MCAA member companies have overcome scheduling and other challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic in order to serve our communities. MCA of Cleveland member Smith & Oby Company’s work on the conversion of Cleveland Clinic’s Health Education Campus (HEC) main building into a COVID-19 surge hospital is just one example.
The temporary hospital is one part of Cleveland Clinic’s strategy to be fully prepared to meet the needs of the community during this rapidly evolving situation.
The facility, called Hope Hospital, offers onsite care for COVID-19 patients with short term needs. These are patients who do not require ventilators or large amounts of oxygen. The entire project was accomplished in less than a month. The four-story, 477,000-square-foot building can accommodate up to 1,000 hospital beds.
Edmund S. Sabanegh, Cleveland Clinic’s President of Main Campus and Regional Hospitals, praises all of the project partners, saying, “There’s really no precedent for us doing something this big this quickly. It’s been amazing to watch clinical leaders and operations, construction, design and nursing teams all come together in a very short window of time and literally build a thousand-bed-capability facility that rivals fixed buildings in many parts of the country. “
Members like the Smith & Oby Company continue to adapt to the COVID-19 situation to help provide the best patient care in the safest way possible. We are all in this together.
MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show connects our contractor members with the members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.
Participating companies highlight and link to new products, product lines, services, solutions or web pages of particular interest. Here are just a few of the recent additions:
Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co.® a Member of Morris Group International Due to Shelter-In-Place and Stay-at-Home orders around the world, many buildings are sitting empty. Those vacancies mean your drains are being used infrequently, if at all, and are likely to emit sewer gases. We have an easy and affordable fix that takes just a minute or two to implement, and no special tools are required.
Seton Since 1956, we’ve been providing contractors with quality service and products designed to meet your critical project requirements. Our complimentary services allow you to free up resources to work on other critical aspects of the project.
Visit the Smart Solutions Case Studies area of our website to learn how other mechanical contractors found their win-win with cost-saving and productivity-enhancing applications from members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.
This section of our website also includes tips and ideas to help your company save money and enhance your productivity. Don’t miss it!
This year, $500 MCAA Internship Grants are being offered to students who accept internships or full-time positions thanks to funding from the John R. Gentille Foundation (JRGF). MCAA members can use these grants to help them attract much-needed talent, and interns will appreciate the investment in their success. This small gesture may be the beginning of a great future with your company.
Internship Success
MCAA members are leveraging the internship grants for their interns this summer.
Enginuty LLC presented Matthew Lawrence and Andrew Clancy with MCAA student internship grants at the start of their internships this summer. Matthew is working as a service department sales assistant and Andrew is a project assistant.
Bryce Danielson, this year’s Alan O’Shea Memorial Scholarship recipient is continuing his internship for MCA of Omaha member Ray Martin Company. “I have been challenged with many tasks which include estimating and preparing bids, writing purchase orders and subcontracts, and helping with project management duties. They gave me opportunities that no other company would give a first-year intern.”
The MCAA member company will first ensure a prospective intern is in good standing at an accredited two- or four-year college, university or technical school. While MCAA encourages its members to give priority to students from the MCAA Student Chapter Program, this is not a requirement to receive a grant.
Each MCAA member company can submit up to two internship grant applications per year. Once an application is reviewed and accepted, MCAA will send a $500 gift card to the member company so it can present the gift card to the student at the start of their internship.
MCAA will follow-up with each company and intern to ensure the process and overall internship was successful.
Start Your Search for Top Talent Today
MCAAGreatFutures.org gives members access to student profiles and resumes. The profiles are searchable by university, desired location, and even a specific skill set, like BIM or AutoCAD. A keyword filter allows users to zero in on students who fit the bill.
Not finding a match? Try reaching out to our 60 MCAA Student Chapters. The chapter advisors are a great resource to help find the right person. And, MCAA members have exclusive access to post job openings on our job board.
Help build our industry’s GreatFuture – apply for a grant!
With a surplus of patients in healthcare facilities across the country due to COVID-19, commercial facilities are opening their doors to become temporary field hospitals. Sloan has supplied its touch-free commercial restroom products to two of these field hospital facilities: Chicago’s McCormick Place Convention Center and Yale University’s Payne Whitney Gym.
At McCormick Place Convention Center there are 500 beds in makeshift rooms, with plumbing requirements calling for over 200 Sloan sensor faucets in handwashing stations.
Yale’s Payne Whitney Gym needed to retrofit its existing manual faucets and flushometers to provide more sanitary environment for the influx of patients. The facility removed its existing faucets and replaced them with Sloan sensor-operated faucets, while also installing new Sloan sensor flushometers to provide a touch-free experience.
