SUMMER 2014
sheetmetaljournal.com
SMACNA-BC Convention James Benson at Skills Canada VAV Reheat vs Active Chilled Beams & DOAS: Part 3 Manufacturer Spotlight: Allied Blower
Publications Mail Agreement # 40719512
Official Journal of Record for SMACNA-BC
PROMOTING
GROWTH AND STABILITY IN OUR INDUSTRY
Formed in 1969, the British Columbia Sheet Metal Association (SMACNA-BC) was the first international chapter of the Sheet Metal & Air-conditioning Contractors National Association (SMACNA). Founded in 1934, SMACNA traces its history to the National Association of Sheet Metal Contractors established in 1910, and has 2,300 members worldwide. SMACNA-BC is a member-driven association representing unionized sheet metal contractors in the Mainland of BC, and suppliers to our industry. It promotes the growth and stability of the members and industry. OUR MANDATE • To improve the financial stability and business conditions of the sheet metal industry, and to develop and promote methods to improve managerial proficiency • To improve quality, efficiency and productivity of this industry, and to implement high standards of work • To establish and maintain high ethical standards of conduct between members of the Association, and between members and owners, architects, engineers, other contractors, and the public • To study and help in the development and enforcement of governmental codes and regulations, and such legislation as may be necessary for the best interest of the public and the sheet metal industry • To promote harmony in labour relations • To exchange technical, professional, and educational information with other contractor associations in the sheet metal industry and its allied trades in Canada and other countries • To affiliate as a Chapter with the Sheet Metal & Air-conditioning Contractors National Association, Inc.
BC Sheet Metal Association (SMACNA-BC) Executive Director: Bruce Sychuk 315-15225 104th Ave. Surrey, BC. V3R 6Y8 Phone: (604) 585-4641 • Fax: (604) 584-9304 E-mail: smacnabc@smacna-bc.org • www.smacna-bc.org
in this issue... www.sheetmetaljournal.com GROUP PUBLISHER
Summer 2014
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Lara Perraton lperraton@pointonemedia.com
EDITOR
Jessica Kirby jessica.kirby@pointonemedia.com
CONTRIBUTORS Micaela Carlson Ian Moes Jeff Stein Bruce Sychuk Steven T. Taylor
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James Benson at Skills Canada
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VAV Reheat vs Active Chilled Beams & DOAS • PART 3
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04 • SMACNA-BC Update 06 • SMACNA-BC News 07 • Editorial Comment 20 • Building Science 21 • Around the World
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• Contractor Advice • It's the Law • Industry News • Blast from the Past • Advertiser Index
www.sheetmetaljournal.com • Summer 2014
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SMACNA-BC UPDATE NFPA STANDARDS, FIRE / SMOKE & FIRE DAMPERS This past June, at a Council of Chapter Representatives meeting in San Francisco, SMACNA contractor, John E. Sickle, Jr., president of Duct Fabricators Inc. out of Cleveland Ohio, gave a presentation regarding a unique service that his company performs: Fire Life Safety Inspections. John explained the stringent process of obtaining International Certification Board (ICB) Certification for not only his employees but also for himself. There are three certifications required from ICB: Contractors, Supervisors, and Technicians. Details of the certification and the process to obtain certification are available online at www.icbcertified.org. John’s presentation explained, firstly, we must become more knowledgeable about other National Organizations involved with Fire Life Safety Standards & Guidelines and, secondly, pass this knowledge on as a reminder to code officials, city inspectors, fire officials, politicians, and insurance providers. In simplistic terms, fire / smoke and fire dampers are very important components of the HVAC system; in realistic terms, fire / smoke and fire dampers can be the difference between life and death. Below are excerpts from NFPA Standards referencing Fire / Smoke and Fire Dampers.
National Standards per NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) • NFPA 80: Standard for Fire Doors and other opening protectives. This covers the requirements for Fire Dampers & Ceiling Fire Dampers. • NFPA 105: Standard for Smoke Door assemblies and other opening protectives. This covers the requirements for Smoke Dampers & Combination Fire/Smoke Dampers. • NFPA 90A: Standard for the installation of Air Conditioning and Ventilating Systems. • NFPA 90B: Standard for the installation of Warm Air Heating & Air Conditioning Systems.
NFPA 80 Requirements: • Each damper shall be tested and inspected one year after installation. • In buildings not containing a Hospital, the test and inspection frequency of each damper shall then be every four years. • In buildings containing a Hospital, the test and inspection frequency of each damper shall be every six years. • All inspection and testing shall be documented indicating
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Sheet Metal Journal
by / Bruce Sychuk Executive Director, SMACNA-BC
the location of the damper, date of inspection, name of inspector, and deficiencies discovered. The documentation shall have a space to indicate when and how the deficiencies were corrected. • All documentation shall be maintained by the property owner and available for review by the AJH (Authority Having Jurisdiction).
NFPA 105 Requirements: • Each damper shall be tested and inspected one year after installation. • In buildings not containing a Hospital, the test and inspection frequency of each damper shall then be every four years. • In buildings containing a Hospital, the test and inspection frequency of each damper shall be every six years. • All inspection and testing shall be documented indicating the location of the damper, date of inspection, name of inspector, and deficiencies discovered. The documentation shall have a space to indicate when and how the deficiencies were corrected. • All documentation shall be maintained by the property owner and available for review by the AJH (Authority Having Jurisdiction).
NFPA 90A Requirements: • Each damper should be examined every two years to ensure that it is not rusted or blocked, giving attention to hinges and other moving parts. As you probably noticed, there seems to be a common theme in all of the NFPA requirements: inspection of dampers. Sort of makes you wonder the last time the Fire / Smoke & Fire Dampers in your building were inspected. In closing, I would like you to take a few minutes—actually
SMACNA-BC UPDATE four minutes and 30 seconds—to check the YouTube video link below. “Fire / Smoke and Fire Dampers, What are they and why should they be inspected” <www.youtube.com/ watch?v=8bSXnd1MO8Q>.
SMACNA-BC CALENDAR OF EVENTS Tuesday, September 9, 2014 SMACNA-BC Board of Directors meeting SMACNA-BC Boardroom, Surrey, BC
TENTATIVE: Wednesday, September 10, 2014 Joint SMACNA-BC / ASHRAE BC / MCABC Dinner Meeting Vancouver Aquarium, Vancouver, BC
Friday, September 12, 2014 SMACNA-BC Annual Golf Classic Northview GC, Surrey, BC
Monday, September 15 & Tuesday, September 16, 2014 Project Management Program, presenter, Stephane McShane, MAXIM Consulting Group Sheet Metal Workers Training Centre, Surrey, BC
Tuesday, September 30 SMACNA-BC / Sheet Metal Workers Local Union No. 280 Joint Conference Board Meeting SMACNA-BC Boardroom, Surrey, BC
Tuesday, October 7, 2014 SMACNA-BC Board of Directors meeting SMACNA-BC Boardroom, Surrey, BC
SMACNA National Convention JW Marriott, Hill Country, San Antonio, TX
Friday, November 28, 2014 SMACNA-BC Annual Christmas Party, Pan Pacific Hotel, Vancouver, BC
sheetmetaljournal.com
SMACNA-BC Convention James Benson at Skills Canada VAV Reheat vs Active Chilled Beams & DOAS: Part 3 Manufacturer Spotlight: Allied Blower
Publications Mail Agreement # 40719512
Official Journal of Record for SMACNA-BC
Providing products and information related to the Sheet Metal Industry, including technical manuals and guidelines. The unmatched technical and managerial expertise of SMACNA-BC Contractors is enhanced by the talent and skills of the workforce they employ. SMACNA-BC Contractors employ only Red Seal Certified Sheet Metal Journeymen and Registered Apprentices. CONTRACTOR MEMBERS 101 Industries Ltd. Admiral Roofing Ltd. Agvale Industries Ltd. Airtek Pneumatics Ltd. All Valley Metals Ltd. Alliance Metal Fabricators Ltd. Allied Blower and Sheet Metal Ltd. Ames Metal Fabricators 82 Ltd. Apollo Sheet Metal Ltd. Austin Metal Fabricators L.P. The Blue Collar Group Bry-Mac Mechanical Ltd. CC Industries Ltd. Cascade Metal Design Ltd. Century Plumbing & Heating Ltd. City Sheet Metal Ltd. Crosstown Metal Industries Ltd. Downtown Custom Metal Works Ltd. Duncan’s Ltd. Ecco Supply Equity Plumbing & Heating Ltd. Haakon Industries Canada Ltd.
