march 2010 cam magazine

MARCH 2010 VOL. 31 • NO. 2 • $4.00

“ V O I C E O F T H E C O N S T R U C T I O N I N D U S T R Y ”

IN THIS ISSUE:

EXCAVATION/SITE WORK

Digging Deep at Van Buren Township’s

New Equalization Basin

MECHANICALNew Eco-Friendly Piping SystemEliminates Solder & Adhesives

Plus: LEARNING FROM THE PAST – University Preparatory Elementary School II

Aquathermal Systems and Hot Water Boilers

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Good employees are essential to the success of

your business. And retaining your employees can

be challenging. That’s why your Association

sponsors the CAM Benefit Program … a valuable

group health insurance program with a wide

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By combining our responsive local claims service

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4 CAM MAGAZINE MARCH 2010 “Voice Of The Construction Industry”®

FEATURES

14 On the JobsiteA Fresh Angle on the Traditional City Hall

MECHANICAL

18 Getting Their Feet WetNew Aquathermal System at Saginaw Valley State University

22 Cruise Control for Hot Water BoilersM2G Microprocessor Streamlines Boiler Usage

“ V O I C E O F T H E C O N S T R U C T I O N I N D U S T R Y ” ®

26 Greenprint for the FutureGreenPipe Pumps an

Environmentally Friendly

System Into the U.S. Pipeline

EXCAVATION/SITE WORK

28 A Balancing Act Below GradeExcavation at Van Buren Township’s New Equalization Basin

CONSTRUCTION HIGHLIGHT

34 Learning From the PastUniversity Preparatory Elementary School II - Mark Murray Campus

DEPARTMENTS

8 Industry News10 Safety Tool Kit40 Product Showcase43 People in Construction45 CAM Welcomes New Members46 Construction Calendar46 Advertisers Index

Mar 1-17_Dec 2/17/10 12:13 PM

Expanded OpportunitiesThe members of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local

324 (IUOE) are proud to have built many of the showcase facilities throughout Michigan, equally they are just as proud to have been a part of building the schools, roads, sewers, waterlines and power generation

plants that serve our community. Local 324 has expanded its role and now represents educated and highly skilled members that operate and maintain these facilities. Contact us today to understand why we spend $4 million

annually at our cutting edge Training and Education Center and how partnering with IUOE Local 324 will enhance your operating efficiencies.

OPERATING ENGINEER’SVALUE PROPOSITION

Members will providea fair day’s work, bringingunsurpassed Unity, Pride

and Productivityto the job-site

while performing safely.

John M. HamiltonGeneral Vice President& Business Manager

Operating EngineersLocal 324

500 Hulet DriveBloomfield Twp., MI 48302

248.451.0324www.iuoe324.org

Journeyman and Apprentice

Training Fund, Inc.275 East Highland Road

Howell, MI 48843517.546.9610

www.oe324jatf.org

WE BUILD, WE OPERATE, WE MAINTAIN

Operating EngineersLocal 324

Labor-ManagementEducation Committee

500 Hulet DriveBloomfield Twp., MI 48302

248.836.2731www.324lmec.org


PUBLISHER Kevin N. KoehlerEDITOR Amanda M. Tackett

ASSOCIATE EDITORS Mary E. KremposkyDavid R. Miller

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Matthew J. AustermannGRAPHIC DESIGN Marci L. Christian

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Gregg A. MontowskiACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Cathy A. Jones

DIRECTORSOFFICERSChairman R. Andrew Martin,

FH Martin Constructors

Vice Chairman Brian D. Kiley,Edgewood Electric, Inc.

Vice Chairman John O’Neil, Sr.,W.J. O’Neil Company

Treasurer James C. Capo,DeMattia Group

President Kevin N. Koehler

DIRECTORS Gregory Andrzejewski,PPG Industries

Stephen J. Auger,Stephen Auger + Associates Architects

M. James Brennan,Broadcast Design & Construction, Inc.

Kevin French,Poncraft Door Company

Frank G. Nehr, Jr.,Davis Iron Works

Donald J. Purdie, Jr.,Detroit Elevator Company

Kurt F. Von Koss,Beaver Tile & Stone

Jacqueline LaDuke Walters,LaDuke Roofing & Sheet Metal

Michigan Society of Association Executives

2002, 2004, 2005 & 2007Diamond Award

2003, 2006 Honorable Mention

Gallery of Fine Printing

2002 Bronze Award

MARCOM InternationalCreative Awards

2005 Gold Award

The CommunicatorInternational

Print Media Competition

Overall Association Magazine

Magazine Writing

CAM Magazine (ISSN08837880) is published monthly by the Construction Association of Michigan, 43636 WoodwardAve., P.O. Box 3204, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302-3204 (248) 972-1000. $24.00 of annual membership dues is allocated toa subscription to CAM Magazine. Additional subscriptions $40.00 annually. Periodical postage paid at Bloomfield Hills, MIand additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER, SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO: CAM MAGAZINE, 43636 WOODWARD AVE.,BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI 48302-3204.