“At Sloan, we understand that the touch-free products we manufacture across the entire commercial restroom play an essential role in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Graham Allen, Sloan co-president and CEO. “We are proud to support those in our backyard of Chicago, Yale University, and anyone in need across the country, and we will continue to do everything in our power to supply sensor-operated products.”
MCA of Metropolitan Washington, Inc. member JPG Plumbing & Mechanical Services, Inc. was approached to partner on a United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Pilot Project. The project’s goal: to convert storage units to house COVID-19 patients undergoing the second stage of treatment to help prevent the spread of the disease.
The project scope included the design, construction and delivery of six negative pressure units to United Medical Center. The negative pressure helps contain the airborne contaminants so that they do not drift to other areas and contaminate patients, staff and sterile equipment.
The notice was received on April 9, and an action plan was implemented to coordinate the logistics and assign technicians to the two-phase project. First, the team installed the mechanical equipment to convert the storage units into patient units. Next, the team delivered the units to United Medical Center and connected the equipment to provide the required patient environment.
Senior Project Manager Steve Brown was challenged with procuring equipment that met the design specifications within a short timeframe. Modifications were made to the original plans to ensure the healthcare professionals were provided areas of “clean air,” which is then directed across the patient areas and out of the unit through the use of high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters and exhaust fans. Brown said, “the project was fast-paced and we were competing with contractors across the country for materials. It was a great team effort by the JPG Plumbing and Mechanical teams and our materials and equipment vendor partners.”
The construction began on April 13 and took only five days. The units were tested and inspected by the on-site USACE engineering team to ensure compliance with the design and specifications. The six units were transported to the United Medical Center the following week and placed in field tents outside the hospital. The JPG Plumbing & Mechanical Services, Inc. team was then able to extend the drain lines and connect the units. Closing the project, the team provided a field demonstration to the end-users on the systems’ use and proper maintenance procedures.
MCAA thanks JPG Plumbing & Mechanical Services, Inc. for their efforts in helping to minimize the impact of COVID-19 on our communities. We will get through this together.
Ryan Manual, Assistant Professor of Practice for Purdue University, has received a Faculty Continuing Education Grant funded by the John R. Gentille Foundation. Ryan is the current faculty advisor of the MCAA Student Chapter at Purdue.
The Faculty Continuing Education Grant encourages MCAA members to employ college or university faculty on a part-time basis by subsidizing the faculty member’s salary. By working for a MCAA member, faculty gains a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities that students may face and are thus better prepared to advise them.
Working with D.A. Dodd
This summer, Ryan will be working as a Temporary Project Advisor with MCA of Indiana member company D.A. Dodd. After meeting with each other, Ryan and D.A. Dodd found the opportunity to be mutually beneficial, the company will grow closer to academia, assisting in helping attract young talent to their organization.
Ryan discussed what he hopes to get out of the two-month position. “I am responsible for teaching all of the mechanical content in our undergraduate curriculum at Purdue. I believe my experience at D.A. Dodd, will improve my lessons and generate ideas to create more engaging learning experiences for my students. I will use this opportunity to strengthen my knowledge in the mechanical contracting industry while staying current with industry practices and trends that I will take directly to the classroom.”
As a temporary project advisor, Ryan will work alongside local and corporate project managers to gain an understanding of their roles, observe the day-to-day functions of a mechanical contractor, and provide insight regarding internship and entry level hiring programs.
Essential responsibilities will include:
• Review challenges and inefficiencies regarding Project Manager procedures, precedence, design clarifications, adequate labor and equipment, schedules, and any other applicable issues
• Assist as needed in managing day-to-day field operations of mechanical, HVAC, or plumbing projects
• Read, analyze, and interpret plans, specifications, controls, drawings, service bulletins, technical procedure manuals, equipment specifications, and government regulations
• Work with Human Resources to restructure and promote D.A. Dodd’s part-time and full-time internship programs
MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show connects our contractor members with the members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.
Participating companies highlight and link to new products, product lines, services, solutions or web pages of particular interest. Here are just a few of the recent additions:
Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co.® a Member of Morris Group International Water hammer arresters control the destructive forces, pounding noises and vibration which develop in a piping system when a column of non-compressible liquid flowing through a pipe line is stopped abruptly. Smith’s piston type water hammer can be used in residential, commercial, and industrial applications. They are made from lead free copper and rated for 60 PSI.
Lochinvar, LLC CREST’s O2 feedback system can monitor air/fuel ratio in real time via the touchscreen display or the CON-X-US® App and features a quicker start up!
Visit the Smart Solutions Case Studies area of our website to learn how other mechanical contractors found their win-win with cost-saving and productivity-enhancing applications from members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.