Harbourview Sheet Metal Ltd. Horizon Cladding Ltd. Horizon Metal Systems Inc. KD Engineering Co. Keith Plumbing & Heating Co. Ltd. M & T Air Conditioning Ltd. Main Sheet Metal Works Ltd. Northwest Sheet Metal Ltd. Pacific Rim Industrial Insulation Ltd. Paramount Sheet Metal Ltd. Piedmont Sheet Metal (1997) Ltd. Quest Metal Works Ltd. R.H. Jones & Son Mechanical Ltd. Ridge Sheet Metal C.P. Smith Sheet Metal Works Ltd. Spectrum Sheet Metal Ltd. Summit Sheet Metal Ltd. Tri-Metal Fabricators Viaduct Sheet Metal Ltd. Vicwest Delta Western Mechanical Services (1977) Ltd. York Sheet Metal Ltd.
ASSOCIATE MEMBERS
October 12-15, 2014
SUMMER 2014
British Columbia Sheet Metal Association (SMACNA-BC)
Coming in the Fall issue of Sheet Metal Journal: • Indoor Air Quality • Labour • Green Innovations
Access Metal Products Ltd. Air System Supplies Bailey West Processing Inc. BGE Service & Supply Ltd. Control Solutions Ltd. Crossroads C&I Distributors DDK Ventilation Products Ltd. E.H. Price Sales Ltd. Engineered Air Envirotech Air Inc. ETP Energy Technology Products Ltd. (a div. of IPC, Inc.) Frost Insulation Supplies Inc.
Gripple Inc. Intercon Insurance Services Ltd. Jardine, Lloyd, Thompson Canada Inc. Maxam Metal Products Modern Tool (BC) Ltd. Multicam Western Canada Nu-West Construction Products Pacaire HVAC Supplies Ltd. Progressive Air Products Ltd. Raven Hydronic Supply Ltd. Samuel, Son & Co., Ltd. Winroc-SPI Wm. P. Somerville 1996 Ltd.
BC Sheet Metal Association (SMACNA-BC) Executive Director: Bruce Sychuk 315-15225 104th Ave. Surrey, BC V3R 6Y8 Phone: (604) 585-4641 Fax: (604) 584-9304 E-mail: smacnabc@smacna-bc.org
www.sheetmetaljournal.com • Summer 2014
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SMACNA NEWS BC SHEET METAL ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES 2014 ELECTED POSITIONS The SMACNA-BC membership held its Annual General Meeting in May, 2014 at Harrison Hot Springs Resort & Spa and are pleased to announce the Association’s Board of Directors and Officers for Fiscal 2014 as follows: • Dan Mauro, Spectrum Sheet Metal Ltd. – President/Councilor • Mark McLaren, Ridge Sheet Metal Co. – President-Elect • Al Benning, Ames Metal Fabricators 82 Ltd. – Vice-president • Bernie Antchak, Northwest Sheet Metal Ltd. – Immediate PastPresident/Treasurer/Secretary • Craig Benson, Paramount Sheet Metal Ltd. – Director • Brian Featherstone, ECCO Supply – Director • Darryl Gordon, Austin Metal Fabricators LP – Director • Aaron Smith, Smith Sheet Metal Works Ltd. – Director
• Joe Toso, Tri-Metal Fabricators – Director • Mark Halvorsen, Viaduct Sheet Metal Ltd. – SMACNA, Inc. Director • Brad Popoff, Equity Plumbing & Heating Ltd. – Northern BC Regional Chair • Tom MacGillis, Bry-Mac Mechanical Ltd. – Southern BC Regional Chair • Bruce Sychuk – Executive Director
Phenolic Duct Construction Standard Commencing ANSI process Rigid thermoset resin insulation core material 4” WG Pos / 3” WG Neg limitation Maximum 80” duct dimension R6 insulation value Seismic bracing advantages
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Energy Systems Analysis & Management Manual Public review ends August 18 Focused on energy auditing & analysis Retrofit opportunities Fall 2014 publication
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Sheet Metal Journal
HVAC Systems Commissioning Manual ANSI Standard 2nd edition – 2014 Offers Self or 3rd Party Commissioning Included within the ICC Standard Submitted for the IAPMO Green Code
HVAC Sound & Vibration Procedural Guide 1st edition – 2014 Tailored to Supervisors/Technicians Instrumentation & Procedures The membership and Board of Directors Inspection/Submittal Forms would like to congratulate Darryl Gordon, Austin Metal Fabricators Technical Standards LP, for his re-election to the Board Round Industrial Duct Construction of Directors; Mark McLaren, Ridge Standard Sheet Metal Co., on re-election to the ANSI Standard 3rd edition SMACNA-BC / SMWIA Local Union Includes elevated temperature tables No. 280 Joint Conference Board; and, Update aluminum & aluminized steel Kevin Taylor, City Sheet Metal Ltd., tables for his appointment to the Sheet Metal Additional duct connection details Industry Training Board. n Residential Comfort Systems Installation Standard 45-day Public review – Completed Commencing the ANSI process Includes new system technologies Checklists for commissioning/start-up
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• HVAC Duct Construction App (Available at smacna.org) • HVAC Duct Leakage App (Available at smacna.org) • Beta testing, “Round Industrial Duct Construction App” Tentative release, October 2014 n
EDITORIAL COMMENT FASHIONISTA ECONOMICS News from the world of high fashion can tell us many things, including the when to wear horizontal stripes, how to mix florals with polka dots (don't do this, ever, I believe is the best advice), and what to wear instead of faux fur to keep from getting spray bombed at a bus stop. But lesser known and more importantly, high fashion real estate—or the lack thereof in major Canadian cities—can tell us some interesting things about the economy and where commercial construction is headed. (You were waiting with bated breath to for the connection, weren't you?) Over the past five years the Canadian retail market has seen an influx of Big Box department store development with mixed and often sagging results—Target is struggling to gain a foothold across the country and 22 Best Buy stores bid us farewell last year. Although bargain hunters' treasure troves are fighting to stay afloat, you know who is doing well? Luxury retailers. Small, boutique firms with high cost, low volume inventory are begging for space in Canadian shopping centres, fuelling a rash of expansions in Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver. This trend is telling on many fronts. Commercial Real Estate company CBRE Group conducted a study this year that predicts more luxury retailers, mainly from Europe, are expected to arrive in Canada, spurring development potential the group hopes large retail centres won't pass up. Growth has been steady over the past three years, and is expected to pick up the pace, spurring multi-million dollar expansions such as those at the Yorkdale and Sherway Gardens malls in Toronto, Chinook Centre in Calgary, and Pacific and Oakridge Centres in Vancouver, just to name a few. This speaks of rejuvenation for the commercial sector. According to an article in The Toronto Star, CBRE's head researcher Ross Moore says there is little to no vacancy in highly sought after shopping centres and neighbourhoods. “We just don’t have empty retail to speak of,” Ross told The Star. “[Across the country] malls are generally full. If you’re a Spanish or Italian or U.S. retailer, you are going to be put off by that. Supply is the key. Until we build more that’s going to be a challenge.” CRBE's study says luxury and high-end boutiques took the majority of retail space in 2013 and even large anchor stores are staking claims on high street with Nordstrom, for instance, taking up the top seat in the Toronto developments. Opportunities to expand are expected to continue, although construction is expected to level off as supply and demand adjust and other factors of the economy come into play.