For editorial comment or more information: [email protected]. For reprints or to sell CAM Magazine: 248-972-1000.

Copyright © 2008 Construction Association of Michigan. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without permission is prohibited. CAM Magazine is a registered trademark of the Construction Association of Michigan.

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Barton Malow Announces a New President andThree Executive-Level Promotions

Barton Malow Company, a national building firm, recentlyannounced the promotion of Lester (Les) Snyder III from ChiefOperating Officer to President. He takes over from long-timePresident Ben Maibach III, who is continuing as Chairman of theBoard and CEO. In addition, three Vice Presidents have becomeSenior Vice Presidents. They are Sheryl Maibach, FSMPS, ChiefMarketing Officer; Douglas Maibach, PE, Corporate Affairs; andGeoffrey Murken, Energy & Environmental.

As President and a Barton Malow Board Member, Les Snyder hasoverall responsibility for corporate operations and administration,including regional offices. He joined the company as Senior VicePresident for the Central Region in November 2004, with promotionsto Executive Vice President in 2006 and to COO in 2007.

A third-generation builder, he has construction experience in thecorporate, industrial, power, education, healthcare, federal, andentertainment markets throughout the United States and theCaribbean. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in CivilEngineering from the University of Pittsburgh.

Les has a long association with the Associated GeneralContractors (AGC) of America, having served as a past Chairman ofthe Building Division and as an Executive Committee member. Hehas attained the status of Life Director on the AGC board andcurrently serves as Co-Chairman of the national American Instituteof Architects – AGC Joint Committee.

Sheryl Maibach, FSMPS, serves on the Barton Malow Board ofDirectors and as Chief Marketing Officer, with responsibility forcorporate marketing, sales, branding and media relations. WithBarton Malow over 30 years, she has been instrumental in the firm’snational expansion. Sheryl is a fellow of the Society for MarketingProfessional Services (SMPS), and recipient of the SMPS 2009Marketing Achievement Award for lifetime achievement. She hasserved on seven professional association boards, published over 50articles and monographs, and frequently speaks on marketing-related topics nationwide. She is a graduate of the University ofMichigan-Dearborn with triple majors in Business, Communications,and History.

Douglas Maibach, PE, will maintain responsibility for corporateaffairs, and assumes direction of Human Resources, Legal, Safety, andRisk Management. Doug is a specialist in industry and laborrelations, and serves as Project Executive on select contracts. He is aBarton Malow Board Member with 25 years company experience.Doug is a registered professional engineer, holds a Civil Engineeringdegree from Michigan State University and an MBA from theUniversity of Detroit-Mercy. Among his many professional activities,he is Chair of Associated General Contractors (AGC) of America’sProject Delivery Committee, Co-chair of AGC of Michigan’s LaborRelations Committee, and an advisory board member of theConstruction Industry Institute. He is also active with theConstruction Users Roundtable and the American ConcreteInstitute.

Geoff Murken has been a builder in the power and industrialmarkets for more than 30 years, specializing in construction ofnuclear, coal, gas, and waste-fuel fired projects nationwide. He joinedthe company as Vice President of Energy and Process in 2006, and in2007 was promoted to Vice President of the combined Energy &Environmental Group. Under Geoff ’s direction, Barton Malow’spower market volume has grown and a strong group of powermarket specialists established. Geoff holds a MechanicalEngineering degree from Penn State.


Two SME Projects Earn National BrownfieldRenewal Awards

At the recent Brownfields 2009 Conference in New Orleans, twoSME projects garnered national Brownfield Renewal Awards. TheMason Run “New Urbanism” Residential Neighborhood and RiverRaisin National Battlefield Park, both located in Monroe, Michigan,were co-winners in the Social Impact Category. Judges selected justfour projects out of dozens submitted to receive awards that honorthe gold standard of redevelopment projects.

