Category Archives: Mechanical Insulation

IPO Successfully Campaigns Groveport Schools To Use Mechanical Insulation

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Since September 2014, the Insulation Professions of Ohio has been on a campaign to get the new Groveport High School construction to include mechanical insulation. The project just completed the bidding process. There were 3 contractors who submitted bids for the work. The Groveport board to awarded the bid to the Pedersen Insulation Company, one of Insulation Professions of Ohio’s primary contractors.

The mechanical insulation campaign includes many marketing items, such as a video describing the benefits that mechanical insulation can bring to a school district and its buildings, as well as a comprehensive binder containing detailed information on mechanical insulation. The binder and supporting documentation were distributed to key decision makers during a presentation made at a design team meeting.

Insulation Professions of Ohio were recently informed that mechanical insulation will be included in the construction project. Not only will the students, teachers and administrators be safer as a long term benefit of the mechanical insulation in the school, they will also be greener by receiving the increased energy saving that mechanical insulation affords. The contract has detailed that the Mechanical Insulation must be installed by workers that have completed a 4-year apprenticeship program. The knowledge, safety and expertise that the educated workers have will be beneficial to the installation of the mechanical insulation at Groveport.

All of the success with the Groveport School District has helped the Insulation Professions of Ohio to review and research other area schools. The Johnstown-Monroe school district, located northeast of Columbus, is another school district that will be looking at completing construction in the coming months. With phase one of the renovations on the Johnstown-Monroe High School recently completed; phase two work will include plumbing, sewer, electrical, HVAC and lighting. The project will total $4.8 million dollars and is currently on time and under budget.

The benefits of mechanical insulation can also be applied to the Johnstown-Monroe school district as they look to build a new elementary school. The elementary school was approved in February by the board for a $16.36 million budget, with the school forecasted to be open and functioning for the 2017-2018 school year.  With the mechanical insulation promotion marketing pieces, the video, reference documents and supporting material, already established, the Insulation Professions of Ohio will be pushing to ensure that the Johnstown-Monroe school district buildings be completed with the safety and benefits that come with mechanical insulation.

Part II: Insulation Professionals of Ohio Target School Construction Projects

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‘The high hopes of the school district for this new construction project and our experience of the deterioration of mechanical systems in the old high school motivated us to do something to ensure quality mechanical insulation work would be done on the new high school,’ Scott Emrich with Insulation Professionals of Ohio said.

At first Dan Poteet, Manager of Insulation Professionals of Ohio, was adamant about securing the work at Groveport because he was worried that the design team would intentionally value engineer mechanical insulation out of the construction plans, but as the project progressed he began to realize that as the decision makers began to more thoroughly understand the value and benefits of mechanical insulation they were less apt to cut it from the project.

‘For a while we thought decision makers on major construction projects like this were deliberately value engineering mechanical insulation out of their construction budget, but the more we looked into to it, the more we realized that the exclusion of mechanical insulation from major construction projects was mostly due to end users’ ignorance of its existence and the benefits it could bring. It was more misunderstanding then malice,’ said Poteet.

The desire to help a local school district while organizing work were not the only motivation behind the mechanical insulation education campaign, Poteet and Emrich saw this as an opportunity to promote the entire industry more generally.

‘When Scott told me about what was going on in Groveport my wheels started turning. At first we just thought of it as a good opportunity to help a local school district and organize work, but after talking about it for a while, we started to think bigger and realized that this was a great opportunity to promote mechanical insulation and educate people about its existence and benefits on a larger scale,’ said Dan Poteet.

While Emrich and Poteet appreciated the Groveport opportunity as organizers and managers, they also saw the opportunity from a broader industry perspective.

‘We realized that if we only used Groveport to benefit our Local and not the entire industry, we would be wasting a golden opportunity,’ said Poteet.

IPO saw the Groveport school project as more than just a single large scale project that would keep their workforce busy, they saw it as an opportunity to make the value and benefits of mechanical insulation visible to other potential end users who did not know about its value and were therefore not planning to include it in the design of their construction projects.

‘Basically, we thought the Groveport Madison high school build would be a great test case for a mechanical insulation education campaign that we could take other places as well. We thought that if we could get in early, during the planning and design stages, we would be able to educate the school board and design teams about what mechanical insulation is, and all the ways their school building and district could benefit from it,’ said organizer Scott Emrich.