by / Jessica Kirby, Editor
This tells us, of course, where the action is, but what does it tell us about the overall economic health of Canadian shoppers? Has the novelty of high volume, low cost, imported junk worn off? Are people becoming more discerning shoppers, choosing quality over quantity, taste over trend? Maybe, maybe not, says Ross: “Certain income bands continue to grow more robustly than the rest,” he said. “If you’re a luxury retailer you don’t care if sales have been growing by one per cent; you’re only interested in the top two per cent of the population and that group’s doing fairly well by and large.” And then there is tourism: “Certainly on the West Coast, Vancouver in particular, Asian tourism is very important,” he said. “Luxury retailers aren’t there to service Vancouverites; they’re in Vancouver to serve primarily Asian tourists and that is who their market.” Coincidentally, or perhaps serendipitously, shopping malls are the latest and greatest in implementing green building techniques. All across Asia, “eco-malls” are popping up— these megastructures implement highly efficient heating and air-conditioning systems, skylights, natural ventilation systems, rainwater collection for irrigation, and non-VOC paints, for instance. If tenants take additional measures they get a break on their energy bills. The same is true for Canadian shopping centres, which are spending two to five per cent of their construction budgets on green features including high efficiency air systems, glazing upgrades, and tenant recycling programs. So, at the end of the day, a brief look at high fashion might just reveal a few gems of opportunity. We all know industrial and infrastructure are still carrying construction economics, at least in the west, but there's no harm in keeping a watchful eye on what's happening in the commercial sector. If nothing else, it could keep you dressed for success. n
www.sheetmetaljournal.com • Summer 2014
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CONVENTION
2014 SMACNA-BC's annual convention, held May 8-10 in Harrison Hot Springs, proved the yearly success attendees have come to expect. Besides the association's annual general meeting, which saw some new additions and re-elections to the board of directors and various committees, the event was never short on activity or excitement. Bruce Sychuk, SMACNA-BC's executive director, says fun was had by all and the weather held for every activity, which was especially important for the golf tournament at Sandpiper Golf Course and for Friday's sturgeon fishing expedition. Sychuk says the cooking demonstration saw 20 or 30 people who thought it was fantastic, and proved an excellent precursor for the carnival-themed fun night. “The room was decked out as a carnival from the food to the swing arm and bouncy toy for the kids,” he said. There were carnival games for an hour and a half and then teams—designated by the colour of their clown wigs—competed for the best score. “Everyone ended up on the sweeper arm and that was it,” he added.
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Sheet Metal Journal
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Catching the big one! Sheet Metal Journal's Lara Perraton, group publisher, and Christina Tranberg, account manager, were delighted to accept SMACNA-BC's invitation to the conference and see if it lived up to its legendary reputation. They were not disappointed. They particularly enjoyed the Carnival Fun Night, for the inventive theme, the super games, and all the excellent food.
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“I was wowed with the amount of work that went into the carnival night, and the details were amazing from the gift bags on arrival with clown wigs and candy treats to the perfect music playing and the sights, smells, and excitement of a true carnival,” said Tranberg. “The only thing better was the warmth and spirit of fun from the members. We were welcomed in as part of the group and made to feel right at home and enjoy ourselves.” A big plus was the family atmosphere, which included fun for everyone from Lifetime Members to children and grandchildren. “The kids were definitely invited to be involved,” said Tranberg. “They had their own special night planned.”
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www.sheetmetaljournal.com • Summer 2014
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smacna-bc convention
The business aspect was integrated in a way that it felt much more of a retreat to relax than a formal atmosphere, she adds. “This is definitely a must-attend event for those in the industry,” said Perraton. “While the business aspects are very important, it's equally important for members to get the opportunity to see their business colleagues in a different light—these events are where networking opportunities really shine and life-time relationships are forged.” Perraton congratulates everyone involved with organizing and sponsoring the event on a job well done. “Thank you for the warm welcome and for being such wonderful hosts to Christina and I,” she said. “We look forward to the next event and another opportunity to get to know the chapter and its membership.” “All in all I felt like I was fortunate to have been included in such a close knit group of people,” said Tranberg. “They seemed more like family than business associates.” n
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james benson the winning combo at Skills Canada
Time and time again, competitions in the sheet metal trade offer important opportunities for the top ten per cent achievers in the field to test their abilities and see how far they can go. The Sheet Metal Workers Training Centre (SMWTC) has trained many talented apprentices over the years, several of whom have competed at local, provincial, national, and even international competitions, demonstrating just how far determination—and some luck—can take you. By Jessica Kirby
F
Photos courtesy of SMWTC
or some it's raw talent. For others it is luck of the draw. For James Benson, it is a slick combination of both.
enter it and build what they asked and then we would at least have a contestant.”
In June, 2013, SkillsBC became host to the National Skills Canada competition held that year at BC Place in Vancouver. The sheet metal component had not been present in the BC competition for over a decade. Because the centre was, essentially, moving its shop downtown to host the event, training co-ordinator Jud Martell thought it only fitting the school enter a contestant in the event.
In order to bypass the normal entrance procedure, the SMWTC had to have the okay from three other local schools—BCIT, Camosen, and Okanagan College—and SkillsBC .
“I got a call from the Skills Canada National Technical Committee, saying they were coming out for the National competition,” said Martell. “They also thought BC needed a sheet metal competitor if we were hosting, and so we agreed it would be embarrassing to have us set up shop at BC Place, but not have someone in the competition.” Because the regular procedure for participating in the national event is to win provincial events, SMWTC had a bit of a problem in that they (nor anyone from BC) did not have apprentices who had gone through that process. They did, however, have James Benson. “James had won our level 2 competition in 2012 and was an eligible apprentice,” said Martell, “so we thought he could
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“We thought it could be the re-emergence of the Provincial Technical Committee in sheet metal and the whole sheet metal component of the competition,” said Martell. “The other schools endorsed the idea, 'unless he wins,' joked BCIT, since the school gets credit for the win.” Benson, of course, won silver at the competition, which made for a great tale, considering he was essentially parachuted in, said Martell. Later in November, 2013, SMWTC held its annual apprentice contest, which comprises competitions for each of four levels of apprenticeship. “No one was surprised when James Benson won the level three competition,” said Martell. “In the background, the four schools, including ours, were working to set up a provincial sheet metal technical committee and come up with a sheet metal competition to run in April at Skills BC.”
By November, Franco Pederzini was the training centre's top apprentice by virtue of winning the Level 4 at the SMWTC contest, but by April he was a journey, so ineligible for SkillsBC. Instead, SMWTC sent the Level 1 and 2 winners from its contest, and James Benson. “Lo and behold, James wins gold at SkillsBC and gets to go back to Skills Canada, but in Ontario,” said Martell. “He placed fourth in Ontario, but the important thing is there is one more competition...” The union-sanctioned Canadian Sheet Metal Competition took place in May last year, rather than taking its usual spot in July. Pederzini couldn't make the competition due to work engagements, so once again, James Benson was sent in his place.
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Going toe to toe with the same apprentice he placed silver against at the Skills Canada event in BC, Benson won. “It shows there is this great rivalry all across Canada,” says Martell. “Something in common all these people in different places care about.” Benson, who works at Paramount Sheet Metal, has a bright future ahead, said Martell. He's more than proved himself in competition, and an in the field. Competitions are an important part of training for the top ten per cent achievers, said Martell. “You can have 250 apprentices at a time, so that top ten per cent doesn't always get pushed. We do a good job here of creating opportunities so everyone can keep up, so we can't always concentrate on the ten per cent.
www.cmetals.com DELTA WINNIPEG
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Competition provides that push, and a place where those high achievers can spend time working with—and against—other his or her peers.
“They recognized, 'Wow, I have the opportunity to build something difficult, in a great shop, with great people. Let's get it done.'” Competitions are also a great forum for the leaders of the future to come together with current leadership for inspiration, said Martell. “If you've done your five years plus qualification and you have something more, it is worth the trip just to stretch your wings and see how other people do things.” n
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“There are always guys like James, who completed four or five extra projects in Level 4, while everyone else just stared at him,” he said.
“It is a place that takes people who are that dedicated and committed and puts them in a room together,” said Martell. “At the competition in Windsor, 13 people looked around the room and saw they had 12 other people there they could compete with.
EDMONTON SEATTLE
TRAINING C E N T R E S O C I E T Y The Sheet Metal Workers Training Centre Society’s mission is to provide the highest quality of training and upgrading to sheet metal apprentices and journeypersons in the Province of British Coumbia by delivering the highest standards of instruction and utilizing the most up-to-date teaching methods. For more information Tel 604.882.7680 Fax 778.298.0656 or Email registrar@smwtcs.ca Check us out on the web at www.smwtcs.ca 19077 - 95A Ave. Surrey, BC CANADA V4N 4P3 www.sheetmetaljournal.com • Summer 2014
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VAV Reheat vs Active Chilled Beams & DOAS: Part 3 This article was published in ASHRAE Journal, May 2013. Copyright 2013 ASHRAE. Posted at www.ashrae.org. Used by permission granted to SMACNABC. This article may not be copied and/or distributed electronically or in paper form without permission of ASHRAE. For more information about ASHRAE Journal, visit www.ashrae.org. By Jeff Stein, P.E., Member ASHRAE; and Steven T. Taylor, P.E., Fellow ASHRAE About the Authors Jeff Stein, P.E., and Steven T. Taylor, P.E., are principals of Taylor Engineering in Alameda, Calif. Stein is a consultant to SSPC 90.1 and a member of SPCs 155P and 195. Taylor is a member and former chair of SSPC 90.1 and is vice chair of TC 4.3, Ventilation Requirements and Infiltration. PARTS 1 and 2 of this article appeared in the Winter and Spring 2014 issues of Sheet Metal Journal, respectively.