MASON RUN “NEW URBANISM” NEIGHBORHOODTodd Davis, CEO of Hemisphere Development headquartered in

Cleveland, Ohio and Brownfield Renewal judge stated, “Mason Runrepresents a continuing trend across the nation for well-conceivedresidential development on Brownfield properties. The team’s sheerdetermination, exhibited through the nearly 10 years necessary tobring the project to fruition, highlights that combining creativitywith the tools available through state voluntary cleanup programswill yield tremendous returns on the sustainable development scaleacross the United States. This project, conducted in phases on asmaller site, is an excellent template for other Brownfield redevel-opments across the country.”

For over nine years, the City of Monroe, Crosswinds Communities,SME and others have worked together to transform a 50-acreabandoned paper mill site into a thriving 500-home community. Thedevelopment is one of the largest New Urbanism projectsconstructed on an urban Brownfield site and a national model forresidential sustainable development. The team developed a creativefunding program using multiple, leveraged Brownfield redevel-opment financing mechanisms to mitigate environmental and sitepreparation costs, and acquired and managed $7.4 million inBrownfield financing through federal, state and local grants andloans.

The complex financing package was structured to correspond tothe five remediation/construction phases of the project. The teamdesigned an alternate solution to swap 150,000 cubic yards of

I N D U S T R Y N E W S

Mar 1-17_Dec 2/17/10 12:13 PM

CAM MAGAZINE MARCH 2010 9Visit us online at www.cammagazineonline.com

cinder/ash fill for clean soil from beneathroads and parks in the development. Thisresource-conserving approach successfullyremediated the future home sites, safelyencapsulated the impacted material, andprovided replacement clean fill. Thisapproach saved over $2.5 million inresponse costs and made the projecteconomically viable.

RIVER RAISIN NATIONAL BATTLEFIELDPARK

Colleen Kokas, Brownfield manager withinthe Office of Brownfield Reuse at the NewJersey Department of EnvironmentalProtection and Brownfield Renewal judgestated, “While recognizing and returning therich cultural history of our country isimportant in brownfield redevelopment, it isoften overlooked for more traditional enduses, such as retail, commercial andresidential. The River Raisin NationalBattlefield Park project is a wonderfulexample of what can be achieved while stillpreserving a culture’s history.”

The southern portion of the former UnionCamp/Jefferson Smurfit East Mill (paper mill)property is the site of a famous War of 1812battle, the Battle of the River Raisin. In March

2009, the U.S. Congress declared the site anational battlefield park, making it the firstreclaimed Brownfield site ever to beincluded in the National Park System. SME,the City of Monroe and the previous owner,Homrich Incorporated, have workedtogether for over a decade to effect transferof the historic portion of the site to a non-profit historical preservation organization.The successful transfer was complicated bythe fact that the site is subject to RCRACorrect Action, a federal liability that followsproperty ownership.

Efforts to preserve this historic site haveincluded preparation of briefing papers, plusconducting presentations and briefings fornumerous entities, including state andfederal regulatory agencies, state legislators,state historical and archeologicaldepartments and professionals, news mediaand the general public. These efforts weredesigned to promote the project and securesupport and financing for resolving environ-mental issues and demolishing remainingmill structures.

Environmental and archaeological issuesassociated with site preservation wereresolved through seven years of negoti-ations among and between the following

diverse groups: City of Monroe; Monroe PortAuthority; four divisions of the MDEQ,MDNR, and the U.S. EPA Region 5Headquarters; U.S. Department of Justice;the former Michigan Department of History,Arts and Libraries; Heidelberg CollegeDepartment of Archaeology; MichiganHouse of Representatives; Monroe CountyHistorical Society; County of Monroe;multiple legal counsels; and the propertyowner. At last, on April 8, 2009, the sitebecame the River Raisin National BattlefieldPark, the first Brownfield ever to becomepart of the National Parks System. The newpark will be used for education, historictourism and recreation. For moreinformation, visit www.sme-usa.com.

Older Gradall ExcavatorLiterature Now Available onWebsite

A new website feature, launched byGradall Industries, Inc., makes specificationand operating range literature available formodels dating back over 60 years. Theliterature archive section was launched inresponse to the many requests Gradallregularly receives from people who still ownan older model, are thinking of acquiring a

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pre-owned model, are making arrangements for shippingexcavators, or from people who wish to recall certain machines theyonce operated. Gradall is the only major excavator brand that hasalways been designed and built only in the United States.

The literature library covers Gradall excavators dating back to theM-2460 models – the world’s first telescopic boom hydraulicexcavators that helped launch the Gradall legend in the 1940s. Thelibrary also includes the G-1000 machines that were critical inbuilding the nation’s interstate highway system in the 1950s,launching the Gradall brand into the industry spotlight for the firsttime.

