Knowing when to service or replace aging plumbing equipment is critical to maintaining a clean, operational commercial restroom. Like regularly changing the oil in your car, consistent preventive maintenance helps avoid critical, costlier repairs down the road.
This dual-flush retrofit converts a manual flushometer to a sensor-activated flushometer. It provides hands-free capability while maintaining unparalleled water conservation and energy efficiency.
To streamline restroom maintenance and reduce downtime in either new construction or retrofit projects, a best practice is to choose a flushometer that fits the facility and its occupants. When updating existing flushometers, consideration should be given to new, water-efficient models as well as battery-powered options that can provide a more hygienic restroom experience.
Schools and other high-traffic commercial restrooms often benefit greatly from updates or retrofits. In one case of school district renovation project, designers convinced facility owners to retrofit restrooms equipped with over 20-year-old parts. The buildings had not been updated since the late 1990s, before sensor-operated equipment became popular. The building owner was reluctant to install automatic fixtures, but eventually chose Sloan Flushometer Retrofit Kits to update the manual flushometers to battery-operated. As a result, the owner is satisfied with the high-quality, serviceable products and the new touchless environment.
Upgrading to a high-performance, sensor-activated flushometer will save money down the line with minimal maintenance.
Retrofits are growing in popularity in the commercial restroom area. A high-tech, hands-free restroom is becoming more standard, reflecting the increasing expectations regarding hygiene, convenience, aesthetics, and water conservation.
The restroom may be one of the first places occupants see in a commercial building but one of the last places they expect to see new technology. To eliminate the potential spread of disease-causing bacteria and improve overall restroom cleanliness, electronic sensing technologies enable touchless activation and make pushing the flushometer handle with your foot a thing of the past. Because they dispense water only once per use, they also help conserve water and energy. Whether retrofitting a restroom or maintaining existing parts, in the end, it pays to be proactive.
Zurn Industries, LLC enabled U.S. Engineering Company to “move the chains” faster than usual during the rough-in phase of building a new stadium for Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO. Patrick Barnett, project manager for U.S. Engineering, said Zurn’s lean construction practices provided “at least a 10-percent” labor savings for the company.
The new 41,000-seat stadium, targeted to open for the 2017 football season, features Zurn carrier banks and stabilizer plates prefabricated to specification—as well as Zurn’s acclaimed new EZCarry™ High Performance Carrier System. The Zurn products and processes helped U.S. Engineering save time and money in several ways:
The Zurn Z1201 EZCarry® High Performance Water Closet Carrier System is 30-percent lighter than conventional carriers, making it ideal for prefab projects where fast installation is a priority. The Zurn EZCarry carrier delivers industry-leading line carry, ensuring waste evacuation for standard and low-flow installations, a significant lifecycle benefit for building owners.
Custom built lavatory and urinal carrier banks (Z1231-CB and Z1222-CB) designed to fit predetermined spaces meant that U.S. Engineering only had to do “quick adjustments” rather than building and setting each carrier.
Zurn custom-packaged all components together for each work area, eliminating the time-consuming (and sometimes confusing) steps of organizing and assembling the parts from different boxes.
The Z1035-Q stabilizer held floor drains in place during construction and concrete installment, keeping the drain placement and orientation correct to the desired height and pitch to the finished floor. This solution removed the need to “box out” to prevent the drain from moving.
By consulting with U.S. Engineering during the design phase, Zurn had exact dimensions, allowing them to devise customized, engineered solutions where the carrier banks and stabilizer plates were going to be installed. In addition, prefabrication reduced installation time and made installation easier. With prefabrication, systems can be tested before shipping, so the contractor is less likely to spend time fixing problems onsite. “It was very helpful to have Zurn as a partner for a project of this scale,” said Barnett, whose firm has worked with Zurn many times in the past. “They are the front-runner for many reasons, and it’s always really good to work with them.”
Zurn custom built lavatory and urinal carrier banks (Z1231-CB and Z1222-CB) designed to fit predetermined spaces, so U.S. Engineering only had to do “quick adjustments” rather than building and setting each carrier.
Colorado State University’s new stadium will be an on-campus, multipurpose facility. It replaces the current 32,500-seat Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium, located about four miles off campus. The new stadium will also be named after Sonny Lubick, the university’s famed football coach who led the Rams to six Mountain West Conference titles and nine bowl games from 1993 to 2007. In addition to football games, the new stadium also will host other sports, entertainment, civic, cultural, and commercial events. It will also serve as the home of additional athletic offices and training spaces.
The sleek design of a new medical research facility specifically prohibited downspout nozzles, so Humphrey Company Ltd. called on Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co. for a custom drainage solution. Accommodating state-of-the-art design challenges is just part of the job for Humphrey. They believe that when you take the time to plan for unusual requests, you can always find a solution—an approach that proved valuable in the construction of one of the country’s leading cancer research and treatment facilities.
In 2011, MD Anderson received a $150-million grant that funded, in part, the building of the new 626,000-square-foot Zayed Building for Personalized Cancer Care, which houses the Institute for Personalized Cancer Therapy and the Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research.
Chris Humphrey, vice president of Humphrey Company, said that one of the challenges was accommodating the overflow drainage for the building. The design of the building required the overflow to be drained straight off the 12th and 13th floors of the building. The architect specified “no downspout nozzles.”
Humphrey Company turned to Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co. Sales Representative Randy Stephen to come up with a custom solution that would complement the building’s sleek design and meet the architect’s requirements. The engineers at Smith’s Montgomery, AL, manufacturing facility created modified brass scupper boxes that would meet the overflow requirements and blend in with the building’s exterior.
