Fabricating for the Future

Posted on by TP Mechanical

Presented by TP Mechanical | Provided by Dan Holland

Over the years, I have been blessed to be a part of a growing trend within our industry and I am very passionate about it. I’m talking about Fabrication.

Fabrication was around long before my time. TP Mechanical has done fabrication of sorts for many years, and I remember my first experience with it when I was working in the field. In 1998, I was working on a school with a lot of plumbing piping located in masonry walls. I was still learning about different material types and installations at the time, but we fabricated all of the piping on the job-site before installing it in the block walls.

There were different masonry crews scattered across the job site, and they were laying up different wall sections every day. We had to work hard to stay right with them to make sure all of our piping made it within the walls.

Our job superintendent devised a plan to make it easier for us to stay ahead. He worked late every day and made hand sketches of the piping that was located within the walls and provided the drawings and material necessary to make it happen. He split our job site into two crews: one crew was in charge of fabricating the piping sections and the other was in charge of installing them. I was selected for the fabrication team. We set up our shop within a material trailer located on site. By doing this we could work rain or shine to stay ahead of the install team and the masonry contractor.

DSC_5063 fab shop product catalog 10-23-13We continued this process throughout the job and the project was very successful. That was 16 years ago this June. That project has always been part of me throughout my career. I have been fortunate enough to be on many job-sites and facilities across the country and even traveled to Europe to evaluate and learn fabrication techniques. I can honestly say that no one does it better than TP Mechanical.

TP Mechanical’s leadership saw the growing need for fabrication in our industry early on. They went full steam ahead to make the investment in a state-of-the-art fabrication facility in Cincinnati, Ohio. Out of this facility, TP Mechanical provides all fabrication needed for its job-sites as well as for outside customers. We build Plumbing, HVAC, Fire Protection and Medical Gas systems of all sorts. We have even established remote fabrication facilities near construction sites to improve speed and efficiency.

The culture at TP Mechanical has grown to welcome fabrication at all levels because our teams see the benefits for the projects, our customers and the industry alike.

With fabrication TP Mechanical can provide products just-in-time to the projects. We utilize a safe work environment andDSC_2266 OSU NRDT-Tep #B1000303 shave days, weeks or even months off of construction schedules. Everyone benefits from Fabrication. Properly planned fabrication can reduce safety hazard exposure on the job-site, keep unwanted materials off of the job-site, reduce waste from construction landfills, improve construction logistics and reduce installation time, therefore enhancing construction schedules.

I am proud to be a part of the Fabrication workforce at TP Mechanical because we care about our customers and we are making a difference in our industry. Fabrication has been around for a while, but it is quickly evolving into a bright future. What are you fabricating?

 

 

Question and Answer with TP Mechanical’s Plumbing Estimator

Posted on by TP Mechanical

Jerry KellerJerry Keller is a plumbing estimator in our Cincinnati office. He has been with TP Mechanical for 30 years. We recently sat down with Jerry to find out more about what his typical day is like.

Q: What is one of the first things you do when you obtain new specs for a project we are bidding?

A: First, I read through the specs and write down the front-end information that I will need to successfully bid the project. I find out what type of pipes, valves and fittings are required for the project. Then, I break down the drawings by counting and coloring all of the fixtures, drains, carriers, cleanouts and equipment. I repeat this procedure for each plumbing system, sanitary waste and vent, storm, acid waste, natural gas, domestic water, compressed air, medical gases, or whatever type of plumbing system is associated with the particular project.

Q: How do you record all of this information once obtained?

A: Once all of that is complete, I take all of the information and enter it into our computer system. Our system will figure the cost for the labor and material to properly bid the project. After the numbers are properly configured, they are entered in separate spreadsheets to send to our vendors for their pricing. Once the spreadsheets are complete, one of the leadership team will review the materials and send our final number to the General Contractor.

Q: Why is this important to the customer?

A: Accuracy in estimating is critical for our customers because it provides them with the most accurate information to make their bid award decision. We strive to deliver the best value to our customers, including innovative construction techniques like value engineering or prefabrication. Quality estimating ensures we can be competitive and efficient in the bid process.

Custom Prefabrication. Your Job. Your Specifications.