The site includes construction machines as well as modelsdeveloped for mining, metal mill maintenance, rail systemmaintenance and even the new Series III models. All of the literatureis in pdf files that can be downloaded and printed, reflecting theoriginal graphic designs.

To access the library, visit the Gradall primary website atwww.gradall.com. Follow the link to the literature archive library anduse a simple pull-down menu to select the model that interests you.The website will provide a list of all literature available for thatspecific model, which can be easily downloaded. There is no chargefor the literature download.

For information about Gradall excavators or product support, callthe Gradall factory at (330) 339-2211, or visit www.gradall.com.Owned by the Alamo Group, Gradall excavators are designed,manufactured and supported by Gradall Industries, Inc. withprocesses that meet ISO 9001 standards.

West Michigan Firm Provides “Green” Expertiseto European Counterpart

Many may know West Michigan is on the forefront of sustainabledesign, but they may be surprised to learn the expertise of a localWest Michigan firm is being exported. Europe does not often cometo the United States for help in sustainable building techniques, butthis local firm has opened that border. Roughly 290 miles fromPerugia, Italy (the Sister City of Grand Rapids), Fishbeck, Thompson,Carr & Huber, Inc. (FTC&H) is providing their sustainable designknowledge to clients in Italy’s Trentino Province.

FTC&H’s professional relationship with Michigan StateUniversity’s School of Planning, Design, and Construction led towork on green building projects in Italy with the University ofTrento and Distretto Tecnologico Trentino (DTTN). DTTN is aconsortium committed to developing construction applicationsand innovations in the arena of low energy consumption,renewable energy, and intelligent land use.

FTC&H was originally hired as a systems commissioning authorityfor a new primary school being constructed in the Village of Arco.Relationships formed over the course of the project led to morework for the Michigan-based firm, including systems commis-sioning, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®)administration, and energy modeling services for multiple DTTNprojects. One DTTN project, the ITC Floriani, Riva del Garda (a tradeschool addition) was recently awarded LEED Gold and was the firstLEED-Schools certification in Italy.


down to it. Of course, our main method of control is to eliminate asmany of the hazards as possible. When that’s not possible we turn toprotecting our workers by eliminating exposure to that hazard, i.e.barricading drop areas on a demo job. Lastly, we protect theemployee with personal protective equipment; always last becausethey are influenced most by human interaction, and safety glassesonly work when they are worn properly. Although there are severalnames for this process - pre-task planning, job hazard analysis, pre-task analysis, etc., - the outcome should be the same. Hazards areidentified and addressed to prevent accidents. As a bonus, thisprocess has been shown to greatly improve production and quality,as well.

Remember: CAMSAFETY is offering free, on-site and hands-onsafety training under our Grant from MIOSHA. To find out moreabout this opportunity, or if you have any questions or comments,contact me at 248-972-1141 or at [email protected].

New Safety Requirements – Good For Us AllBy Joe Forgue

Those of you who work, or hope towork, for the University of Michigan(U of M) have noticed that many oftheir safety requirements changed at

the beginning of the year 2010, with additional changes to takeplace May 1st. I’ve had the opportunity to speak to some of thefolks who helped develop those requirements and with the peoplewho will be enforcing them. However, the reason I wanted to writeabout this is much more “global” in scope. What U of M is doing isjust good, proactive safety; what professionals refer to as “BestPractices.” One of U of M’s major requirements revolves aroundwhat I have been touting for a while as your most effective toolagainst unsafe conditions: pre-task plans. The real purpose of theplan is to identify job/task specific hazards, apply appropriate con-trols, and avoid an incident. They don’t have to be extensive, exhaus-tive documents. They’re actually pretty simple when it comes right

Joseph M. ForgueDirector of Education& Safety Services

SAFETY TOOL KIT

Mar 1-17_Dec 2/17/10 12:14 PM


Based on its current European efforts,FTC&H is also exploring potential projectsthat could take them to such locations asTurkey, Spain, and Costa Rica. For furtherinformation, visit www.ftch.com.

Duro-Last® Selected as Corp!Magazine “Going Green”Honoree

Duro-Last® Roofing, Inc. has been selectedas one of Corp! Magazine’s “Going Green”honorees. Corp! Magazine provides features,news and profiles with a Michigan emphasisto inform, intrigue and entertain businessowners and top-level executives. Becauseenvironmental issues are so prevalent today,Corp! began recognizing companies throughits Going Green program. A breakfastprogram and panel discussion celebratingthe winners was held in late January at theMichigan State University ManagementEducation Center in Troy.