Stephen explained that even with the special requirement, there were no setbacks in the timing of the job. “Humphrey Company’s jobs always run smoothly because they can spot a problem early and take the time to think through the best solution instead of having to come up with a quick fix.”
Jerry McDanal, vice president of engineering at Smith, said, “It’s not unusual for us to create custom solutions and modify standard parts as needed by contractors. We prefer working closely with the contractor to design the right solution, so they don’t have to make do with a less-than-desirable quick fix.”
In a way, custom solutions are exactly what MD Anderson is looking to provide when it comes to personalized cancer therapy and advances in pancreatic cancer research. The new Zayed Building was designed to facilitate collaboration among researchers. Built into the design is the ability to accommodate changes in occupancy as needed. An office wing can be quickly transformed into a laboratory if research needs call for it.
To accommodate those transformations, all spaces had to be fitted with the appropriate drainage and plumbing required for a laboratory. The majority of the drains installed by Humphrey were Smith Acid Resistant Coated drains.
The Zayed Building for Personalized Cancer Care opened in early 2015, just over three years after breaking ground. For their part, Humphrey said, “This one went very smoothly for us.”
For more information, visit www.jrsmith.com. MCAA thanks Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co. for being a supporter of MCAA 2016.
To overcome multiple and unusual challenges—including concerns about terrorism—Pan-Pacific Mechanical, in partnership with Murray Co., and A.O. Reed, collectively known as RPM, called on Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co. to accommodate unique specifications and complex coordination for the U.S. Navy’s Camp Pendleton Hospital Replacement Project.
The Camp Pendleton Hospital Replacement Project had a budget of over $450 million. The 70-acre site includes a 500,000-square-foot, multilevel medical hospital; a central utility plant; a 1,500-space multilevel parking structure; surface parking; and supporting facilities. The new hospital replaced the base hospital at Lake O’Neill, which was built in 1969.
RPM Rises to Unique Challenges
“The project schedule was exceptionally fast; it was a very aggressive schedule,” said Chris Young, project manager for Pan-Pacific. RPM also faced extra layers in the project’s chain of command. Navy construction is run through the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC), and a Resident Officer in Charge of Construction oversees the build.
For any other hospital in California, Pan-Pacific would typically operate under the California Plumbing Code. But because this was a U.S. Naval facility, RPM instead had to adhere to the International Plumbing Code as well as a multitude of other unique requirements mandated by NAVFAC.
Among those unique requirements, RPM had to take into consideration antiterrorism measures. “Terrorism on a military base is a big concern,” said Young. The storm and overflow drains had to be sized to accommodate over 3″ of rainfall per hour according to the 100-year storm statistical assumptions. “You have a very large-diameter overflow drain, up to 6–8″ in diameter. There was concern that someone could push a bomb in there from the ground level.”
Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co. custom-designed a downspout nozzle with a perforated latching stainless steel hinge cover that could be locked to prevent someone from inserting an object into the piping. Smith has since added the new design to their catalog, and it is now available as a standard offering. Young was so pleased with the clean look of the downspout nozzles that Pan- Pacific now uses them on other projects.
Pan-Pacific also eliminated the threaded nipple connection often used on the downspouts. “With the exterior of the building and the inside wall tight against one another, it was hard to get enough space between the sweep and the cow’s tongue to utilize a threaded nipple. Smith engineered the downspout nozzle so there are set screws around the perimeter of the downspout nozzle, which threads tight against the pipe, and the nozzle fits over the pipe to save space,” said Young.
Sustainable Solutions
Part of NAVFAC’s mission is to build and maintain sustainable facilities. Innovations used at the Camp Pendleton Naval Hospital include green roofs, photovoltaic cells (solar panels), solar hot water panels, and horizontal and vertical sunscreens. It is estimated these innovations will help to reduce energy consumption by 30 percent compared with a typical hospital.
To thwart potential terrorism at the new Camp Pendleton Naval Hospital, Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co. custom-designed a downspout nozzle with a perforated hinge cover that could be locked to prevent someone from inserting an object into the piping. The novel downspout resolved a tricky challenge for the RPM contracting group and has since been added to Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co.’s catalog.
The green roof at the Camp Pendleton Naval Hospital uses the Inverted Roof Membrane Assembly system, which must be installed over a structural concrete deck because of its weight. The green roof drains required staging. The drain bodies were initially installed on the job to make the concrete pour, and the tops (with perforated mesh screens) were shipped and installed later. All of the staging and shipping was coordinated to meet RPM’s schedule.
The drainage off a green roof surface is particularly important for maintaining optimum growing conditions for the plants, managing heavy rainfall without sustaining damage to growth due to erosion or pooling of water, and ensuring the sound engineering and structural integrity of the roof. Young explained that the selection of the roof drains was also important because of the hospital’s proximity to the Pacific Ocean and the aggressive nature of the air. The roof drain systems would not only have to withstand harsh weather but also hold up to the saltwater in the air.
While the weather conditions can be harsh on the top of a roof, down on the ground things are a bit different, especially in Oceanside, CA. The hospital design takes the temperate climate into consideration and provides an abundance of outdoor space for patients and their families.
Customized Connections
One of the outdoor amenities RPM had to provide for was an outdoor coffee kiosk. Anywhere you have food or beverage service, you need to provide hot water and sewer service for the staff to wash their hands. Young explained that an outdoor coffee kiosk connection box is not a standard item you can order from a catalog.
RPM turned to Smith to design a custom, stainless-steel, hot and cold water connection box. The custom-made box was set flush in the wall, which provided convenient hookup connections to hot and cold water service and sewer discharge when the kiosk was in use. The Camp Pendleton Naval Hospital construction project spanned four years. The hospital officially opened January 31, 2014.