This section of our website also includes tips and ideas to help your company save money and enhance your productivity. Don’t miss it!
Join host John Koontz on Friday afternoons, as he welcomes a different guest each week to talk about what’s new and interesting in the world of Mechanical Contracting. Sit back and learn how industry leaders are innovating and adapting to challenges, enjoy a laugh or two, and meet members of the MCAA community from all across the country.
Episode 1: Finding and Keeping Talent, and The Advent of Remote Work Friday, May 29 at 2:00 p.m. EDT
All the way from beautiful balmy Buffalo NY, Robert Beck (CEO of J.W. Danforth Company) joins the show as our very first guest! Among the many changes brought about by COVID-19 is the normalization of working from home. John and Robert will discuss how this may permanently impact the way we work, how we find and keep our talent, and will explore the idea of adapting to balance remote work with a traditional office environment.
Episode 2:This Project Is On Fire! Friday, June 5 at 2:00 p.m. EDT
Have you ever had a nightmare project that just won’t end? Join John as he chats with his old friend from the City of Angels, Shaabini Alford (VP of Southern California Operations, Murray Company) about the practices and pitfalls of “crisis” project management. Tune in to hear Shaabini’s advice and lessons learned about surviving horrible projects, based on her ongoing real-life experience!
The full-featured digital version of MCAA’s Membership Directory & Buyer’s Guide enhances the look and feel of our printed directory. Download your copy for digital-only benefits that help you stay connected throughout the year. Printed copies are in the mail. Whichever version you choose to use, the directory is free as a benefit of membership.
The digital version of the directory helps you:
Network from anywhere with linked email addresses.
Connect with the companies, products and services that interest you using linked web addresses.
Get where you’re going…fast…with bookmarks and a linked table of contents.
Find advertisers instantly with a linked advertiser index.
The MCA of Omaha, Inc. and UA Local 464 have partnered to distribute hand sanitizer to their members in the field. Together, Brad Bird, the Business Manager of UA Local 464, and Kelsey Johnson, the Executive Vice President of the MCA of Omaha, developed a distribution plan for 225 gallons of hand sanitizer donated through the Nebraska Ethanol Board.
The hand sanitizer was manufactured by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in a collaborative project between several partners on the campus, including the College of Engineering, the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the Food Processing Center, and the Nebraska Innovation Campus.
On Tuesday, April 28, each of the contractors that requested hand sanitizer sent one representative to pick up the sanitizer from the union hall.
Kelsey Johnson and the MCA of Omaha feel fortunate to be able support their members in a safe way. “This was an incredible effort by us and Local 464. Now more than ever, we all need to work together with our labor partners to keep our members safe and informed.”
The Labor Management Cooperation Committee (LMCC) has made a $5,000 donation to the University of Nebraska Foundation to help keep the hand sanitizer project going.
“We are lucky to have the hand sanitizer donated to us, and to have a great relationship with our [UA] local. As more [hand sanitizer] comes in, we will continue to distribute it out to our contractors and their essential workers, who are having a really hard time finding any hand sanitizer.”
Mechanical Contractors Association of America teamed up with industry partners, including the Associated General Contractors , FCA International, International Council of Employers of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (ICEBAC), National Electrical Contractors Association, Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association, Signatory Wall And Ceiling Contractors Alliance and the Association of Union Constructors in a joint letter to Congress regarding the multiemployer pension plans, which provide retirement benefits to over 10 million Americans.
MCAA members can now download the 2020 edition of MCAA’s Change Orders, Productivity, Overtime—A Primer for the Construction Industry. The revamped resource provides guidance to contractors that are looking to measure the impact that delays, PPE and manpower limitations have on the construction sites that they are working on. The guide helps contractors identify and quantify activities before and after the start of the pandemic in order to build change orders correctly.
As the guide’s lead author, Paul L. Stynchcomb, CCM, PSP, CFCC of Vero Construction Consultants Corp. puts it, “One way that you are going to have to address this issue is measuring time impacts. So the starting point is to measure any schedule time impacts as of the commencement of the impacts of the pandemic on your project site. That means you need to identify any pre-existing delay conditions.”
As an additional resource, Paul Stynchcomb was joined by Douglas Patin and William Ibbs from the Ibbs Consulting Group on April 15, 2020 to address the Construction Management Consequences of the Coronavirus and Legal Responses. MCAA members can review the webinar for free at any time.