The Going Green Awards honor companiesand individuals for their exemplary efforts ina variety of eco-friendly initiatives, includingair quality, green building/business practices,and environmental stewardship. As asignificant supporter of sustainable buildingobjectives, Duro-Last has been the industryleader in reflective roofing systems for over30 years. Duro-Last’s white roofingmembrane has proven effective in reducingenergy consumption in all climate typesthroughout North America. In addition, Duro-Last’s tightly controlled manufacturingprocess recycles scrap back into roofingmembrane and other products. Plus, after itsuseful life on a rooftop, the membrane itself isrecyclable.

With a corporate headquarters and amanufacturing facility in Saginaw, Duro-Lastalso maintains facilities in Grants Pass,Oregon; Jackson, Mississippi; and Sigourney,Iowa. Duro-Last is the manufacturer of the“World’s Best Roof”®. Since 1978, Duro-Lasthas produced a custom-fabricated, thermo-plastic single-ply roofing system that is idealfor any flat or low-sloped commercial orindustrial building. Energy-efficient andextremely durable, the Duro-Last roofingsystem is also leak-proof, virtuallymaintenance-free and resistant to chemicals,fire, punctures, and high winds. In addition tothe Duro-Last roofing system, the company’sbrands include the Duro-Last Cool Zone®, theDuro-Shield metal retrofit, and the Duro-LastDesigner Series roofing systems.

For more information, contact Fred Sitter at(800) 248-0280 or visithttp://durolast.proptout.com/Url.aspx?520167x23893x-85417.

Clarification:The 2010 CAM Buyers Guide features a new section entitled, “LEED Certified

Companies.” CAM would like to clarify that the section should have been entitled,“Companies with LEED Accredited Professionals.”

The invitation to list that was originally sent to the CAM Membership did contain thiscorrect verbiage. This heading will be corrected in the online version of the 2010 CAMBuyers Guide, and in future printed editions of the CAM Buyers Guide. CAM regrets anyconfusion this may have caused.

Mar 1-17_Dec 2/17/10 12:14 PM


AIA and TOTO USA AnnounceStrategic Partnership

In an effort to provide members withgreater access to cutting-edge decision-making tools for their practice, the AmericanInstitute of Architects (AIA) recentlyannounced an agreement with TOTO USA,Inc., as part of the Strategic PartnershipProgram. This initiative will be limited toeight companies that closely align with theInstitute’s strategic initiatives and mission.These select companies will be able todemonstrate how their products and servicescan better support the more than 86,000 AIAmembers.

The Strategic Partner Program is designedto provide unique collaborative opportu-nities and promotional rights with the AIA toa select group of industry leaders. The AIAand TOTO USA have agreed to partner in theareas of thought leadership that aredemonstrated strengths of TOTO globally:innovation, technology, sustainable practices,and socially sustainable design defined as theconfluence of green and universal designs. Inaddition to the turnkey benefits of theprogram, AIA staff will work with TOTO USA todevelop new knowledge resources,education, and cutting-edge industryprograms that will benefit AIA members.

“In terms of Strategic Partners, we arelooking for industry leaders who exhibit theprinciples of triple bottom line thinking as acore business value,” said AIA Executive VicePresident/CEO Christine McEntee. “TOTOUSA’s dedication to innovation, quality, value,ecology and design is the reason we wereinterested in creating this relationship.”

Added Lenora Campos, Ph.D., TOTOspokesperson, “TOTO looks forward to thisunique opportunity to collaborate closelywith the leaders in the architecturalcommunity. Passionately committed toinnovation as a company, our goal always is toadvance thought to generate improvementand progress. For example, our partnershipwith AIA will enable TOTO to offer insightsand education gained from the concentratedresearch and testing conducted at ourUniversal Design Research Center in Japan,the only one of its kind.”

United by common principles, the AIA andTOTO USA have a unique opportunity toposition social sustainability and high designas an industry standard for 21st-centuryarchitectural design. Through the AIA’seducational and promotional channels, TOTOUSA will be able to educate architects andothers in the building community aboutscientific breakthroughs the company offersin the US market. For example, HYDROTECT, arevolution in the field of photocatalysts, isone such breakthrough. The super-hydrophilic photocatalysis of these coatingsoffers three primary benefits for both interiorand exterior surfaces. They clean the air byremoving pollutants from the atmosphere,and they create surfaces that are both self-cleaning and anti-microbial. EPA certificationis in progress for these anti-fungal and anti-algae coating.