The VAVR system was clearly better on both energy efficiency and HVAC costs compared to the ACB+DOAS system, but what about the other supposed advantages of ACB+DOAS?
Floor-to-Floor Height The impact of the HVAC system on the floor-to-floor height is primarily a function of the size of the supply mains on the floors. The bigger the mains, the more floor-to-floor height is required. Other HVAC components, such as VAV boxes, rarely affect the floor-to-floor height because they are usually smaller than the mains and can be tucked up between beams while supply mains must run under the beams. On a typical floor of the GSB, the ACB+DOAS design has four supply mains each sized at 40 × 12 in. (1 × 0.30 m), for a total supply main area of 13 ft2 (1 m2) per floor (Figure 11). On the same floor, the VAVR design has one 54 . 16 in. (1.37 . 0.40 m), main and one 30 . 16 in. (0.76 . 0.40 m), main for a total supply main area of 9 ft2 (0.8 m2) (Figure 12). So in this case the ACB+DOAS design has larger supply mains and thus has no advantage in terms of floor-to-floor height. The ACB+DOAS supply mains are larger because they are sized for a lower velocity. To mitigate the fan energy penalty of a constant volume system relative to a VAV system, an ACB+DOAS system must use lower duct velocities compared to a VAVR system. In this case, the VAVR supply mains are sized at about 2,000 fpm (10 m/s) while the ACB+DOAS mains are sized at about 900 fpm (5 m/s). VAVR mains can be sized for a higher velocity because they are variable volume, and the
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actual flow rate is almost always well below the design flow. VAVR supply mains can be sized up to about 2,500 fpm (13 m/s) with minimal impact on annual fan energy or noise risk. An ACB+DOAS design might have a floor-to-floor advantage over VAVR with different design choices. For example, if the ACB+DOAS system had been designed for 0.3 cfm/ ft2 instead of 0.6 cfm/ft2 and the duct mains sized at 1,500 fpm, then the duct mains would be about 30% smaller than a comparable VAVR system sized at 2,500 fpm. Of course, an ACB+DOAS system at 0.3 cfm/ft2 and 1,500 fpm (0.14 L/[s·m2] and 8 m/s) would still have more than double the annual fan energy of a VAVR system at 0.9 cfm/ft2 and 2,500 fpm (0.42 L/[s·m2] and 13 m/s) (see Figure 10). 100 Related to VAV Reheat Peak Power (%)
Other Factors
90 80 70
VAV Reheat ACB + DOAS (0.5 cfm/ft2) ACB + DOAS (0.3 cfm/ft2)
60 50 40 30 20 10 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Part Load Ratio (%)
Figure 10: Supply fan power vs. part load ratio.
Indoor Air Quality Proponents of ACB+DOAS argue it provides better indoor air quality than VAVR because it uses higher design ventilation
Figure 11: ACB+DOAS second floor supply mains.
Figure 12: VAVR second floor supply mains.
rates. What this argument fails to capture, however, is the IAQ benefits of the airside economizer in a VAVR design. As part of the competition, a detailed eQuest simulation of the GSB was performed to determine how the ventilation rates of the designs compared to each other and to ASHRAE Standard 62.1 in every space and every hour of the year.5
Figure 13 shows the actual outside airflow in the VAVR design met or exceeded the outside airflow required by Standard 62.1 every hour of the year and the annual average outside airflow is 260% larger than Standard 62.1 rates including multiple space inefficiencies. Figure 13 also shows a DOAS system at 0.6 cfm/ ft2 (0.28 L/[s·m2]) does provide more outside air than a VAVR system averaged over a year but a DOAS system designed at 0.3 cfm/ft2 (0.14 L/[s·m2]) does not. Ventilation for the hybrid HEALTHdesign SCIENCES GRADUATE STUDY BUILDING was not simulated, but it will be worse than the VAVR
ROJECT 9558600
Ratio of Actual OA cfm to Std. 62.1 OA cfm
SEE M2.02C FOR CONTINUATION
12 10 8 6 DOAS (0.6 cfm/ft2) 4 VAVR Average 2 0
DOAS (0.3 cfm/ft2) ASHRAE Std. 62.1 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Outside Air Temperature (°F)
Figure 13: Hourly and annual average ventilation compared to ASHRAE Standard 62.1. (Standard 62.1 OA cfm = 1.0.)
because it has the same design minimum outside airflow rate but less economizer benefit because of the lower airflow rates in the chilled beam zones. Another IAQ issue related to chilled beams is the potential for mold and mildew growth due to condensation on chilled beam cooling coils. While ACB systems are designed not to condense, condensation can occur due to humidity sensor drift, incorrectly programmed control sequences, building engineers B unfamiliar with chilled beams, unexpected space latent loads, etc. VAVR, of course, is not vulnerable to this potential IAQ risk. Another downside of ACB systems is that they do not1/4 KEYPLAN 12" = 1'-0" work well with operable windows because of the risk of humid outside air condensing on the chilled beams. Chilled beams are available with vertical coils and condensate drip pans, but this M2.02B can reduce capacity per foot (at the same water temperature), www.sheetmetaljournal.com • Summer 2014
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vav reheat vs active chilled beams & doas
so more linear feet of beam is required, further increasing the cost and, of course, there is the cost of piping all the drip pans to drains.
There is one area the ACB+DOAS design significantly outperformed the VAVR design: LEED energy points. How could a system that uses twice as much HVAC energy score more LEED energy points? The answer is that the two systems are not compared to the same baseline model by EnergyPro, the software most commonly used to demonstrate compliance with the California Title 24 energy code and to determine LEED energy credits. The Title 24 modelling rules state the baseline model shall have the same outdoor air ventilation rate as the proposed model. EnergyPro interprets this to mean the same percentage of outside air. EnergyPro also considers ACB+DOAS to be a single zone system and thus compares it to constant volume, 100% outside air, packaged single zone units. On the other hand, EnergyPro compares the VAVR design to a packaged VAV reheat system with the same minimum ventilation rate. Figure 14 shows the ACB+DOAS design uses 25% less HVAC energy than its EnergyPro-generated baseline while the VAVR Design only uses 15% less HVAC energy than its baseline. However, it also shows the ACB+DOAS baseline is three times higher than the VAVR baseline. Fortunately, the
Easy-to-use and accurate mechanical estimating software that can help improve both the speed and efficiency of your estimating process, and your company’s bottom line
400 Site TDV Energy kBtu/ft2·Year
LEED Energy Points
450 Pumps/Misc. Towers Fans Cooling Heating
350 300 25 200 150 100 50 0
ACB + DOAS ACB + DOAS VAVR VAVR Baseline Baseline
Figure 14: EnergyPro HVAC energy simulation results.
California Energy Commission is currently revising the Title 24 modelling rules so that the HVAC design and ventilation rate in the baseline model are fixed regardless of the proposed HVAC design or proposed ventilation rate.
Other Downsides of ACB versus VAVR Water Leaks. In addition to the condensation risk, ACB systems also have a much higher risk of chilled and hot water leaks than VAVR systems because they have so much more piping, particularly over tenant spaces. Maintenance. It is possible with VAVR systems to locate many boxes in corridors or non-critical spaces outside the zones they serve, so that maintenance or repairs can be done without disrupting the occupied space; but no such option exists for ACBs. Lighting. Lighting quality and efficiency may be compromised due to restrictions in fixture location imposed by chilled beams. Flexibility for Future Tenant Improvements. Rigidly secured and piped chilled beams are much more expensive to relocate than VAVR diffusers, which do not require seismic bracing and are generally connected with flex duct. Not only will HVAC cost be higher for tenant improvements but other trades’ costs are also likely to be higher as a result of the “forest” of seismic bracing supporting the ACBs.