New Chapter Highlights Benefits of Sharing Native CPM Schedule Files
As some of the most labor-intensive trades on any project, mechanical, plumbing, electrical and sheet metal contractors are intently interested in project planning, activity sequencing, timing of the work and efficient crew flows. In a new chapter for the 2020 edition of MCAA’s Change Orders, Productivity, Overtime—A Primer for the Construction Industry, lead author Paul L. Stynchcomb, CCM, PSP, CFCC of Vero Construction Consultants Corp. discusses the essential concept of sharing the critical path method (CPM) schedule in its native form between all of the major trades on a construction project as a tool for enhancing cooperation, profitability and timeliness.
Only the prime or construction manager’s CPM schedule for the entire project scope of work provides the full picture that will enable these contractors to deliver projects to the benefit of all parties, Stynchcomb posits. He notes that printouts, bar chart graphics and PDF files of the CPM schedule are a poor substitute since they provide only a snapshot of the plan at a specific point in time.
Shared access to the native CPM schedule files adds transparency to the construction management and scheduling process, which is key to effectiveness on today’s complex and challenging construction projects. In most cases, projects that have a cooperative and interactive management style are more profitable and timely, and efficiently, completed. This means bottom line benefits for all involved.
Lawrence M. Prosen, Esquire of Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton, LLP provided the case citations and some general commentary contained in some sections of the chapter.
Peer Reviewers Add Industry Expertise
This latest chapter, like the others in the publication, was peer reviewed by a panel of industry professionals. Peer review was performed by Robert Beck, President/CEO of John W. Danforth Company in Tonawanda, NY; Rick Freeman, Executive Vice President, Southern Insulation, Inc. in Hyattsville, MD; Brian Helm, President of The Helm Group in Freeport, IL; and Denis St. Pierre, Executive Vice President & COO of Alterman in Austin, TX.
The American Subcontractors Association (ASA) has also renewed its full support for the contents of this publication as applicable to their particular trades.
Other Topics Addressed
In addition to the new chapter, the publication assists labor intensive contractors and subcontractors in concepts of proactive project management such as CPM scheduling, labor planning and productivity tracking, change management and settlement negotiations, dispute resolution, claims avoidance and, if necessary, claims preparation and presentation.
The object of this publication is to sensitize construction professionals of all trades to enable the early identification of obstacles to a successful project, and to proactively manage such obstacles to mitigate or eliminate their impact to the bottom line, to the benefit of all of the project participants.
MCAA Members – Download Your Free Copy!
MCAA members can download the publication free as a benefit of membership. Printed books are also available for purchase at a discounted rate.
Arden Engineering Constructors recently completed work on two COVID-19 field hospitals which add 935 patient beds for the anticipated COVID-19 surge in Rhode Island. The project had two 12-hour shifts running seven days a week from the time it began on April 6 until completion on April 18.
Arden provided and installed all of the HVAC piping, plumbing, ductwork, and medical gas piping for the project. Their in-house fabrication shop created finished bathroom piping systems ready for installation.
Unique Metal Works, an Arden Building Company, fabricated and installed approximately 6,000 feet of spiral exhaust ductwork with connection to plenum to provide “negative air flow” and prevent the escape of possible contamination. Their ability to do this provided both cost efficiencies and greater quality control for the project.
Earthwise Energy Technologies of Arden Building Companies, installed the monitoring and alarming for the negative pressure exhaust systems in the patient and pharmacy areas. The systems are monitored remotely using a graphic interface that allows needed adjustments to be made at any time, from anywhere.
MCAA thanks Arden Engineering Constructors for their efforts in support of healthcare providers, and for providing alternative care facilities for COVID-19 patients.
The full-featured digital version of our Membership Directory & Buyer’s Guide enhances the look and feel of our directory with digital-only benefits to help you:
Network from anywhere with linked email addresses.
Connect with the companies, products and services that interest you using linked web addresses.
Get where you’re going…fast…with bookmarks and a linked table of contents.
Find advertisers instantly with a linked advertiser index.
MCAA’s Membership Directory & Buyer’s Guide is free as a member benefit. Printed directories will be sent to members in the next few weeks.
This educational video provides users with an overview of the next generation of WebLEM — WebLEM+Plus. In this video, you will learn how labor units are created for both the Component and the Work Activity Method (WAM) and what factors are considered in creating labor units. The video highlights the new and enhanced features of WebLEM+Plus. You will learn how to navigate the updated software, how to access Component and Work Activity labor units and how to locate information associated with each product. The video will also walk you through a detailed example of how to use the Work Activity Method (WAM). Included in the recording is an overview of the work our industry’s manufacturers and content providers are doing to connect their product data and drawing content to the WebLEM+Plus. Welcome to WebLEM+Plus, the next generation of the industry standard for estimating labor hours.