When the scoreboard of the original Orlando Citrus Bowl Stadium was torn down in January 2014, the project team began a hurry-up offense to complete a roughly $200-million renovation in only ten months. Zurn Industries, LLC was drafted to provide its products and to meet the challenges of an expedited project timeline with made-to-order requirements.
Everything below the stadium’s upper deck was targeted for demolition and reconstruction to update the storied venue, which opened in 1936. The game plan provides Orlando, FL, a modernized stadium the city can use to host College Football Playoff games, World Cup soccer, and other major entertainment events that require a big, modern venue.
The large-scale renovation included new restrooms, concessions, kitchen facilities, and a team facilities building, as well as locker rooms for athletes and game officials. Zurn products were specified for all of these spaces.
“Zurn’s Custom Specification Drainage products and carrier banks were engineered, approved, ordered, and shipped in less than four weeks,” said Bill Verdecchia, director of Specification Drainage Product Marketing & Engineering for Zurn.
The roster of products used in this project is lengthy and filled with high-performance veterans, including stainless steel linear floor drains, lavatory and urinal carrier banks, closet carriers, stormwater drainage, custom debris covers, wall hydrants, cleanouts and light-duty grease traps, floor sinks, and floor drain stabilizers.
Plumbing contractors found that using Zurn carriers enabled them to cut the installation time in half for water closets, urinals, and lavatories. They also found that using Zurn products allowed them to prefabricate sturdy units that were then moved to the site and installed with no damage or leaks.
Construction crews worked in 24-hour shifts, and everyone associated with the project was laser-focused on the play clock. Products that allowed for fast, easy installation were essential.
The Citrus Bowl project demonstrates the breadth of engineered water solutions that Zurn provides. “It makes it so much easier for everyone involved to specify, install, and use products that are designed to work as total building systems,” said Frank Schaetzke, National Sales Manager for Zurn. “And needless to say, this is a huge building.”
Florida Citrus Sports runs major events in the Citrus Bowl. The group was instrumental in getting the stadium renovated.
“Just seeing it in real life, to be able to walk into the bowl—it just blows me away,” said Steve Hogan, CEO of Florida Citrus Sports, speaking to the Orlando Sentinel. “Most of the country that would look at bringing business to Orlando has heard about this now, but once they actually come and experience it, I think all bets are off.”
The new stadium was unveiled just days before the annual Florida Blue Florida Classic football game November 22, 2014. The stadium hosted the nationally televised Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Day.
MCAA thanks Zurn Industries for being a benefactor of MCAA 2015.
Prefabricating Zurn carrier systems allowed quick installation of plumbing systems in the modernized Citrus Bowl Stadium. The sturdy prefabricated systems were installed onsite with no damages or leaks.“Zurn’s Custom Specification Drainage products and carrier banks were engineered, approved, ordered, and shipped in less than four weeks,” said Bill Verdecchia, director of Specification Drainage Product Marketing & Engineering for Zurn. Here, the prefabricated carriers are waiting to be transported to the Citrus Bowl for installation.
With just over two years to build the NFL’s new Levi’s® Stadium, F. W. Spencer & Son, Inc. turned to Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co.® for products designed with prefabrication in mind, allowing them to meet the accelerated deadline. Installing a big battery of water closets typically involves prefabrication to save time, but the building of Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA, took prefab work to another level entirely. With careful planning and quick turnaround on materials, F. W. Spencer & Son succeeded in constructing all the fixtures in its warehouse and installing them in time. The stadium is home to the San Francisco 49ers.
Usually, a contractor gets everything approved and then starts the project. But for Levi’s Stadium, timing was everything. All aspects of the work had to be done efficiently and quickly. F. W. Spencer & Son was able to manage multiple complex tasks occurring all at the same time. To keep the project moving quickly, Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co. got the materials requested together and shipped them before they were even needed on the job.
Prefab Paves the Way for Smooth Installation
“We built the entire job basically in a warehouse,” said Steve Sandkohl, project manager at F. W. Spencer & Son. That meant every battery, every fixture location, and all the rough-in plumbing work for the concessions and restrooms were completely built and fastened right into a concrete slab in the prefab warehouse. Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co. Quarterback Water Closet Supports were designed with prefabrication in mind. F. W. Spencer & Son chose them based on anchorage requirements and ease of mounting to shipping channel for transport to the jobsite. Levi’s Stadium was the first project to use the new Quarterback Water Closet Support.
F. W. Spencer & Son relied on prefabrication to ensure smooth, speedy installation of plumbing fixtures to meet the accelerated schedule for the new Levi’s Stadium. Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co. Quarterback Water Closet Supports were designed with prefabrication in mind.
Because F. W. Spencer & Son was building as much as possible ahead of time, how to transport the finished build to the stadium was a key consideration in choosing the materials. “It doesn’t do any good to do prefab if you can’t safely transport without damage,” said Sandkohl. “A lot of the decision-making on elements we used weighed all those factors.”
Once everything was air-tested and complete, F. W. Spencer & Son cut the finished installation into manageable sections to be transported to the jobsite. Because everything had been staged with precision, it was a case of simply coupling everything together onsite.
Custom Designs Meet Client Demands
The job also called for modified heavy-duty trench drains to be installed on both sides of the field, specifically in areas where heavy equipment would be moving in and out of the stadium. Once again, Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co. moved quickly. They designed a heavy-duty grate to go with the trench drains that could withstand different load ratings. Ninety-foot sections were shipped to the staging warehouse where all the channels were connected together for each layout. Each section was framed and bonded together. The trench drains were then lifted onto flatbed trucks with cranes and taken to the stadium.