Posted on by TP Mechanical

We are excited to announce the launch of our TP Mechanical Fabrication Shop website, www.TPFabricationShop.com, which will offer customers and potential customers, custom fabricated construction materials shipped directly to their job site.

The new website makes it easy for customers to create an account, describe their project and details about the products they need and upload their drawings and schematics. The TP Mechanical team will deliver a quote to customers promptly. The website also offers a comprehensive catalog of prefabricated building products, each can be customized to meet the specifications of a particular job.

The TP Mechanical Fabrication Shop is a one-stop-shop for the building materials a contractor needs to complete a job efficiently and cost effectively.

TPMechanical_MiamiValleyHospitalSouthTowerAdditionOur fabrication shop is a 45,000-square-foot ISO-registered facility, staffed by skilled tradesmen, using state-of-the-art building information modeling (BIM) technologies. The shop fabricates a variety of products used in HVAC, plumbing and fire protection construction, including corridor system mechanical racks; CPVC, PVC and copper pipe assemblies; pipe hangers and supports; equipment skids and carrier groups.

Contractors and construction companies can utilize prefabrication to help shorten their time schedule, reduce material waste at the job site and ultimately provide cost savings.

For more information about the fabrication shop and our capabilities, visit our website today or call Jef Schachleiter, Internal Operations Manager for TP Mechanical, at 513-842-5910.

Mentoring relationship growth article featuring TP Mechanical and Sure Mechanical

Posted on by TP Mechanical

TP Mechanical and SURE Mechanical leverage mentoring relationship for growth

TP Mechanical, a regional leader in mechanical, HVAC, plumbing and fire protection contracting, service and fabrication, recently announced it has entered into a mentoring relationship with SURE Mechanical, of Cincinnati.

via TP Mechanical and SURE Mechanical leverage mentoring relationship for growth | Business Development content from Contractor Magazine.

Many Hands Make Light Work

Posted on by TP Mechanical

When we were brought on to the Ohio Wesleyan Stuyvesant Hall Renovation project, we needed “all hands on deck” so to speak.

Stuyvesant Hall, a campus icon, is considered to be an architectural jewel and is one of 11 Ohio Wesleyan buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1931, the 74,000 square-foot dormitory was considered to be state-of-the-art; a model for residence halls of the time.

After nearly a century of housing over 200 college students a year, the building needed a little face lift as well as extensive internal updates to offer current and future Ohio Wesleyan students state-of-the-art accommodations by today’s standards.

TP Mechanical was brought on to the job to collaborate on converting the existing rooms into suites with brand-new, private adjoining bathrooms as well as the demolition of the building’s existing mechanical and plumbing systems and the installation of all-new:

  • Plumbing
  • HVAC
  • Fire protection systems
  • Air devices
  • Boilers
  • Chillers
  • Hydronic pumps
  • Fancoil units
  • DOAS units
  • Unit heaters
  • Public restroom facilities
  • A new all-campus health center

We loved this project because there are few things more rewarding than breathing new life into an old building, and it really brought our company together because it required the collaboration of all departments to get the job done. From design to prefabrication to install, the men and women of TP Mechanical worked together to deliver the intricate mechanical systems to get Stuyvesant Hall up and running under budget and on time. As always, our high safety standards were in place to protect the workers on the job site while keeping campus activities in motion with minimal disruption.

Having the opportunity to participate in a renovation project on a building with such a rich history was a treat. The ABC Central Ohio Excellence in Construction Award we earned on the project was icing on the cake so to speak. We couldn’t have done it without the internal collaboration and the valued partnerships of the industry peers, craftsmen and tradesmen we worked with throughout the duration of the project. Thank you one and all.

To read more about this project and view pictures taken while it was in progress, click here.

Project Profile: University of Kentucky BioPharm Complex

Posted on by TP Mechanical

University of Kentucky BioPharm Complex

 

Building the future in more ways than one

The University of Kentucky BioPharm complex wasn’t just an average plumbing job.

UK’s College of Pharmacy is ranked 5th in the nation and its 286,000-square-foot BioPharm complex facility was created to provide top researchers, scientific minds and students with 21st-century tools. The research conducted in this building has an impact on the future of medicine and changes lives. At TP Mechanical, we knew it was critical to bring our A-game.

