Victaulic Options Assist Recent Meadow Full Riser Substitute 6 Days Forward of Schedule

Retrofitting, renovating, or changing an present HVAC system in a multi-story constructing could be an intricate endeavor, difficult engineers and mechanical contractors with enhancing the system whereas navigating the constructing’s present use and unique infrastructure. In these tasks, extra issues can embody addressing doubtlessly outdated constructing codes and security requirements alongside accommodating new necessities for system measurement and capability.

Recent Meadow Mechanical Corp., a premier New York-based mechanical contractor, is well-versed in tackling retrofit challenges, having constructed an intensive portfolio of profitable tasks over the previous 25 years. When the return riser system at a New York Metropolis residential constructing required an entire alternative, constructing house owners entrusted Recent Meadow with executing the undertaking as rapidly as potential to attenuate disruptions to tenants and make sure the constructing’s system was working at peak efficiency forward of New York’s chilly climate season.

Nevertheless, the alternative undertaking was something however simple. The scope entailed fully extracting the unique riser that ran from the first-floor ceiling to the 18th-floor mechanical room in addition to designing, putting in, and commissioning a brand new dual-temperature system inside a extremely compressed 21-day schedule. Engineers needed to accommodate extra thermal enlargement within the new return riser design however confronted problem assembly new necessities throughout the riser shaft’s tight dimensions. The ultimate and most important caveat was that Recent Meadow wanted to make use of added measures to attenuate disruptions and keep security throughout set up for the reason that constructing would stay absolutely occupied all through the undertaking. To beat time, noise, and house constraints, Recent Meadow required a complete undertaking associate and turned to Victaulic, a world supplier of pipe-joining and movement management options, to assist meet the undertaking’s calls for with engineered options.

House Restrictions within the Riser Shaft

In the course of the design course of, Recent Meadow realized that the system wanted an extra enlargement loop to accommodate new load and thrust necessities, however the constructing didn’t have house to spare. Recent Meadow labored intently with Victaulic’s Piping Motion and Design group to use an alternate resolution that allowed for thermal enlargement.

“There was merely no room for an enlargement loop throughout the present shaft. The house owners would want to switch their occupied constructing, inevitably encroaching on hallway house and evaluating constructing code, in an effort to compensate for pipe development brought on by temperature adjustments utilizing conventional strategies like enlargement loops,” defined Mike Russo, chief working officer of Recent Meadow. “As an alternative, utilizing the Victaulic self-contained [Style 155] enlargement joint meeting was advantageous as a result of we may work throughout the present shaft.”

Recent Meadow put in two Victaulic Fashion 155 enlargement joints with three Victaulic Fashion A10 riser anchors at particular ranges of the multi-story constructing to accommodate for thermal enlargement and contraction. The engineered resolution supplied the required thermal motion functionality with out the necessity for extra coordination, overview, and subject work that might affect each the schedule and price range.

Minimal Disruptions in an Occupied Constructing

Development tasks in occupied areas could be loud and infrequently require cordoning off restricted work areas that interrupt the common site visitors movement in a constructing. Even with a fast-paced schedule in place to attenuate the length of disruptions, the riser alternative undertaking would nonetheless affect occupants for 3 weeks.

By using Victaulic grooved system options, Recent Meadow managed the affect on residents, eliminating the necessity for a sizzling work security program and avoiding welding fumes. This strategy ensured residents wouldn’t face security issues, have to observe diverted site visitors patterns on each ground, or expertise a noticeable, disagreeable odor from sizzling work fumes and gases.

“We did not must shut something down or interrupt the tenants in any respect. We additionally knew we wished to chop down on the noise and will do this utilizing Victaulic,” stated Keith McKee, Recent Meadow’s superintendent for the undertaking. “The one noise was tightening the couplings with an affect gun, which made the constructing managers comfortable.”

Optimized Options Quick-Monitor the Mission

Along with minimizing the affect on the residents, the grooved system provided a key benefit in the course of the set up course of. Commonplace pipe lengths on retrofit tasks are typically bigger than service elevators, which interprets to extra time spent slicing pipe spools and, in return, extra time spent welding an elevated variety of joints. The contractor averted elevated materials dealing with time and welding time by utilizing grooved connections, which allowed them to affix riser sections inside minutes and keep on schedule.

JUST A LITTLE OFF THE TOP: With the wanted pipes being taller than the floor-to-ceiling top, they had been minimize in half for transportation after which grooved connections had been used for set up, saving a major period of time. (Courtesy of Victaulic)

“The pipes had been taller than the floor-to-ceiling top, so we minimize them in half to get them upstairs. Including joints could have slowed us down in a special undertaking, however Victaulic grooved connections made it a extra environment friendly set up. We received the constructing again on-line a lot sooner than if we had utilized different strategies. It was the adaptability we wanted for this retrofit,” stated McKee.

Going ground to ground, Recent Meadow minimize the riser out of the wall, rigged it down a 17-story shaft, after which eliminated the out of date items from the foyer stage. Whereas the removing section spanned 4 days of the 21-day undertaking timeline, leaving solely 17 days for the brand new system set up, Recent Meadow and Victaulic had been assured the staff would meet the completion deadline.

Recent Meadow utilized Victaulic QuickVic™ Set up-Prepared™ couplings on the undertaking, that are designed to expedite pipe becoming a member of. The 2-piece housing design options “shift-limiting slant pads” that enable installers to carry out one-touch tightening with high-performance affect weapons. The set up course of was additional streamlined by leveraging Victaulic’s Piping Motion Design staff, who supplied detailed pipe format drawings that enabled Recent Meadow to rapidly discover and set up parts as wanted. Additionally they coordinated expedited materials deliveries so the undertaking may progress from design to set up with out pause.

Consideration to element and forward-thinking in the course of the design section, mixed with Victaulic’s Set up-Prepared grooved couplings and engineered movement management options, contributed to the distinctive success of the undertaking. Finally, Recent Meadow remained forward of the 21-day schedule, finishing the whole scope — extracting the outdated riser system and putting in a brand new one — in solely 15 days.