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Sheet Metal Journal
LEED EQ Credit 5 (Indoor Chemical and Pollutant Source Control). This credit is generally achievable with a VAVR system since it requires that all supply air be filtered, but not with an ACB system because the secondary air induced through chilled beams is unfiltered. Thermal Comfort. When the zone minimum cooling output
exceeds the cooling load then the zone is overcooled and driven to the reheating setpoint (e.g., 70°F [21°C]). When the minimum zone output is less than the zone load, the space temperature drifts up to the cooling setpoint (e.g., 74°F [23°C]). Most people are more comfortable at the cooling setpoint than at the heating setpoint in the summertime when they are wearing summer attire.7 Therefore, reducing the zone minimum cooling output im proves comfort. As discussed earlier, the ACB+DOAS design has a higher minimum zone cooling output than the VAVR design and is likely to be less comfortable.
What-If Scenarios In this competition, VAVR is the clear winner, but are there other applications or designs for which ACB+DOAS or a hybrid design using ACB would be lower first cost or lower energy cost? Lower Primary Airflow. An ACB+DOAS primary airflow rate of 0.3 cfm/ft2 (0.14 L/[s·m2]) instead of 0.5 or 0.6 cfm/ ft2 (0.24 or 0.28 L/[s·m2]) would reduce the cooling load in hot weather, and the reheat load in cold weather but it would increase the cooling load in mild weather (less free cooling). The net result would likely be a lower annual energy use than 0.6 cfm/ft2 (0.28 L/[s·m2]), but would lowering the primary airflow rate allow the beams to achieve the necessary cooling
capacity and provide sufficient latent capacity and meet the air quality objectives? Two-Pipe Chilled Beams. Using a two-pipe beam that can switch between heating and cooling, rather than a four-pipe beam, would reduce first costs but not enough to make ACB less expensive than VAVR, and it would have no real impact on energy performance. ACB+Recirculation. What if an airside economizer was added to the ACB+DOAS design so that the system remained constant volume at 0.5 cfm/ ft2 (0.24 L/[s·m2]), but the outside airflow component could be modulated between 0.15 cfm/ ft2 and 0.5 cfm/ft2 (0.07 L/[s·m2]) and (0.24 L/[s·m2]) to minimize the heating and cooling penalty of the higher flow rates? This scenario was simulated with EnergyPlus during the competition. As expected, the ACB+Recirculation energy use went down but still was considerably higher than the VAVR energy use, and the ACB+Recirculation is even more expensive with the economizer. And, of course, the system is no longer DOAS and, therefore, loses most of the supposed advantages of DOAS. Heat Recovery. What if, instead of an air economizer, the ACB design included a heat exchanger between the exhaust air and the outside air? In many climates, like most of California, the added supply and exhaust fan energy from the added pressure
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vav reheat vs active chilled beams & doas
drop of the heat exchanger would outweigh most or all of the energy savings from heat recovery. Even if heat recovery was a net energy saver it would not save as much as the previous ACB+Recirculation option, which is still less efficient than VAVR. And, of course, adding heat recovery only makes ACB+DOAS more expensive. Waterside Economizer. A waterside economizer will not help the ACB+DOAS design catch up to VAVR in terms of fan energy or mechanical cooling load, but it will allow the ACB+DOAS to meet the cooling load more efficiently. However, a waterside economizer is usually less efficient than an airside economizer due to the cooling tower and pump energy required and due to the fact that it has three temperature approaches (compared to no approaches for an air economizer) that determine when the economizer is available and what fraction of the load it can serve. There is the approach of the tower to the ambient wet bulb (which gets worse as the wet bulb goes down), the approach across the heat exchanger, and the approach from the chilled beam to the supply air. Chilled beams also generally have a low chilled water DT (e.g., 6°F [3°C]), which limits waterside economizing. Multiple Chillers. To have any chance of competing with a VAVR system on energy use, the ACB+DOAS design must have separate high and low temperature chillers—low temperature (e.g., 45°F [7°C]) chillers to serve the air handlers and high temperature chillers (e.g., 57°F [14°C]) to serve the chilled beams. This will improve the mechanical cooling efficiency of the ACB design, but will also significantly increase the first cost and complexity of the system. Other Hybrid Designs. The hybrid design in this competition failed to compete with the VAVR design on energy or first cost, but there are other hybrid designs that might fare better. Livchak suggests adding parallel or series fan-powered boxes to the ACB to reduce primary air.8 Although this will reduce the heating/ cooling penalties associated with high primary air, it will also increase fan energy and maintenance (due to all the small fans) and will likely not result in lower total energy than VAVR and will reduce indoor air quality. It will also significantly increase the first cost of the ACB design, which as noted earlier would already take 80 years to pay for itself even if it used no energy at all.
Conclusions In this competition, VAVR was the clear winner versus ACB+DOAS. VAVR had much lower first costs, much lower energy costs, and similar floor-to-floor heights. These conclusions strictly apply only to the analyzed systems and this building, which is in a relatively mild climate. However, in the last five years the authors’ firm has conducted detailed lifecycle cost analyses comparing several ACB variations to
VAVR for several buildings across the country and has yet to come across a single case where ACB was more efficient or lower cost. The authors’ firm has also reviewed lifecycle cost analyses by other firms that appear to have gone out of their way to make VAVR look bad by using unnecessarily high design flow rates and static pressures, single maximum zone controls with high minimums, fixed supply air temperature, etc. A common technique to inflate the VAVR energy use is to make it minimally compliant with Standard 90.1-2004 or 90.12007, conveniently ignoring the facts that 90.1 has raised the bar for VAVR since 2007 and that a good VAVR design can far exceed 90.1. A well-designed VAVR system (including dual maximum zone controls, supply air temperature reset, duct static pressure reset, and CO2 controls in high density spaces) is hard to beat. Many others engineers have come to similar conclusions.9 It is possible an ACB design with low primary airflow and with medium temperature chilled water and a waterside economizer might be more efficient than VAVR in some applications, such as a building with high sensible loads in a more extreme climate where outdoor air economizers are not as effective. But, it is doubtful ACB can ever compete with VAVR on a first cost or lifecycle cost basis. The added costs of the piping and beams for ACBs are simply too high and well-designed VAVRs are simply too efficient. n References 1. Simmonds, P. 2013. “To beam or not to beam?” Engineered Systems (1). 2. Hastbacka, M. 2012. “Emerging Technologies: DOAS, radiant cooling revisited.” ASHRAE Journal (12). 3. Rumsey, P. 2007. “Chilled beams in labs: eliminating reheat & saving energy on a budget.” ASHRAE Journal (1). 4. Weidner, S. 2009. “Cooling with less air using underfloor air distribution and chilled beams.” ASHRAE Journal (12). 5. Taylor, S., et al. 2012. “Dual maximum VAV box control logic.” ASHRAE Journal (12). 6. Taylor, S. 2007. “Increasing efficiency with VAV system static pressure setpoint reset.” ASHRAE Journal (6). 7. ASHRAE RP 1515, Thermal and air quality acceptability in buildings that reduce energy by reducing minimum airflow from overhead diffusers. Center for the Built Environment, Taylor Engineering LLC, Price Industries. In progress. 8. Livchak, A. 2012. “Don’t turn active beams into expensive diffusers.” ASHRAE Journal (4). 9. Murphy, J. 2011. “High-performance VAV systems.” ASHRAE Journal (10).