The first three floors of the building were completed in January 2010 and opened to pharmacy students and faculty. Although the fourth and fifth floors were slated to house research labs, they had not yet been fitted out. TP Mechanical took on the challenge of completing the mechanical service for these two additional floors.

Medical research labs require extensive specialty work when it comes to mechanical systems. The project required stainless steel duct work and a piping system that could withstand and transfer chemicals safely. We also needed to devise a way to construct and install these systems while the first three floors of the building remained occupied by students and faculty.

Of course, for TP Mechanical, we face these types of challenges on an everyday basis, and we’re well-prepared to handle all this and more. With a little ingenuity, anything is possible – and problem-solving is what makes us who we are.

We leveraged our extensive knowledge of specialty piping products and prefabrication capabilities to create a custom chemical piping system using Orion’s thermoplastic polyvinylidene flouride (PVDF) material. PVDF is a thermoplastic developed for superior resistance to many solvents, acids, bases and halogens. It is the first plastic piping that is certified to meet ASTM E-84 and UL 723 codes for flame spread and smoke generation. Additionally, it maintains its strength from -40°F to 285°F.

We utilized our in-house prefabrication team extensively to prepare materials and delivered them to the upper floors using buck hoists. This allowed us to construct and install the mechanical systems while students and faculty safely occupied the building below. Classes and other activities operated normally throughout construction. This project took one full year to complete, without interruption of the flow of campus life.

On November 29, 2011, the research labs were opened for business. Today, the UK BioPharm complex is home to world-renowned nanobiology expert Peixan Guo, Jon Thorson, head of the Center for Pharmaceutical Research and Innovation (CPRI). Both are leading extensive research teams that are at the forefront of cutting-edge nanomedicine, antiobiotic and anti-cancer discovery.

TP Mechanical is proud to have played a role in the creation of such a state-of-the-art research facility. Our extensive experience with academic institutions in Ohio and Kentucky has helped us to become a leader in mechanical contracting for a wide variety of projects – hospitals, dormitories, stadiums and research facilities.

University of Kentucky BioPharm UKpharm23

Safety is a team effort

Posted on by TP Mechanical

bigstock-Safety-First-Vector-7506065Superintendents can’t be everywhere at once. That’s why TP Mechanical works tirelessly to empower our employees to protect themselves and each other.

Safety is a team effort

One of the most effective strategies contributing to our safety success is our Job Safety Analysis (JSA) procedure. Recent reports indicate that 76% of injuries on the job are caused by inattention and complacency of workers on the site. The JSA is a critical tool in combatting inattention.

The TP Safety Department, in conjunction with Superintendent and Project Management, helped create a streamlined, user-friendly JSA document to help save superintendents valuable time. Together with intensive employee education and open lines of communication between team leader and team member, our JSA procedure is swift, thorough and effective.

The conditions on any given job site are constantly changing, requiring relentless vigilance on the part of every man and woman present. It’s our belief that the responsibility for safety rests with every team member in the field.

Heightened environmental awareness means workers take the appropriate precautions to keep their areas hazard-free. TP Mechanical trains all employees on every aspect of jobsite safety, while emphasizing the fine points of their specific trades or assignments. When TP Mechanical is on the job, the workers know their areas as thoroughly as their supervisors, allowing them to take ownership of their protection.

Before daily work begins, superintendents walk the job site, reviewing a checklist specific to every trade or specialty present. They then meet with team members in every area to discuss the hazards and safety procedures related to the work they will do that day. Workers are asked to communicate any issues they have identified. This back-and-forth communication ensures that every individual is on the same page and working to eliminate potential hazards before they can become accidents. Last but not least, every team member in a designated work area must sign the JSA at the beginning and end of every work session.

The TP Mechanical commitment to safety begins with the belief, dedication and unwavering support of upper management and the true abilities of all TP employees to embrace our company’s first core value of “Safety First, Always First.” With a strong belief in this, all TP employees exemplify how safety should be conducted throughout the industry. The ongoing evaluations and feedback provided by TP employees allows our company to be a front runner in safety.

TP Mechanical hours worked without a lost-time accident are..

Posted on by TP Mechanical

TPM-SafetyFirstAlways2_1-30-13As of April 5, 2013 our employees have worked 2,301,885 hours without a lost-time accident.  Congratulations for your continued success for upholding our first core value Safety First, Always First!