The prefabrication allowed longer runs to be installed faster on the jobsite with no delays to the job schedule because the joints were already made. All the contractor needed to do once the assembly was delivered to the jobsite was to set in place and secure the trench drain run for the pour.
Because the trench drains were made of fiberglass, there was some concern that they could be brittle. To address the concern, a strut channel was used to box the trench drains in, essentially using the channel for support. As a result, everything stayed straight on the ground.
“The only way we could get the job done in such a short timeframe was to do it this way. You can have the prefab work going on for a longer amount of time. While they were building we were prefabbing,” said Sandkohl. At the job’s peak, they had 200 plumbers working.
Levi’s Stadium, the first United States professional football stadium to achieve LEED Gold certification, hosted its first regular-season NFL game in September 2014. It will also host domestic and international soccer, college football, motocross, concerts, and various civic events and can expand for major events, such as Super Bowl 50 in February of 2016.
Sloan Signs On as Cubs’ Legacy Partner and Official Water Efficiency Partner
As reported in the Summer 2014 issue of Smart Solutions, Major League Baseball’s Chicago Cubs specified Illinois-based Sloan Valve Company’s plumbing systems for its spring training facility in Mesa, AZ. Recently, the Cubs announced that Sloan has joined the organization as a Legacy Partner and the team’s Official Water Efficiency Partner. As part of this agreement, the Cubs’ spring training facility will be named Sloan Park.
Sloan, the world’s leading manufacturer of intelligent water solutions, will help the Cubs expand their ongoing sustainability efforts and improve the fan experience at Sloan Park and at Wrigley Field. Sloan’s expertise in water efficiency will help the Cubs reduce their overall environmental impact—especially important in drought-prone areas such as Arizona.
“We are a global organization founded in Chicago, so partnering with another iconic Chicago brand is a natural fit.
Sloan products have been in Wrigley Field since 1914, and this exciting new partnership with the Chicago Cubs helps Sloan tell its story on a major-league level,” said Jim Allen, president of Sloan.
Allen continued, “Water is an increasingly important natural resource. By helping communities and organizations like the Chicago Cubs save water, Sloan helps to raise awareness of water conservation in this country and around the world. Responsible use of water is critical to local communities and to the world. Our partnership with the Chicago Cubs organization gives us the opportunity to help build winning teams through sustainable solutions.”
Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts noted, “Teaming up with Sloan is an important move for the Chicago Cubs. Sloan brings more than a century of experience and success in creating cutting-edge water solutions for a wide variety of venues all around the world. We are pleased to work with and learn from Sloan as we enhance our facilities and build for the future.”
As part of the expansion and restoration of Wrigley Field and its surrounding facilities, known as the 1060 Project, the Cubs will use Sloan’s products to expand their sustainability efforts. At Sloan Park and Wrigley Field, Sloan will showcase their products and state-of-the-art water-saving technologies. Sloan is the sixth Legacy Partner of the Chicago Cubs, joining Anheuser-Busch, ATI Physical Therapy, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Under Armour, and Wintrust.
For more information, call 800-9-VALVE-9 (982-5839) or visit sloanvalve.com.
MCAA thanks Sloan Valve Company for being a benefactor of MCAA 2015.
Ease of installation and reliability made the Woodford RHY2-MS roof water hydrant the ideal choice for a school in Parker, CO. Roof hydrants provide access to rooftop water, which is then used to clean condenser coils, windows, cooling towers, green roofs, and other types of rooftop equipment.
Because the installation was in Colorado, hydrant freezing was a concern. The last thing a contractor wants is a leaking hydrant on the roof. The RHY2-MS features a built-in vent that allows automatic draining. There is no need to drain the hydrant for freeze protection, even with a hose attached.
Installing the Woodford roof hydrant at the school was simple. Its heavyduty cast-iron mounting system can be installed by the roofer or plumbing contractor, and the hydrant can be installed later during the water piping process. The mounting system secures above and below the roof deck, providing exceptional strength and security—which is important when the hose is stretched or pulled and in potentially harsh rooftop weather conditions. The product comes with a 2-degree shim for pitch adjustment.
Maintenance and repairs are easy with the RHY2-MS. All repairs can be made from the top of the hydrant; it is not necessary to remove the hydrant. The Woodford RHY2-MS roof hydrant has an ASSE 1052 double-check backflow preventer that can be field tested. Woodford also offers a freezeless sanitary roof hydrant, the SRH-MS, that does not require a drain, and a mild-climate roof hydrant, the RHMC-MS, for nonfreezing environments.
C.J. Erickson Plumbing Co. took on the complex task of installing plumbing systems not only to meet the individual needs of an exacting group of tenants already scheduled to move in, but also to anticipate the needs of unknown future tenants. The new William Eckhardt Research Center at the University of Chicago will offer world-class scientific research facilities, and thanks to C.J. Erickson and Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co., those facilities are prepared for just about anything.
The William Eckhardt Research Center is a 277,000-gross-square-foot facility with five above-grade floors, basement, and subbasement. The building will house offices, conference rooms, and laboratories for the university’s Division of Physical Sciences units, including the Astronomy and Astrophysics Department, the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Studies, and the Enrico Fermi Institute. It will also house the university’s new program in molecular engineering, providing offices, conference rooms, an 11,000-square-foot clean room, and specialized laboratory and imaging facilities.
C.J. Erickson used acid-resistant pipes from Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co. throughout a new scientific research center to ensure that all researchers, regardless of the work they were doing, would have the appropriate plumbing in their lab space.