MANUFACTURER spotlight
ALLIED BLOWER Dusts the Challenges of Material Handling By Jessica Kirby Photo courtesy of Allied Blower
A
llied Blower is the industrial leader in combustible dust systems and designs, manufactures, and installs dust extraction systems and equipment to meet rigorous material handling specifications. Its specialists design systems to quickly and efficiently move a variety of materials including wood fibre, agribulk, mineral dust, cement, waste wood, and captured process dust. Pneumatic conveyors consist of positive displacement blowers or fans, feeders, tee-injectors, and collection devices such as baghouses, cyclones, and bins. As an additional service to help reduce customers’ downtime, Allied combines a feeder exchange program with blower rebuilding capabilities. There have been a number of sawmill dust explosions in BC said one of Allied Blower's owners, Bruce Wendel. “Essentially, combustible material has to be properly managed with vessels isolated from one another to reduce the risk of fire and, if a fire occurs, preventing it from spreading,” he said. Allied Blower has been doing this and other industrial air supply work for 40 years now, starting with combustible dust systems, and as codes and standards have evolved, so have the company's practices. The key regulatory body in combustible dust work seems to be WorkSafeBC, which has developed its Combustible Dust Strategy, says Wendel. “Enforcement and compliance are at the forefront,” he said. “An issue is there isn't just one regulating body. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) provides a code of practice for fire-related items including electrical code, explosive gas, combustible dust, et cetera. So we have continued to upgrade our standards to meet all of the different requirements as they are created and updated.” In the event of a dust ignition, isolating the fire area from other areas is key to preventing propagation, which could result in a catastrophic explosion. “One important design criteria is isolating and venting the flame/pressure front so it cannot move to another area and so it doesn't rupture the vessel,” said Wendel. “The definition of
an explosion is a vessel that ruptures as a result of deflagration. Many of the vessels Allied supplies are quite large. We vent the vessel because you it would be very difficult to build a large vessel strong enough to contain a combustible dust explosion. Another important design criteria is how we vent it and where it is directed.” Allied Blower manufactures dust pick-up, fans, cyclones, airlocks, and hoods, and the ducts that connect pick-ups to the fans. The company also manufactures and designs the parts for baghouses and air exchange systems. The company has partnered with AirCure Inc. for large baghouse systems; AirCure Inc. applies state-of-the-art innovations to develop an advanced AC pulse-air fabric filter. Allied also has a complete line of pulse-jet baghouse filters, used in mediumsized air systems. Allied has also partnered with GreCon, which specializes in spark detection and extinguish systems. A correctly functioning GreCon system can detect and extinguish a spark before it can ignite a flame and propagate from there. Allied Blower's work in the mining industry centres more on heating, cooling, and ventilation. Unlike forestry, where dust is a byproduct, in mining, the main issue is controlling dust that is moved when material is crushed and moved through the process. “Many mining processes create dust or fumes that become industrial health and safety and hygiene issues because people don't want to respire that dust or those fumes,” said Wendel. “On a conveyor, you move material from one place to another and the process of moving it displaces air and dust is suspended in that air. Keeping things negative can reduce dust significantly.” Allied Blower works out of strategically placed fabrication facilities in Surrey, Vernon, and Williams Lake, BC; Edmonton, AB; and, Prince Albert, SK. For more information please visit www.alliedblower.com. n www.sheetmetaljournal.com • Summer 2014
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BUILDING science
BATTERY POWER Scientists at Stanford University have discovered new battery technology that harnesses waste heat and converts it to electricity. Developed in co-ordination with MIT researchers, the technology follows a four-stage process that begins with an uncharged battery heated by waste heat. While the battery is still warm, researchers apply voltage, and, once fully charged, the battery is allowed to cool, which increased the voltage. Once cooled, the battery actually delivers more electricity than was used to charge it. The system is based on the thermogalvanic effect, which states that the voltage of a rechargeable battery is dependent on temperature. Seok Woo Lee, a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford and co-lead author, says it is because of this effect that, while the battery is cooling, the voltage increases as the temperature decreases. The extra energy the battery then produces results from heat added to the system. Decades of research into harvesting waste energy have been prompted by enormous amounts of excess heat generated by
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Sheet Metal Journal
industrial and electrical processes. A great deal of this research has focused on thermoelectric devices, which are essentially solid-state materials that can produce electricity from a temperature gradient; however, these devices offer limited efficiency because of problematic material availability. The Stanford-MIT research offers an alternative for lowtemperature waste-heat-to-electricity conversion in cases where temperature differences are less than 100 degrees Celsius—accounting for a significant portion of harvestable waste heat. "One-third of all energy consumption in the United States ends up as low-grade heat," said co-lead author Yuan Yang, a post-doctorate at MIT. During the experiment, a battery was heated to 60 C, charged, and cooled, resulting in an electricity-conversion efficiency of 5.7 percent, which is almost double the efficiency of conventional thermoelectric devices. "Virtually all power plants and manufacturing processes, like steelmaking and refining, release tremendous amounts of lowgrade heat to ambient temperatures," said Yi Cui, an associate professor of materials science and engineering at Stanford and co-author of the study. "Our new battery technology is designed to take advantage of this temperature gradient at the industrial scale." The new system offers greater efficiency than conventional thermoelectric devices, and stands alone as the only technology that makes effective use of low-temperature differences. There is, however, still work to do. The Stanford-MIT system has a much lower power density, which refers to the amount of power than can be delivered for a given weight; it will also require further research to assure long-term reliability and improve the speed of battery charging and discharging. The full study is available in the May 21 issue of Nature Communications. n
AROUND the world
London's
Death Ray
A skyscraper in London dubbed the Death Ray for its car-melting glare will get a permanent fix, say developers. The building, designed by architect Rafael Vinoly and officially known as 20 Fenchurch Street, is known as the Walkie-Talkie tower because of its curved, bulging shape. It features exterior mirrored glazing pitched in a concave configuration that concentrates and reflects high-temperature sun beams to the street. These beams, dubbed Death Rays by the British Press, were measured at more than 110 degrees C in September, hot enough to fry an egg on the pavement. That same month, the 37-story high-rise was in the news when the owner of a Jaguar parked his car at the foot of the building and returned to find part of his vehicle melted. Store owners in the area say the building’s intense sunbeams have blistered their paint and burned holes in their floor mats on especially hot days. Developers Land Securities and Canary Wharf tried to deal temporarily with the problem using a dark-netted screen, and have recently received permission to erect a permanent sunshade. The “brise soleil” (meaning “sun breaker”) sunshade system, custom-designed by the architect, is made up of horizontal aluminum fins that absorb and diffuse sunlight. It will be installed between floors three and 34 of the 509-foot high building and cover a good portion of the building’s southfacing side, blocking occupants’ views to “a limited extent,” say developers; however, “The extra texture, detail, and reduction in reflectivity will make the building a better neighbour.” Typically, brise-soleil systems express as a horizontal projection from the building and incorporate louvers that allow passive solar heating of a building in winter. Plans for the Fenchurch Street design have not yet been revealed; however, the installation will carry a “single digit millions” price tag and a six-month timeline. The 20 Fenchurch Street building’s mirrored, concave facade Although rare, the Fenchurch building’s problem is not unique.
A similar phenomenon occurred in 2003 at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, designed by architect Frank Gehry. Similarly, the building was clad in stainless steel panels that sent concentrated beams measuring up to 60 degrees C to hotspots on the sidewalk, upped the temperature in nearby living spaces, and blinded passing motorists. In that case, developers and the architect used computer modelling and sensors to identify the problem panels, which were sanded down to break up the sun’s rays. In 2010, guests at the then-new Vdara hotel in Las Vegas complained of sever burns to their personal items and to their hair and bodies. Again, the curved, concave shape of the glass-clad building was the culprit. Owners rectified the issue with a light diffusing film over each window, reducing the sun’s effects by 70 per cent. A similar fix could be used on the Fenchurch building; however, developers are concerned it would dramatically reduce the amount of light entering the building. Another solution would be to misalign the window frames by as little as a millimetre to break up the sun’s concentration, but the cost would be significant. The solar shading is expected to complete by the end of the summer. Despite the building’s troublesome headlines, it rented 200,000 square feet after the problem arose, and is currently 87 per cent full. n www.sheetmetaljournal.com • Summer 2014
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CONTRACTOR ADVICE HOW TO MEASURE PERFORMANCE FOR SUCCESS The construction industry measures many things, but often the right things aren’t measured. How much time do you spend chasing people to make sure they are doing what they are supposed to be doing? How much time do you spend responding to your bosses checking up on you? Do these seem like unimportant questions? Not really. When you consider when my colleague Ed Anderson asks his audiences how much time they spend on these two activities, he consistently gets totals greater than 50 percent. When your managers are spending more than half their time checking up to make sure people are doing what they are supposed to be doing, something is wrong. This is a tremendous waste of management resources. Anderson refers to this waste as Chase-up™. While managers certainly need to follow up to ensure things are being done, spending more than 50 percent of their time is not an effective use of their time. Just think, if the average manager’s salary is $75,000 a year, then reducing that individual’s Chase-up™ by 10 percent would result in $7,500 savings per manager. The real question is why do managers spend so much time chasing people? The answer is a lack of reliability. Who would you spend more time chasing, a reliable person or
SMWIA Local Union No. 280 /SMACNA-BC Partnership
by / Ted Garrison
an unreliable person? The answer is obvious, but who are your unreliable people and/or subcontractors? That’s a more difficult question because virtually no one measures reliability. Typically contractors measure productivity. The problem is measuring productivity can provide misleading conclusions. Reliability is the measurement of people’s ability to make and keep promises, while productivity is a measurement of the amount of work performed. The problem is that simply measuring productivity doesn’t tell you if the right work is being performed, which can lead to the wrong conclusions. For example, a steel erector may appear to be very reliable because the steel tonnage it has erected exceeds that required by the schedule. Since steel erectors are often paid by tonnage installed, erectors are often inclined to erect the heaviest pieces to maximize tonnage. The problem occurs if the erector is not installing the lighter pieces that allow the followup trades to do their work. If the erector is doing this, he is unreliable despite the fact he is ahead of schedule based on tonnage alone. It’s about not only the amount of tonnage but the right tonnage. Let’s assume we are scheduled to place 10 concrete slabs on Friday morning. This means the electrical contractor should be committed to installing all embedded items in the slab by the close of business on Thursday. If the electrical contractor has six slabs 100 percent complete and four slabs at only 95 percent complete, what is the contractor’s Commitment Reliability Index (CRI)? The answer is 60 percent compared to 98 percent as based on measuring productivity.
