, eliminating the need to break up a floor to fix a drainage problem. MLP Plumbing estimates this saved them anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour per drain or cleanout.
The Z1035-Q stabilizer held floor drains in place while concrete was poured and allowed the height of drains to perfectly match the floor thickness. This solution removed the need to “box out” to prevent the drain from moving. The pre-assembled stabilizers were “one of the most effective labor saving products used at this project,” Krajewski said.
“Many construction projects are now ‘hurry-up’ and clients want them to be completed in record time while still significantly cutting labor costs. Zurn solutions are a great option for contractors.”
— Chad Krajewski, Plumbing Foreman, MLP Plumbing & Mechanical, Inc.
The -DP Top-Set Deck Plate option enabled each roof drain to be installed by one worker instead of the traditional two. The Zurn deck plate allows a roof drain to be secured to a corrugated roof deck with an easy-to-install plate. It also reduced the need for a scissor lift, saving equipment rental costs. The plate saved MLP about 15–20 minutes per drain and effectively doubled the workforce by allowing one worker to do the job of two.
“As a foreman in the field,” Krajewski said, “it is comforting to know that Zurn provides a variety of customizations that help a product or installation meet specific site requirements.”
Zurn products collectively saved many manhours. Because of the sheer size of the project—about 275,000 square feet spread over five levels—every labor-saving solution had a big impact in terms of time and money.
For more information about Zurn, visit www.zurn.com.