Making Adjustments
Because of the complexity of the project and all the entities involved, the design phase alone was a five-year project. C.J. Erickson got involved in 2012. Among the many challenges with this project was the base of the structure. The five above-grade floors and the two subfloors sit on a 3’ slab of concrete. C.J. Erickson had to encase all the piping within that slab so that if the building settled, the plumbing would settle along with it.
C.J. Erickson digitally mapped out the area. Using 3D modeling, they set up a grid that included all the field layout points. When construction began, they laid and suspended all the piping, and the concrete slab was poured over the piping.
Another challenge was in the design of the plumbing for the two floors of laboratory space. Dan Whitehead, project manager for C. J. Erickson, said the designs for individual laboratories were shown to the researchers who would use them.
“Each researcher came in with very specific and special needs, so we had to go back and design the space for each of those researchers. We constantly had to pause and make adjustments,” said Whitehead.
All parties involved decided that even though the process may have been slower up front, having the researchers who would be using the space involved at the start of construction was the better process. It was easier to redesign each space than to shell it out and make the adjustments after construction.
Products for the Future
Another challenge, but perhaps the easiest to overcome, was the specification of products. With all the individual laboratories in the building, most drains and piping had to be acid-resistant.
Whitehead said that you could not just do your specification based on the needs of particular researchers lined up to come to the facility and the type of research they were planning to do. You had to plan for potential future research and design to accommodate the “worst-case scenario” to ensure that anyone coming into the lab, regardless of the work they were doing, would have the appropriate plumbing in their lab space.
C.J. Erickson worked closely with Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co. through the constant changes to spec out the appropriate drains, piping, and eye wash stations. In addition to specialty products, Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co. also supplied water closet carriers, urinal supports, roof drains, and wall hydrants for this project.
The job is now sixty-percent complete, and Whitehead said they are on track to finish up by June 2015.
Whitehead offered his take on the challenges faced while building the research center: “There’s a saying: ‘There is no hill for a climber.’ These are all just challenges you need to manage to complete the job.”
Cubs Honor Hometown Roots by Specifying the Illinois-Based Manufacturer
Dedicated Chicago Cubs fans who attended the Major League Baseball team’s spring training in Arizona this year were rewarded with modern restrooms (among other amenities), thanks to W.J. Maloney Plumbing, Heating & Cooling and Sloan Valve Company. W.J. Maloney chose Sloan plumbing because its products have such a good batting record at the Cubs’ main stadium and on other W.J. Maloney projects.
While Cubs fans defend their beloved, yet rapidly aging, Wrigley Field in Chicago during the official baseball season, their surroundings for preseason have improved substantially, and no one is complaining. In March, the team debuted Cubs Park, its preseason stadium near Phoenix.
W.J. Maloney of Phoenix was tapped for the 14-month design/assist project, which had to be finished in time for the 2014 preseason. Before the Cubs Park project, W.J. Maloney had installed Sloan plumbing in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ portion of the Camelback Ranch Spring Training Complex in Glendale, AZ, as well as in other local commercial facilities.
The firm’s good experience with Sloan over the years made the plumbing choice for Cubs Park a logical one. “We’ve used Sloan on other projects and never have had any problems,” said Alan Boughton, vice president of construction for W.J. Maloney.
It was the Cubs organization, however, that really went to bat for Sloan, so to speak. The Cubs specifically requested that the Illinois-based Sloan, which has manufactured its flushometers in the Chicago area for more than 100 years, supply plumbing for its new park.
Although saving water is a major issue for plumbing projects in Arizona—and Sloan’s water-efficient products help reduce water consumption—that was not a top consideration for Cubs Park. “Because the restrooms get used heavily for one month out of the year, we were looking more for durability,” said Boughton. Arizona’s poor water quality can also take its toll on plumbing, and Boughton knew that Sloan systems could stand up to the challenge.
The fact that the Sloan systems could save the park water was a bonus, as well as save money and improve aesthetics.
Cubs Park has installed 188 wall-mount water closets, plus 82 ADA-compliant water closets with Royal® flushometers and 124 complete Sloan urinal systems. The public restrooms have Sloan wall-hung vitreous china lavatories; the more upscale clubhouse and private restrooms have countertop lavatories.
The Cubs Park’s public restrooms far surpass those at Wrigley—especially the notorious trough urinals in the men’s restrooms. Cubs fans treated to the modern restrooms in Cubs Park may find it easy to forgo that Wrigley tradition.
Minimizing installation time was an especially high priority for Braconier Mechanical & Plumbing Services’ work on a children’s hospital, so they used Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co.’s new Quarterback Water Closet Support for the project. Tom Stone, president of Braconier, said the Quarterback provided a 50-percent labor savings because it’s quicker to build and assemble and more adjustable, offering more flexibility when compared with the older Linebacker model.
The Children’s Hospital Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, in Aurora, CO, had been open less than 5 years when their reputation as one of the nation’s leading hospitals led them to expand the still-new facility. In February of 2011, the hospital embarked on a $230 million renovation and construction project, which included a three-story addition and renovation of 89,985 square feet of the existing structure. The renovations took place in active areas of the hospital that administered critical care to patients. Throughout the project, all of the contractors were challenged to think outside the box to minimize the impact of the work on patients and caregivers.
New and Improved Design
As any plumbing contractor who has worked on a health care facility knows, off-the-floor mounted fixtures are the standard, because infection control is paramount. Off-the-floor water closets make cleaning floors and walls efficient and thorough. Concealed water closet supports are essential to provide the proper structural support while relieving any loading from the wall structure.
