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Winter 2024 Issue

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Help Keep Your Project Up to Code

Specifications provide clear instructions on a project’s intent, performance, and construction; a detailed specification can anticipate and answer construction questions onsite, saving the contractor time and money. Combined with drawings, they are contractual documents that can minimize project risk and give support if any legal issues arise. When the project is finished, construction specifications become part of the audit trail and can form the basis for future management or policies, such as best practices to optimize future endeavors.

NIBCO INC.

Preventing a Prolonged Power Plant Shutdown

Through a preventative maintenance program, F.W. Webb Company found and fixed oil leaks at a New Hampshire power plant that could have caused major problems. Instead of a long shutdown that could have affected electricity customers across New England, F.W. Webb completed repairs during a planned two-week plant closure.

F.W. Webb Company

Department of Defense Announces New Cybersecurity Requirements

In 2020, the Department of Defense announced a new strategic effort to provide enhanced cybersecurity efforts for their building projects going forward. The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) will ensure accountability for companies to implement cybersecurity standards to protect sensitive data during the design, build and operations of DoD facilities. Through research grants by the John R. Gentille Foundation and ELECTRI International, a video series, along with official DoD CMMC documentation, has been produced by MCAA’s Chief Security Fanatic, Nick Espinosa to provide ongoing updates on CMMC changes as the standard evolves and in-depth tutorials on all 110 CMMC Level 2 security controls.

Raising Mental Health Awareness with Safety Resources

Construction has one of the highest rates of death by suicide of all industries in the United States, about four times higher than the general population. MCAA is proud to tackle Mental Health Awareness & Suicide Prevention head on with a series of NEW resources developed in partnership with the United Association (UA).

Building the Industry Workforce

LAARS, a Bradford White Company (and a benefactor of MCAA24), is working closely with MCAA and the United Association (UA) toward a shared vision of continuous support for a trained, skilled workforce that is committed to safety, quality, and productivity. LAARS and the UA have established more than 50 advanced water heater and boiler training labs across the United States, with many more in development.

LAARS, a Bradford White Company

Extra Eyes Onsite, Catching Errors Early & Cutting Travel Time

Thanks to photos and videos captured onsite by OpenSpace technology, U.S. Engineering fixed an error during construction that would have required expensive rework if it had not been caught early. With OpenSpace, U.S. Engineering managers are keeping tabs on projects remotely, saving hours of travel time and costs.

OpenSpace

Advances in Oil-Free Compressors

In the air- and water-cooled chiller markets, oil-free compression technology is emerging as a more efficient, quieter, more easily applied, and easier-to-maintain alternative to legacy screw compressors. For original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and end-users of mission-critical chillers in large HVAC applications, oil management adds costs and complexities to system designs—which typically result in declining energy efficiencies throughout their lifecycles.

Copeland

Executive-To-Executive Meetings, Strategic Discussions & Innovation Await At MCAA Converge

Want to improve your business relationships, gain product knowledge and leverage your business strategy? Join us for MCAA Converge. More than just a meeting, MCAA Converge is a meticulously crafted experience designed to address the unique needs of your company. Picture executive-to-executive meetings, a melting pot of strategic discussions, and an atmosphere buzzing with innovation.

Managing Communication, Keeping Projects On Track

Miscommunication and excessive administrative efforts led Modern to adopt MSUITE technology to manage their fabrication operations in unison with other departments. “MSUITE helps prioritize the work for our shop managers to make sure we’re on the right track,” said Jim Tedrow, piping operations leader.

MSUITE

Ramping Up Welding Capacity

Metropolitan Mechanical Contractors, Inc. (MMC) put Novarc Technologies Inc.’s Spool Welding Robot™ (SWR) to work and dramatically increased their welding capacity, achieving consistent, high-quality welds every single time. Corey Hagerty, pipefitting shop foreman at MMC, described the impact: “Before implementing the SWR, we typically had three to four guys welding (depending on the project) and we averaged from 60 to 80 factored diameter inches (FDI) a day. Currently, we’re doing 200 to 250 FDI a day on the SWR; we even achieved 290” in one day.”

Novarc Technologies Inc.

Simplify Remote Monitoring & Maintenance

Installing smart products like the SC Argus™ Pro suite from SLOAN (an MCAA24 benefactor) allows facility managers to monitor and maintain products remotely, saving time. These products also reduce water usage, improve sustainability, and contribute to a healthier, more hygienic restroom environment.

SLOAN

Dramatically Increase Efficiency

With a large project on the horizon and more on the way, AMS Industries, Inc. invested in a Watts Specialties, LLC pipe cutting machine and immediately reaped benefits. “Pipe cuts that were previously taking one man 40 hours to complete are now being cut in 8 hours—including olets!” said Beth Thullen, fabrication shop superintendent at AMS.

Watts Specialties

Fueling Growth With a Software Solution

Former service technician Kevin Harris started Preferred Mechanical Group (PMG) 4 years ago with two technicians; now PMG employs 52 technicians and an office staff of 26—and Harris projects continued growth over the next few years. ServiceTrade talked with Harris about his company’s impressive growth and how the service software helped him build an efficient, technician-centric company.

ServiceTrade

Managing the Houston Heat

By specifying a new Marley® MH Element™ Fluid Cooler from SPX Cooling Tech, LLC, Letsos Company provided a more efficient, more sustainable alternative to repairing the deteriorating existing cooler of an historic Houston building while maintaining a similar footprint, simplifying the installation process.

SPX Cooling Tech, LLC

Racing Ahead of Casino Schedule

To meet the tight timeline for a new multimillion-dollar casino and hotel, The Severn Group leveraged the Victaulic grooved copper system’s design flexibility and on-site fabrication capabilities to manage the project’s most critical aspects. As a result, The Severn Group was ahead of schedule on every portion of their scope of work. Victaulic is a major sponsor of MCAA24.

Victaulic