The response to the campaign continues to be favorable, and the design team has given provisional feedback indicating that they will implement mechanical insulation in the design and construction of the school.

Insulation Professionals of Ohio Support Groveport Madison Schools and Athletics

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In an ongoing effort to show support for the Groveport Madison school district, the Insulation Professionals of Ohio designed and hung a banner on the high school football field fence.

groveport-football-picture

Over the last year, the Insulation Professionals of Ohio (IPO) have been working with members of the Groveport Madison school board to ensure that construction of the new Groveport Madison high school is properly mechanically insulated as well as safely firestopped.

IPO hopes that the banner shows the school board and teachers, as well as the district’s students and their parents how much IPO cares about the health and safety of the school district’s facilities, administration, teachers, and students.

Groveport Madison Schools and Athletics

Groveport Madison Schools and Athletics

IPO is proud to sponsor Groveport Madison schools and athletics, and looks forward to continuing what is already a strong relationship.

2013 Central States Master Apprenticeship Competition

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The Insulation Professionals of Ohio specializes in providing clients and contractors with the highest-skilled and best-trained workers in the industry, a fact that was clearly evident at the 2013 Heat and Frost Insulators Central States Master Apprenticeship Competition earlier this month.

Held May 3rd and 4th at the Dayton Holiday Inn, the two-day competition tested the written and hands-on skills of the talented apprentices trained in our 3,000 square foot, state-of-the-art training facility in Dayton, Ohio.

Following a two-hour written test on Friday and seven hours of hands-on competition on Saturday, the apprentices and their guests were treated to a cocktail and dinner gala Saturday evening. The reception featured delicious food, dancing, and a program to honor IPO members, retirees, and the apprentice winners of the competition.

 

 

 

 

 

To provide this no-cost training through a Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee, the Insulation Professionals of Ohio work in conjunction with the Insulation Industry International Apprentice and Training Fund.  The JATC coordinates and funds the union insulation industry’s apprenticeship training program and journeyman upgrade education programs.

To learn more about IPO training and apprenticeship, click here.

Building the Future of Medicine

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The $1.1 billion Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Expansion is the largest project of its kind in the university’s history and currently the largest construction project in the state of Ohio.

The project aims to revitalize the areas on the Medical Center campus used for research, education, patient care, utilities, infrastructure, and green spaces. Construction of a new OSU Comprehensive Care Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, the Midwest’s first and Ohio’s only fully dedicated cancer hospital and research institute, is a major part of the expansion and will enable the hospital to serve an additional 10,000 inpatients.

Several highly skilled and educated Insulation Professionals of Ohio member contractors – Pedersen Insulation Company (Columbus), Alloyed Insulation Co. (Dayton) and Superior Industrial Insulation Company (Cleveland) – are currently performing insulation and firestop work as a vital component of this construction.

Properly installed mechanical insulation provides long-term energy efficiency, emission reduction, cost savings, and safety benefits. In fact, the National Insulation Association estimates that maintenance of insulation at industrial facilities alone can generate more than $3.6 billion in energy savings per year and reduce 83 billion pounds of carbon dioxide emissions.

The adequate and proper design, installation and thickness of insulation on all mechanical systems of the Wexner Medical Center Expansion, such as hot water heating pipes and air ducts, will dramatically reduce energy consumption and allow for more efficient and environmentally friendly buildings throughout the OSU campus.

For the Insulation Professionals of Ohio and the insulation construction industry, green construction has been the standard for over 100 years, and we look forward to assisting OSU in achieving another Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver-level certification!

Pictured above: Tony Mannon, Superior foreman, on site

Shale Oil and Gas Creating Need for Skilled Insulation Professionals

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Economists are reporting that the unconventional oil and gas revolution taking place in the U.S. (especially in Ohio) is generating increased revenues for states, increasing domestic oil production that will reduce oil-imports by billions of dollars and is also creating jobs — and the mechanical insulation industry is set to prosper from the boom.

One expert figures that the growth of shale gas will save the U.S. from spending $100 billion a year on imported fuels.

At the center of it all is the Ohio shale gas and oil industry, as multiple gas plants are going to be constructed in eastern and southern Ohio, with one being built right now in Cadiz in Harrison County.

Properly installed mechanical insulation is key to these plants running the most efficiently and safely as they possibly can! The Insulation Professionals of Ohio are training the insulation workforce that will provide the natural gas and oil industry with the insulation workforce that will save money and, quite possibly, lives.