The Quarterback Water Closet Support’s new leg design provides easy front access to the securing bolts, allowing easy height adjustments even with adjacent wall framing. Four securing slots per leg allow for the securing of attachments and accessories. This design provides versatility in the prefabrication of water closet batteries while allowing the required slope in the horizontal waste line. The redesigned legs also provide a better fit against the angle iron often used for prefabrication. When working inside a shallow chase, an offset in the faceplate moves the legs back, providing a rough in depth that is 3/4” shallower for singles and 1-1/2” shallower for doubles.
Another significant improvement is the new vent placement. Vent placement 2 3/8” from the centerline of the waste outlet eliminates interference with the water supply to the flush valve, especially in back-to-back applications.
Prefab Speeds Installation Time
Most of Braconier’s work on the hospital project took place in individual patient rooms, rather than public restrooms with multiple fixture installations. The project involved a mix of newly constructed patient rooms and, on some floors, rooms that had been shelled out during the original construction.
When working in the individual patient rooms, Braconier found it beneficial to start the water closet support setup in their fabrication lab. They unboxed and assembled the faceplate to the fittings, adjusted them to the correct fixture outlet roughing height, and sent them to the jobsite.
The labor savings that resulted from using the Quarterback Water Closet Support and assembling it offsite reduced Braconier’s costs and added convenience. For the hospital project, however, Braconier found themselves in a situation where speed was especially important.
In the hospitals’ Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), for example, the project called for converting a oneroom unit, where patient beds were separated by curtain dividers, into individual rooms to give the families of these vulnerable patients privacy during a very stressful time in their lives. The NICU was to remain operational while the work was taking place. The last thing Braconier wanted to do was increase the stress on the patients and families there. Stone said the Quarterback helped Braconier workers get in and out of the area with as little disruption as possible.
In total, 50 water closet carriers were installed. The entire project is expected to be completed in April 2014.
Stone said of Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co., “The products are good or we wouldn’t buy them. They listen to the feedback they get from contractors and use that feedback to review and innovate their product lines, helping customers meet demands of ever tightening schedules in today’s marketplace. They have a good inventory, so we’re able to get what we need when we need it. Their customer service is second to none.”
Prefabricating Plumbing for San Francisco 49ers’ New Stadium Cuts Costs in Half
Prefabricating plumbing systems offsite can save time and money, but getting those systems to the jobsite poses its own challenges. For Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA—future home of the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers—FW Spencer and Son, Inc., had to transport the high-capacity, back-to-back gang toilet systems that it had fabricated at its facility to the jobsite while maintaining a strong joint with a rigid seal. They chose Husky couplings from Anaco because they are designed to withstand joint movement while maintaining full joint integrity.
The Promise of Prefab
FW Spencer prefabricated the plumbing lines for the new Levi’s Stadium to save time and cut costs. Using Husky couplings from Anaco allowed them to air test the system at their facility and transport the complete system to the site without worrying about joint failure.
Offsite prefabrication for plumbing reduces overall project costs by cutting labor costs and increasing efficiency. In addition, it allows multiple trades to coordinate. By prefabricating plumbing systems, contractors can identify any potential problems before the field work begins, saving time and cutting costs as much as 50 percent.
“One of the driving factors in the rise of prefabricated plumbing systems is the ability to improve productivity,” said Kevin Coyne, vice president and chief estimator at FW Spencer. “Productivity is an important factor. By having the ability to control multiple elements of productivity, including project schedule, cost, safety, quality, and waste, it gives us a competitive edge in the marketplace.”
When joints fail on a jobsite, testing can be expensive and waste a lot of time in manhours. FW Spencer found that the Husky couplings all but eliminate the risk of a leak in the system and costly retesting.
Levi’s Stadium will have the capacity for 68,500 spectators and provide over 1,000 toilets and urinals. FW Spencer chose the Husky HD2000 and Husky SD4000 heavy-duty high-performance couplings by Anaco for the project because of their prefabricated plumbing trees. The rigidity and solid sealing qualities of Husky couplings allow them to withstand joint movement and maintain integrity. Their gaskets are molded from virgin Neoprene and have a unique rib design that provides multiple lines of defense against leakage. Their band-and-shield design is made from high-quality 304 stainless steel for maximum corrosion resistance and strength.
“By using the Husky Couplings by Anaco, we are able to air test the system at our manufacturing facility and then transport the complete plumbing systems to the building site without the worry that there would be joint failure. The Husky product is able to withstand the vigorous transportation movement from our factory to the installation site,” said Coyne. “It was a clear choice to use Husky that has had a reputation of producing high-performance couplings for over 30 years.”
Designed for Durability
Husky couplings are engineered to last through the lifetime of a building. They are able to withstand deflection caused by normal factors as well as extraordinary influences such as earthquakes. Husky high-performance, heavy-duty couplings are designed to withstand extreme forces, from the extended shield width to the additional stainless steel clamps, making them the ideal solution for critical projects, such as hospitals. Because of their design, they can tolerate movement and deflection far in excess of that anticipated in virtually any building application.
Customized Products Help Contractor Minimize Installation Time, Save Client Millions in Financing
In urgent need of more space, Erie County Medical Center Corporation (ECMCC) shortened the construction timeline for its new long-term care facility from two years to 15 months. MLP Plumbing & Mechanical, Inc., of Cheektowaga, NY, met the challenge by relying on Zurn products. Zurn Industries, LLC, helped MLP eliminate contractor hours by providing customized, engineered solutions to fit jobsite dimensions and install easily. As a result, the ECMCC saved millions of dollars financing its $103-million project.
The existing 87-year-old Erie County nursing home was running out of space. The compressed schedule enabled ECMCC to open its new, 390-bed Terrace View Long-Term Care Facility in Buffalo, NY, in February 2013. The new facility is grouped into small, 12-bed households, each with its own living room, fireplace, kitchen, and dining areas. Each floor has a large outdoor terrace and an indoor terrace lounge.
