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Winter 2023 Issue

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Raken Outlines Five Ways to Manage Generational Gaps on the Jobsite

From apprentices to expert craftsmen, the construction industry employs a workforce that spans multiple generations. While an age-diverse workforce brings well-rounded skills and experiences to the table, it is not always easy to manage efficiently. Employee expectations and preferred communication styles vary greatly from generation to generation. With today’s labor shortages and low employee retention rates, if mechanical contractors want to attract and keep top talent, they need to explore strategies to help their age-diverse crews work together effectively.

McKinstry Relies on MSUITE to Gain Productivity Insights Across the Enterprise

McKinstry set out to gather more insight into fabrication shop productivity and enhance the connection between its Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) and Fabrication teams. They partnered with MSUITE to improve communication and better understand the costs of work, which ultimately will help them target investments and improve overall project management.

MSUITE

A. O. Smith Water Heaters Provide Reliable Hot Water at Any Hour for Hotel Guests

A hospitality industry veteran opted for A.O. Smith for a dependable water heating solution for a new four-story Hampton Inn in Ashland City, TN. “Hampton Inns thrive on being local,” said hotel general manager Sammy Naquin, “so it made sense to turn to A. O. Smith, who is right here in Ashland City, for a solution.” Naquin worked closely with A. O. Smith, which specified two 750,000 Btu/hr Cyclone® XL commercial gas water heaters, recommended for the hotel’s size and water heating demands.

A. O. Smith

Stand Out by Incorporating Inclusive Restroom Design: Tips From Sloan

Barrier-free, accessible, and inclusive design is an important trend in building. Planning for a commercial restroom with all users in mind, regardless of ability, gender, or age, makes for a safer and more comfortable restroom that is easy for anyone to use. Contractors who embrace the concepts of inclusive design can stand out as partners who put users’ needs first, and Sloan, a benefactor of MCAA23, has innovative products to help. Inclusive design is pivotal for supporting people with disabilities and complying with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines. It is also important as society’s awareness of gender identity grows.

SLOAN

F+F Mechanical Slashes Pipe Cutting Time and Labor Costs With Watts-Mueller Machine

Recognizing that pipe fabrication was slowing down its prefabrication process, F+F Mechanical Company invested in a Watts-Mueller pipe cutter that dramatically improved speed and quality while decreasing labor costs. In fact, thanks to the efficiencies gained from prefabrication using the Watts-Mueller machine, F+F Mechanical recently completed a full boiler room change-out for a hospital in just three months.

JPG Increases Efficiency, Builds Business With Zurn SmartPro Monitoring

JPG Plumbing & Mechanical Services’ adoption of new oil and grease interceptor monitoring technology from Zurn has significantly reduced pumping overspend and minimized the risk of backups for JPG’s customers. The increased monitoring is translating into more tank repair and replacement work as customers gain better visibility into their systems. Zurn Elkay Water Solutions is a benefactor of MCAA23.

Zurn Elkay Water Solutions

Graco Mechanical Upgrades Houston Highrise in One Weekend with Marley Cooling Towers

For Graco Mechanical of Houston, TX, Marley NC® Cooling Towers from SPX Cooling Tech, LLC proved to be the ideal solution for replacing a highrise building’s aging cooling tower in a tight space with an even tighter timeline—just one weekend. These factory-assembled, or “package,” towers allowed for faster installation than a field-erected option while meeting the building’s needs.

SPX Cooling Tech, LLC

Engineered Water Heater Solutions Versus Field-Devised Methods: Advice From Reliance Worldwide Corporation

Confidence in your installation and its reliability are important to any contractor, but labor shortages and economic constraints can often make you feel like you have to choose between speed, cost, and quality. Balancing all three can be a challenge, especially when it comes to water heater installations. Water heater supports, in particular, often get cobbled together using leftover jobsite materials or other makeshift methods in hopes that they will keep the unit stable in the long run. While this may be the cheapest solution in the moment, it is not the best choice for your budget or your reputation.

Reliance Worldwide Corporation

Miller Electric Illustrates Benefits of Induction for Welding Preheating

Welding preheating is used to ensure weld quality and reduce the chance of cracking and other defects that can result in costly rework. Preheating is commonly used in field and shop applications when welding steel or steel alloy pipes or plates that are 1” thick or more. Applications that often use preheating include power plant and structural construction, as well as pipe fabrication. Here, Miller Electric outlines four common methods for welding preheating and how to choose the best option for your application.

FARO Offers Five Tips for Maximizing Profitability With 3D Reality Capture

When processes are not aligned at every stage of a construction project, costly delays and unnecessary expenses are inevitable—and in the worst-case scenario can even result in legal disputes. Communication with stakeholders, the ability to monitor site progress, and the interconnected nature of construction work can all pose challenges to your bottom line.

FARO INSIGHT

Therma Bridges Creativity and Collaboration with Procore’s Construction Management Platform

Therma’s steady growth and sterling reputation over the decades has been driven in part by its highly motivated and skilled innovators, each with their own approach to process—which also resulted in a disjointed recordkeeping system. They chose Procore’s scalable construction management platform to standardize their project processes and centralize their document management, creating seamless collaboration, complete flexibility across project types, and a single source of truth and project data accessible to all. Now, workers collaborate through a common platform with deep visibility into all the information they need, all available on mobile devices.

Procore Technologies, Inc.

Ridge Tool Company Offers Tips for Selecting Ergonomic Tools to Minimize Strain, Increase Productivity

Not long ago, the impact of a tool on its user was not given much thought when it came to tool design. Today, thanks to advancements in technology and a better awareness of how repetitive use of a tool can contribute to injury, ergonomic tool design is becoming the norm. To help ensure you are making the best equipment investment for your team, here are basic ergonomic tool features to look for.

Ridge Tool Company

Harder Mechanical Tackles Welder Shortage, Amps Up Productivity With Novarc’s Spool Welding Robot

By implementing Novarc’s Spool Welding Robot (SWR), Harder Mechanical Contractors has minimized their need for highly skilled welders and increased productivity from an average of 120 factored diameter inches (FDI) per shift to more than 200 FDI, while also achieving a repair rate of 0 percent and maximizing arc-on time. Moreover, because the SWR is a collaborative robot—or cobot—Harder Mechanical can assign less experienced welders to operate the machine, significantly improving shop productivity and resulting in high-quality welds every single time.

Novarc Technologies Inc.