As the new Senate bill was passed by the House on April 23, 2020, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) gained additional emergency funds. MCAA partners and law firm, Lindabury, McCormick, Estabrook & Cooper, P.C., provide an overview of the program application and loan forgiveness requirements to assist MCAA members.
Murphy Company is playing an important role in their communities’ fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. As the number of citizens requiring hospitalization has surged, so has the need for additional isolation rooms on a quick-turn schedule. The pandemic has presented additional challenges, and Murphy Company has met them all with innovative and fast-moving solutions.
St. Joseph Hospital
In an effort to convert standard patient rooms to negative pressure rooms, Murphy’s creative team figured out a way to install temporary ductwork along the building by feeding the room through a window, with HEPA filtration located on the roof of the St. Charles, MO hospital.
The fast-paced project converted rooms in 17 hours with an average crew size of six working around the clock (7:00 am – 12:00 am).
St. Anthony North Health Campus
Murphy Company converted a floor of standard patient rooms to negative pressure rooms for this job. From inception to turnover, this was done in 7 calendar days.
Project Timeline
April 1: Design team finalized plans and drawings with the St. Anthony North Health Campus team
April 2: Crew started layout, sketched and moved to fabrication
April 3: Roof curbs were installed
April 4: A weekend crane pick was staged to install the new exhaust fans. The sheet metal shop worked around the clock to complete the ductwork fabrication needed the next day
April 5: Ductwork arrived on site and was installed
April 6: Started and balanced the first two fans and turned over 15 rooms for the hospital to use that night
April 7: The last fan was started up, and the remaining 14 rooms were turned over in the afternoon
SSM Health DePaul Hospital
Murphy Company orchestrated work on three negative pressure rooms for the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at DePaul Hospital.
Kelly Pearce, Incident Commander at DePaul Hospital, praised Murphy Company for its work, saying, “I want to pass on my personal gratitude as the incident commander for DePaul Hospital as well as from the perspective of my ICU nursing background for the work your teams did for us last night.”
“From the time we said ‘go’ around 16:45 yesterday afternoon, Jim Wesling and others from Murphy and Kaiser were able to convert 16 ICU rooms on 3N from normal airflow to airborne infection isolation (AII) negative pressure standards by 04:30 this morning,” she added. “Their actions have made it safer for our staff and providers to care for patients infected with COVID-19 and to provide more peace of mind to the staff working through this very turbulent situation.”
Handwashing Stations
Murphy Company needed a way for its employees to wash their hands when the public areas of jobsites were closed due to COVID-19.
Vice President Scott McIntosh came up with the idea of creating portable sinks to bring on sites. The fabrication shop was challenged with the idea, and a prototype was created in 2 days.
The project started in Murphy Company’s Denver office, and was immediately supported by management in the St. Louis office.
The first prototype was a rectangular sink created using a stainless steel countertop and a Knaack cart. A hot water heater was installed in the cart’s cabinet. Water was supplied via a garden hose, and the stainless steel holding tank, with a capacity of +/- 20 gallons of wastewater, was drained via a garden hose. This option proved to be expensive due to the cost of the materials involved.
A second, less expensive option was developed next. The round sink, which is strapped to a dolly for portability, features a hands-free, sensor-powered water faucet and soap dispenser. This prototype has rear water-source hookups (hose into the valve) and a drain in the front to allow the water to deplete from the unit itself. The wastewater storage capacity is +/- 40 gallons.
The round sink was self-contained and required only 120VAC to power a small pump and instant heater. Water fed from a 5-gallon water jug and was disposed of in a 5-gallon bucket. The original design was adapted to replace the self-contained water and waste system. This meant removing the pump and adding a 2.5 gallon electric water heater in its place. This option allows jobsites to have a moderate amount of warm water for proper hand washing without the concern of running out of water or filling a waste container.
The Denver fabrication shop shared the drawings with the St. Louis shop, which used the materials available to them to create their iterations of the rectangular and round sinks.
Senior Vice President Robert Mathisen said, “We are now looking at a much less expensive prototype that does not include a hot water heater and is also for smaller construction sites. We are also looking at alternative components to reduce cost. One consideration was to incorporate a ‘hands-free’ faucet and a ‘hands-free’ soap dispenser to avoid touching of surfaces where contamination could reside.”
The projects were done by Murphy Company’s union tradesmen and women from Colorado Locals 3, 9, and 208, and Missouri Locals 36 and 562.
Murphy Company plans to deploy the sinks to jobsites that need them in Colorado, Wyoming, Missouri, and Illinois.
MCAA thanks Murphy Company for their efforts in helping to limit the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and for their contributions to the safety and health of both their employees and the general public.