Labour & Management “Embracing the Challenge” - B. Flaherty, Cornell University, Syracuse, N.Y.
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Sheet Metal Journal
If we pay the contractor based on productivity, it would receive 98 percent of the budget for the work and probably wouldn’t be too upset over the 2 percent hold back for incomplete work. However, if the contractor was paid on only reliability and received only a 60 percent payment for the completed work this would send an important message about being reliable. Reliability is necessary because without it, it’s impossible to plan. Without effective planning, it’s almost impossible to
CONTRACTOR ADVICE "Without measuring reliability, no one attempts to identify the causes of missed commitments."
improve performance and make true gains in productivity for the entire project. When reliability is not measured, people tend to do what’s in their best interest and not what’s in the project’s best interest. However, measuring reliability is not about beating up on people—in essence, another tool to make people work harder. Instead it’s about creating a process to identify and remove problems. In many cases when someone doesn’t meet a commitment, it’s not the fault of the person, but a fault of the system. Therefore, when a commitment isn’t met, the first question should be why? By tracking the causes for people not making their commitments, we are able to identify the barriers to productivity. As Pareto’s principle points out, 20 percent of the problems cause about 80 percent of the delays. Therefore, if we can identify the common barriers to people’s meeting their commitments, we can work to eliminate the problems and increase productivity. The challenge is that without measuring reliability, no one attempts to identify the causes of the missed commitments.
Second, if crews’ and subcontractors’ CRIs are posted, you will immediately see improvement. It’s just like playing sports. Most of us have played a pick-up game of basketball where no one was keeping score, but as soon as someone suggests we keep score, there is an immediate improvement in the quality of the game. We have all heard “what gets measured improves.” Finally, and potentially the most important benefit, it allows for elimination of the problems. Most people are trying to do a good job, but unless they are accurately measuring what they are doing and identifying the problems, they are often frustrated when problems occur. Measuring reliability provides the basis for identifying the problems and eliminating them. This makes everyone’s life easier. At the same time, it enables increased productivity. This is the perfect win-win situation. However, it all starts with the commitment to measure reliability. n Ted Garrison, president of New Construction Strategies, is a catalyst for change. As a consultant, author, speaker and radio host, he provides breakthrough strategies for the construction industry byfocusing on critical issues in leadership, project management, strategic thinking, strategic alliances, and marketing. He can be reached at 800-861-0874 or by email at Speaking@TedGarrison.com. For further information see his web page at <www.TedGarrison.com>.
In summary, there are several distinct benefits from measuring reliability. First, once you identifying who is reliable, you can adjust how much time you spend chasing various people, which enables you to identify people or subcontractors who are not committed to being reliable. These people should be removed from the project.
Fall is just around the corner. Coming in our next issue: • Indoor Air Quality • Labour • Green Innovations Contact Christina to book your ad space today. Call 877.755.2762 or email ctranberg@pointonemedia.com
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23
IT'S THE LAW TO AVOID DISPUTES: HAVE A WRITTEN CONTRACT A recent BC Supreme Court decision highlights the importance of having a contract in writing. Failure to do so can lead to a protracted and costly legal battle.
Facts
In CJ Smith Contracting Ltd. v Kazem-Pour, 2014 BCSC 689. CJ Smith Contracting Ltd (“Smith”), had been conducting home renovations for 28 years. The company was hired to carry out home renovations for a couple who had recently immigrated to Canada, Mr. Iraj Kazem-Pour and Ms. Hengameh Rah-Navard. Smith contended that the parties agreed to a “cost plus” contract with respect to specified materials, their installation, and a fixed hourly rate for labour costs. All materials and services not otherwise specified in the agreement would be subject to a “costs plus 20%” contract. The homeowners, on the other hand, asserted that the agreement was a fixed-price contract with a limit of $180,000. Unfortunately for the parties, their agreement was not in writing. The total costs of the renovation invoiced by Smith exceeded $283,000. The homeowners paid $185,000 of those costs and Smith sued for the balance owing.
Issues
1. What were the terms of the oral agreement between the homeowners and the general contractor? 2. Was the builders’ lien registered by Smith filed in time?
Court Decision
The BC Supreme Court held that where the homeowners’ evidence differed from the evidence of Smith and his witnesses, she generally favored the evidence of Smith. While the evidence of Smith was found unreliable with regard to the chronology of a specific instance, both homeowners were said to be generally defensive and argumentative on crossexamination. The Court also relied on a “common book of documents” which contained all of the invoices produced by Smith as well as copies of the cheques written by the homeowners. For the purposes of the litigation, the parties formed a Document Agreement stipulating that, if there was no cross-examination, the document would be admissible as accurate and true. Relying on these documents, credibility evidence, and evidence arising from cross-examination, the Court accepted the version of Smith stating that, with the exception of a fixed price for labour, the agreement was a “costs plus” contract. Additionally, any items described as “extra work or materials”
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Sheet Metal Journal
by / Ian Moes and Anne Cochrane Kuhn & Company
were determined on a “costs plus 20%” basis. It was also held that the lien was filed in accordance with the time limit under the Builders Lien Act, SBC 1997 c.45.
Lessons Learned
1. It is a truth widely known but often forgotten that home renovation work should be confirmed in a written contract with the terms specified. 2. Supporting documents, particularly invoices relating to renovation work, should be retained. 3. Where a dispute arises over the terms of an oral agreement, the credibility and reliability of witnesses is central to determining the nature and content of the contract. 4. A witness who is defensive and argumentative in crossexamination may cause the reliability of his or her evidence to be called into question. 5. When contemplating the registration of a builders’ lien it is important to be cognizant of the time limits under the Builders Lien Act. n This article was written by Ian C. Moes, a lawyer, and Anne Cochrane, a law student, who practice in construction law with the law firm of Kuhn LLP. This article is only intended as a guide and cannot cover every situation. It is important to get legal advice for specific situations. If you have any questions or comments about this case or other construction law matters, please contact us at 604.864.8877.
Are you working on an interesting or challenging project? Tell us about it. Contact our editor, Jessica Kirby, at 250.816.3671 or email jessica.kirby@pointonemedia.com
INDUSTRY NEWS RIDGE SHEET METAL LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE
proud of all the work that we have accomplished as we have a great team of sheet metal mechanics and office staff that has helped make Ridge Sheet Metal as successful as it is.”
Ridge Sheet Metal launched its redesigned website this April, bringing site visitors a fresh look and improved functionality.
Johnson is always adding more to the website and expects it will be an on-going project.
The new site, found at www.ridgesheetmetal.ca, replaces an older, Flash-based site that was not compatible with all devices and was restrictive in its functional capabilities.
Ridge Sheet Metal has been in operation since 1977. The company specializes in commercial, institutional, industrial, and residential markets and is a COR certified company that has also recently implemented Building Information Modelling (BIM) software. Its 90-plus employees complete most of their work in BC; however, the company has finished projects as far away as Hawaii and Bermuda.