“I chose Zurn products because I was looking to save time on a necessarily fast-paced job,” says Chad Krajewski, MLP plumbing foreman, who worked with two MLP colleagues on this project: Mike Balon, foreman, and Bill Quefflec, project manager.
“Many construction projects are now ‘hurry-up’ and clients want them to be completed in record time while still significantly cutting labor costs,” Krajewski said. “Zurn solutions are a great option for contractors.”
Zurn Industries supplied five labor-saving products for the ECMCC project:
Z1231-EZ Lavatory Carriers are concealed arm lavatory carriers pre-assembled at the factory. Onsite, the scale on the adjusting bar allows the installer to quickly set centerline dimensions. Krajewski said these carriers were significant time-savers.
The -TC Neo-Loc Test Cap Gaskets for drain outlets allowed workers to set the drains, then prepare and pressure test the line without additional test balls. The gaskets also acted as a seal for drain outlets, protecting the system from infiltration of loose debris or waste. Once testing was finished, the gaskets were easily removed
Z415-BZ and Z1400-BZ Leveling Drains and Cleanouts enabled the contractor to adjust leveling and height of drains and cleanouts after the pour was complete, eliminating the need to break up a floor to fix a drainage problem. MLP Plumbing estimates this saved them anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour per drain or cleanout.
The Z1035-Q stabilizer held floor drains in place while concrete was poured and allowed the height of drains to perfectly match the floor thickness. This solution removed the need to “box out” to prevent the drain from moving. The pre-assembled stabilizers were “one of the most effective labor saving products used at this project,” Krajewski said.
“Many construction projects are now ‘hurry-up’ and clients want them to be completed in record time while still significantly cutting labor costs. Zurn solutions are a great option for contractors.”
— Chad Krajewski, Plumbing Foreman, MLP Plumbing & Mechanical, Inc.
The -DP Top-Set Deck Plate option enabled each roof drain to be installed by one worker instead of the traditional two. The Zurn deck plate allows a roof drain to be secured to a corrugated roof deck with an easy-to-install plate. It also reduced the need for a scissor lift, saving equipment rental costs. The plate saved MLP about 15–20 minutes per drain and effectively doubled the workforce by allowing one worker to do the job of two.
“As a foreman in the field,” Krajewski said, “it is comforting to know that Zurn provides a variety of customizations that help a product or installation meet specific site requirements.”
Zurn products collectively saved many manhours. Because of the sheer size of the project—about 275,000 square feet spread over five levels—every labor-saving solution had a big impact in terms of time and money.
Chad Krajewski, MLP plumbing foreman, installed the Zurn Z1209-F Water Closet Carrier, in a Buffalo, NY, nursing home—one of many Zurn products that helped MLP keep installation time to a minimum.
For more information about Zurn, visit www.zurn.com.
All stadiums and arenas tend to get dirty, but an arena floor covered in dirt poses a unique problem. Keeping such an arena clean is the challenge that Scottsdale, AZ, faced when it decided to undertake a $42.8-million expansion of the Tony Nelssen Equestrian Center at WestWorld—a challenge solved by an Enviro-Flo drain from Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co. In addition, the Enviro-Flo was easier to install than standard floor drains, resulting in cost savings.
The goal of the expansion project was to enclose the Equidome and introduce climate control. But the dirt floor means that during the course of a show, horses’ hooves kick dirt up into the air that floats into the grandstand, covering the stadium seating and floors in a fine coat of dust.
One might think people in dirt houses shouldn’t throw water, but that’s exactly what the WestWorld Equidome Arena employees do after each show. Thanks to the ingenious use of the Enviro-Flo drain, it turns out hosing down the stands is the fastest and easiest way to clean up without creating a larger mess.
Avoiding a Mud Pit
The challenge was how to capture all the water coming out of 1-1/2” fire hoses used to wash down the stands, which was heading straight for the dirt floor of the arena. To avoid ending up with a mud pit, the arena needed a way to catch all that water and dirt and get it out of the seating area quickly.
Installing standard floor drains into the existing concrete structure would not do the trick. Not only would water have to be directed specifically to the drains, but also the drains would not get rid of the water fast enough. There was the potential for mud to build up and clog the drain, resulting in an overflow situation.
Instead, contractors installed a trench drain system around the entire perimeter of the arena at the bottom of the existing seating area. This system would allow WestWorld employees to hose down the stands from top to bottom and from any point in the grandstand. The Enviro-Flo from Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co. with a presloped (.6 percent) radius channel and smooth, uniform interior was selected to handle the high volume of water and dirt.
Water and dirt would flow down through the grandstand and go straight into the trench. The drains had the ability to deal with a rush of water and dirt moving down and out of the stands. The trench drains were able to capture the water and prevent it from reaching the dirt-covered arena.
Ease of Installation Reduces Costs
One reason for choosing the EnviroFlo was the cost savings due to easier installation. The lightweight, 100-percent polypropylene construction, along with the Enviro-Loc® mechanical interlocking joint and molded outlet connection, make the EnviroFlo contractor-friendly.
The new Enviro-Flo II promises to improve on the already easy installation process. The Enviro-Flo II now includes the standard rebar anchors that contractors have come to love. Furthermore, the new Rante-Arrow design enhances the installation process by allowing for side-to-side adjustment of the trench drain run.
For jobs similar to the Equidome where the trench drains have to cover a lot of ground, the Enviro-Flo II will be available in 20-meter sloped and 20-meter non-sloped configurations. The tongue-in-groove connection will also speed up installation because it requires no screws or channel clips. The new channel insert, also made of post-industrial recycled material, can be easily removed by the contractor after the concrete is poured.