The work for the insulation industry in the shale natural gas and oil industry  is coming, not only for the building trades but for insulators … and the work is going to be here in Ohio for a long time; it’s already in Pennsylvania and it’s headed this way.

Skilled, educated building tradesmen are going to be working on these projects — including highly skilled insulation professionals, who will be installing vital mechanical insulation to the plants needed to take advantage of booming natural gas and oil production.

The Insulation Professionals of Ohio (IPO) are ready and prepared to serve the natural gas and oil industry … learn more about a career as a mechanical insulator and the IPO’s world-class training at www.ohioinsulators.com/careers.

IPO Apprentice Displays Insulation Skills in Regional Competition

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The Insulation Professionals of Ohio world-class training and education system, through which it provides clients with the best-skilled workers in the industry, was on display recently among 16 contestants competing in the Central States Conference Master Apprentice Competition in Lansing, Michigan.

Dean Brooks, an IPO apprentice, represented the IPO well during the event. Dean is gaining his skills as an insulation installation professional through the most current and up-to-date training available anywhere — provided by the IPO  in our own 3,000-square foot training facility in Dayton, Ohio.

To provide this no-cost training through a Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee, the Insulation Professionals of Ohio work in conjunction with the Insulation Industry International Apprentice and Training Fund.

To learn more about IPO training and apprenticeship, click here.

 

Legislation, Media Promoting Mechanical Insulation for Facilities, Pipe Systems to Save Energy

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On May 16, 2012, Republican U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo of Illinois, speaking on the House floor in support of energy efficient buildings, the money they can save and the manufacturing jobs that energy efficiency initiatives can create, encouraged his colleagues to consider supporting HR 2866, the “Mechanical Insulation Installation Incentive Act of 2011.”

Meanwhile, an article in a recent Insulation Outlook, the magazine of the National Insulation Association, examines the “many opportunities” that exist for energy savings in institutional buildings that use district heating systems.

The article notes that typically, “there are many heat distribution pipe components left either uninsulated or partially insulated. If you can walk into a mechanical or boiler room and see bare steel on operational heat distribution pipe and equipment components, then thermal energy is being wasted.”

As the Insulation Professionals of Ohio constantly and consistently maintain in its messages, the article states: “This thermal energy waste can be corrected simply by insulating those bare components.”

Manzullo said HR 2866 is a common sense bill that will save money, improve facility operations, put people to work, and help our buildings perform to a higher standard.

To view Manzullo’s speech, click here.

Similarly, the Insulation Outlook article sites a study that found insulating these components has been predicted to comprise 8 percent of buildings’ total fuel use for heating. “Payback periods of less than 1 year, and even as short as several months, are common when insulating these previously bare components,” the study found.

Click here to read the article: Saving Energy by Insulating Pipe Components on Steam and Hot Water Distribution Systems

As the article concludes, IPO also recommends that mechanical designers and facility owners/operators survey their mechanical rooms and boiler rooms for bare pipe components and equipment. Just as the study’s author states, IPO recommends using removable/reusable insulation blankets for these components.

As Manzullo touched upon, one of the easiest, most cost effective ways to improve building performance is to ensure that mechanical insulation systems are properly installed. Improved insulation for piping and mechanical components in commercial and industrial settings will help business save more than $4.8 billion a year, according to the National Insulation Association. These improvements will also save resources to the tune of more than 82 million barrels of oil, or 19 million tons of coal.

FREE 3E Energy Audit

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Commercial and Industrial Facilities Owners: A professional Insulation Energy Audit lets you know if your structure is properly insulated.

The Insulation Professionals of Ohio provide trained insulation professionals, using the latest thermal cameras, heat guns and computer software, to offer you a FREE Insulation Energy Audit that can detect the insulation needs for your facility and its mechanical systems. Using this data, we will provide you with the best assessment for insulation.

North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA) 3E Plus software allows users to easily calculate heat losses and to determine surface temperatures on hot and cold piping and equipment.

Make sure YOUR plant or facility is properly insulated!

In addition to ensuring comfort control within your plant or facility, insulation can also serve as a protective barrier and improve indoor air quality – and adequate insulation can cut energy usage up to 50% or more, saving you money!

Click here to get your FREE 3E Energy Audit.