Lisa Johnson, payroll and safety co-ordinator for Ridge Sheet Metal, says the new site takes care of that, while bringing customers and potential customers in touch with the information they need most. On the back end, the new site is accessible and simple update, meaning Johnson can easily keep the site information current. “The new site is very user friendly, offers more pictures and customers can easily connect with the appropriate people through the website,” she says. “It also shows some of our completed and current projects.” As a diverse company with ALS Labs, New Westminster Civic Centre, Telus Garden, and the UBC Student Union Building on its resume, the project section of the website is especially helpful at letting clients know about Ridge Sheet Metal's capabilities. “Some of our projects are quite complicated and it’s great that we now have a way to show our customers a range of projects that Ridge Sheet Metal has been a part of,” says Johnson. “It is nice to be able to show people what we can do. We are very
For more information about Ridge Sheet Metal please visit the company's website at www.ridgesheetmetal.ca. n
LEEANN RIMES, BILLY GARDELL, DAN GABLE, AND DAVID TEATER FEATURED AT SMACNA NATIONAL CONVENTION IN OCTOBER Saddle up for SMACNA’s 71st Annual Convention at the JW Marriott in San Antonio, Texas October 12-15, 2014. The agenda is full of fresh, new education sessions, dynamic speakers, fabulous entertainment, and fun to boot. Country music legend LeeAnn Rimes and actor-comedian Billy Gardell headline the entertainment roster, and feature speakers Dan Gable and David Teater are sure to impress. Find out more at SMACNA.org. n
BLAST FROM THE PAST
This group of enthusiastic, fresh-faced sheet metal workers were at the buds of their careers when this photo of the graduating class was taken in 1978. We at Sheet Metal Journal were only able to pick out two faces we know—how about you? Do you recognize these folks? Are you one of them? Drop us a line if you know who they are and where they are now. jessica.kirby@pointonemedia.com www.sheetmetaljournal.com • Summer 2014
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INDUSTRY NEWS LEED V4 CANADIAN ALTERNATIVE COMPLIANCE PATHS NOW AVAILABLE The LEED v4 Alternative Compliance Paths (known as ACPs) for Canadian projects are now publically available, along with additional tools and support, for those wishing to pursue LEED v4 certification of their building project with the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC). This release follows the official launch of the ACPs that took place on June 3, 2014, at the CaGBC’s annual Building Lasting Change conference in Toronto. In order to ensure greater ease of use, the CaGBC has developed ACPs for eight sets of requirements, and will develop additional ACPs in the future as required. The eight existing ACPs provide equivalent means of meeting credit and prerequisite requirements of LEED v4 by referencing standards that are more familiar to Canadians. They are:
• LEED BD&C (all adaptations): Location and Transportation credit: Sensitive Land Protection
• LEED BD&C - Healthcare: Sustainable Sites credit: Places of Respite
• LEED BD&C - Healthcare: Indoor Environmental
Quality prerequisite: Minimum Indoor Air Quality Performance
• LEED BD&C – Healthcare: Indoor Environmental Quality credit: Construction Indoor Air Quality Management Plan
• LEED BD&C and Homes/Midrise (residential
• LEED BD&C and ID&C (all adaptations): Energy
and Atmosphere prerequisite: Minimum Energy Performance
• LEED BD&C and ID&C (all adaptations): Energy and Atmosphere credit: Optimize Energy Performance
• LEED ID&C (all adaptations): Materials and Resources credit: Interiors Life-Cycle Impact Reduction
These ACPs are available in both official languages and are available today through the CaGBC’s website and will also be incorporated into the USGBC’s LEED Credit Library this summer. LEED v4 is the latest version of the LEED green building rating system, incorporating more than a decade of experience and reflecting the latest green building knowledge, technologies and practices. With a strong emphasis on the impacts of materials, greater flexibility, and a renewed focus on ensuring desired outcomes, it is poised to provide the framework for better, healthier and more sustainable buildings. It also offers a new, global approach to green building certification and will allow Canadian practitioners to take full advantage of all 21 project types addressed by the new version. It will also allow green builders in Canada to carry their expertise seamlessly to projects around the world, and benchmark their accomplishments against international LEED projects.
construction): Indoor Environmental Quality For the latest updates and resources available to Canadians prerequisite: Minimum Indoor Air Quality P4erformance now and in the coming months, visit www.cagbc.org/leedv4.n
advertiser index advertiser
page
phone
20
877.632.6859
www.101industries.com
OBC
604.438.6616
www.bcica.org
Cascadia Metals
13
604.946.3890
www.cmetals.com
Crossroads C&I Distributors
06
800.663.6595
www.crossroadsci.com
ECCO Supply
17
604.530.9755
www.eccosupply.ca
FastEst Inc.
16
800.828.7108
www.fastest-inc.com
Frost Insulation
09
886.913.7678
www.frostinsulation.com
Ridge Sheet Metal
11
604.942.0244
www.ridgemetal.com
Sheet Metal Workers Training Centre Society
15
604.882.7680
www.smwtcs.ca
22, 23
604.430.3388
www.smw280.org
SMACNA-BC
IFC, 05, 22
604.585.4641
www.smacna-bc.org
Winroc / SPI
11
604.430.3044
www.winrocspi.com
101 Industries Ltd. BC Insulation Contractors Association
Sheet Metal Workers Int’l Local 280
26
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Get Ready for 2015 The 2015 Media Guide for Canada’s only niche publication dedicated to the sheet metal industry is almost here. Watch for Sheet Metal Journal’s new face in 2015, as it features a different industry sector in each issue, and new column articles including Global Metal, Building Science, Innovations, On the Market, and a revamped Technical section. Stretch your dollars with new advertising packages, which include both print and digital promotion and opportunities for cross-promotion in other trade magazines where applicable.
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So what are you waiting for? Contact Christina Tranberg at 1.877.755.2762 or ctranberg@ pointonemedia.com for a copy of the Media Guide, hot off the press in September, 2014.
The Sheet Metal Journal Team: Point One Media Inc. PO Box 11 Station A Nanaimo, BC V9R 5K4
Christina Tranberg Account Manager 1.877.755.2762 • 250.667.0401 ctranberg@pointonemedia.com
Lara Perraton Publisher 1.877.755.2762 • 250.714.4973 lperraton@pointonemedia.com
Jessica Kirby Editor 250.816.3671 jessica.kirby@pointonemedia.com
Protect your investment. Invest in energy conservation. Commercial • Institutional • Multi-purpose • Industrial • Marine The members of the British Columbia Insulation Contractors Association, mechanical insulation experts, have led the industry for over five decades. Quality Standards for Mechanical Insulation Manual, published by BCICA, is the reference manual of choice for conscientious members of the design community uncompromised in their pursuit of energy conservation. BCICA is proud to introduce a new proprietary Quality Assurance Certificate program, designed to provide mechanical systems specialists with confidence that energy savings and investment potential are not undermined by value engineering.
BCICA contractor members – experts at “saving energy for the future” AARC-WEST MECHANICAL INSULATION (2013) INC. Surrey | 604 535 9963 chris@aarc-west.com ADVANTAGE THERMAL Maple Ridge | 604 457 3190 advantagethermal@shaw.ca B.C. THERMAL APPLICATORS LTD. Nanaimo | 250 758 9712 bcthermal@shaw.ca C & G INSULATION LTD. Kelowna | 250 769 3303 candginsulation@shawbiz.ca CARMIKE INSULATION North Vancouver | 604 988 4211 wjaeggle@shaw.ca COLUMBIA THERMAL SERVICES Langley | 604 534 6894 columbiathermal@telus.net
www.bcica.org
COQUITLAM INSULATION LTD. Sechelt | 604 740 0086 coquitlaminsulation@dccnet.com INDIAN HEAD CONTRACTING LTD. White Rock | 604 290 5407 ihcontracting@yahoo.ca NEW CENTRAL MECHANICAL INSULATION LTD. Langley | 604 514 8450 ron@newcmi.ca gary@newcmi.ca
TIGHT 5 CONTRACTING LTD. Burnaby | 604 874 9615 brad@tight5.net www.tight5.net WESTCOR SERVICES LIMITED Coquitlam | 604 519 6789 jodonnell@westcorservices.com bgibb@westcorservices.com WEST COAST INDUSTRIAL INSULATION Victoria | 250 384 4621 wcii@shaw.ca
PACIFIC RIM INDUSTRIAL INSULATION LTD. Surrey | 604 533 8179 paul.smith@pac-rim.ca REMCO INSULATION LTD. Prince George | 250 562 5455 randyremco@shaw.ca
info@bcica.org
brian.bcica@telus.net