Durability, Choice of Colors Add to Benefits
The Equidome project originally called for a fiberglass trench with a metal rail and cast iron grates in the horse stalls and wash-down areas. The Enviro-Flo with the poly grate was used there as well, because it would stand up to exposure to the water and horse urine better than metal rail and cast iron grates, which would have rusted or deteriorated over time.
horse urine better than metal rail and cast iron grates, which would have rusted or deteriorated over time. But this job wasn’t only about the mechanics. Because the Equidome hosts some of the nation’s most prestigious equestrian and other events, like the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction, the City of Scottsdale also wanted a drain system that was aesthetically pleasing. The Enviro-Flo had an added advantage because it was available in a choice of colors.
The city chose a grey finish that blended in perfectly with the surrounding concrete.
Several events have taken place since the Enviro-Flo installation, and the drains are performing well as expected. Crews have been able to wash down the stands and the arena has stayed dry.
When Brandt needed a way to prevent sewer gas odors in the Forest Park Medical Center in Frisco, TX, they turned to the Quad Close Trap Seal Device manufactured by Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co.® The time saved installing the Quad Close when compared with trap primers “really makes a big difference,” said Keith Rosson, general superintendent at Brandt.
The Frisco campus of the Forest Park Medical Center is the second in what will eventually be a network of campuses located across the state. The facility consists of a four-story, 137,000-square-foot hospital, a three-story medical office building, and a five-story parking garage. The hospital is now up and running, and the rest of the facility will be complete soon.
Construction on the project was design-build. Brandt met with architects and engineers to speed up the process of developing the design and construction plan, with the ultimate goal of satisfying the building owner. For design-build projects, Brandt regularly develops a best-practices schedule that describes the products they would like to use to improve efficiency. They review this schedule with the city to get approval for products. For this project, the Quad Close was approved for and used in patient rooms as well as for infrequently used areas.
The Quad Close Trap Seal Device is designed to be installed in the drain body outlet, inside the throat of the strainer, or inside the pipe. It is made to handle a wide range of pipe and internal body diameters. It will fit inside two-inch, three-inch, and four-inch PVC and cast iron pipe. The three-and-one-half-inch model is made to fit inside a strainer throat with an inside diameter of three-and-one-half inches.
The Quad Close stays open when water is flowing into the floor drain and closes when the water stops flowing. When closed, the Quad Close prevents the emission of sewer gas, minimizes the evaporation of water in the trap, and helps prevent backup into a building.
Rosson observed that the Quad Close has saved them a significant amount of time. “We have to install trap primers in some jobs, but it really makes a big difference when we can use trap seals like the Quad Close. Trap primers just take so much more time to install, especially in multi-story buildings,” he said.
Rosson was also impressed with the ease of use of the product for retrofit.
“They are just really easy to use in multi-floor retrofit installations. It has less impact to the people in the building because you do not have to run the piping for trap primers or turn off the domestic water supply to tie them in.”
The effectiveness of the Quad Close allows peace of mind for the contractor and building owner. Rosson noted, “We have used the Quad Close in several different scenarios and locations in the past and have had zero problems. The last thing you want to happen is to get a call from a building owner complaining about sewer smells in the building. We can use the Quad Close and not have to worry about that.”
For more information on Quad Close Trap Seal Devices or to contact your local representative, visit www.jrsmith.com.
To take on the major renovations needed to restore New Orleans’ famed Superdome to its former glory, Gallo Mechanical chose Sloan Valve Company plumbing systems. Not only does Sloan provide the high-efficiency fixtures and technology the job required, but it offers a manual override system in case of power outages that addressed project planners’ concerns.
The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, memorialized through Super Bowls and Hollywood movies, was one of many casualties of Hurricane Katrina. When the devastating hurricane hit in 2006, thousands of people fled to the Superdome, which served as a makeshift shelter. Even though water from the broken levees never touched the Superdome, the structure was left in such disrepair that major renovations were necessary.
Flash forward to June 2011, and the last phase of renovations for the Superdome and surrounding structures has been completed. Gallo Mechanical installed Sloan plumbing systems with each renovation phase, showcasing Sloan’s water-efficient technology.
The Superdome planning department could easily see the advantages of purchasing vitreous china fixtures for the Superdome restrooms from Sloan, which had long supplied them with reliable, high-performing flush valves. For the first phase, the Superdome installed sensor-activated, hardwired Royal® 111 ES-S flushometers.
Shortly after putting in the plumbing order for the final phase, the maintenance supervisor voiced his concern that a power outage could leave the flush valves unusable, which would be an unacceptable problem in such a large public facility. Fortunately, Sloan had introduced TMO (true mechanical override), which enables the electronic flush valve to operate manually when there is no power. The manual override was so important to the Superdome that they changed their order from standard ES-S valves to the new TMO units.
Next to the Superdome, Champions Square hosts bands, food vendors, and more. Gallo Mechanical installed Sloan’s 0.25-gallons-per-flush (gpf) HighEfficiency Urinal (HEU) fixtures and 1.28-gpf High-Efficiency Toilets (HETs) in Champions Square’s restrooms.
Also connected to the Superdome and Champions Square is Benson Towers, a 20-story office tower owned by New Orleans Saints’ owner Tom Benson. Gallo Mechanical installed Sloan vitreous china fixtures in that building as well, with battery-powered G2 Optima Plus® flushometers for the 0.25-gpf HEUs and 1.28-gpf HETs.
The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, Champions Square, and Benson Towers represent a new chapter in New Orleans’ history and show just how far the city has advanced since Katrina.