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The City of Farmington Hills’ current City Hall revitalizationoffers a fresh angle on municipal buildings. A triangularspine slicing through a rectangle, both placed onopposing diagonals, creates a building of fresh and variedangles. A series of steeply sloping roofs add to the layered

effect. Obviously, the building’s irregular geometry is far morechallenging to construct than your basic square box. ContractingResources, Inc., Brighton, is more than equal to the task of turningthe design of Lindhout Associates Architects, PC, also of Brighton,into a signature structure of steel, glass and brick.

David Richardson, LEED AP, Lindhout director, explains the firm’sdesign concept: “The geometry creates a form which both opensthe space up to the daylight and the city government up to thepublic. The addition is rotated in order to harvest more daylight; theexisting part of the building will have new skylights and windows.As the building is like a plant reaching toward the sun, the groundsource wells form the roots of the heat pump system, which bothheats and cools the building.

“The angled spine houses an atrium, extending toward theintersection of 11 Mile and Orchard Lake Roads to form a stronger

O N T H E J O B S I T E

A Fresh Angle on the

Traditional City Hall

By Mary E. Kremposky, Associate Editor

PHOTO BY MARCI CHRISTIAN

Mar 1-17_Dec 2/17/10 12:14 PM


connection with the community. At the prow of the atrium is acommunity display area that will feature work by local artists andstudents, and have a flat panel display showing what ishappening in the auditorium.”

Clearly, community and sustainability are pivotal in this CityHall revitalization that is breaking new ground as a municipalbuilding going for LEED Gold. With a set of solar panels and a liveroof over City Council chambers, the local government ofFarmington Hills may be inspired to think “green” in all itsdecisions. Sustainable building systems will envelop residentsand visitors from the moment of arrival in the parking lot to theirentrance into municipal offices. Pulling into the north parkingarea, visitors will drive over a geothermal or geo-exchangeheating and cooling system reaching 285 feet below grade andthen park atop a pervious pavement system. Once inside, theview through expansive glass curtain walls will reveal pockets oflarge Oak and Beech trees carefully protected duringconstruction. Exterior light shelves on clear glass curtain wall willdeflect more natural light into the interior of the City Hallexpansion.

GOING FOR THE GOLDThe project is a study in the “green” technologies sprouting on

jobsites across the country. The vertical geothermal system has40 wells containing over 5.5 miles of 2-inch pipe that coil throughthe ground below the entire north parking lot. The system willsupply all of the building’s heating and cooling, erasing thefacility’s need for natural gas, said Bradley E. Barnard, superin-tendent for Contracting Resources. In an ideal world, a perfectlyclean energy source would be a geothermal system combinedwith a renewable energy source to power the heat pumps.

A discounted electrical rate for heat pump operation andfederal stimulus dollars for the ground source system made thegeothermal system affordable. According to the websitewww.StimulusWatch.org, the American Recovery andReinvestment Act (ARRA) released approximately $791,300 to theCity of Farmington Hills in the form of an Energy Efficiency andConservation Block Grant. “It was a great use of ARRA money thatwas put directly into the hands of local contractors,” saidRichardson.

Seeking alternative approaches to common systems is all partof a “search and rescue operation” for the globe. For water quality,a pervious pavement system blankets a swath of the city hall’snew brick paver-blanketed parking lot. According to Barnard,stormwater penetrates porous gaps between the rows andpercolates through three layers of different-sized aggregateplaced in a four-feet deep cut. “In addition to the gaps betweenthe bricks, a small diamond shape area near the corners createsmore area to accept the stormwater,” said Barnard. “Thestormwater slowly trickles rather than gushes into the storm linesas a way to prevent flooding downstream.” Plus, two rain gardenswill slow the rush of stormwater and grace the site with moregreenery.

The city hall revitalization will also feature a series of “green”roofs and will be wrapped in an efficient cloak of insulation. “Roofplanters from LiveRoof LLC, Spring Lake, will cover most of theaddition,” said Richardson. “The product will help slowstormwater runoff, extend the life of the roof membrane, andminimize heat gain in the summer.” DOW’s Thermax wall system,a highly efficient insulation system that provides a continuousbarrier across the metal studs, is the insulation of choice for this

municipal expansion. As the exterior metal stud subcontractor,Brinker Team Construction, Detroit, “was very happy with thissystem’s installation as well,” added Richardson.

Exploring new systems is paired with conserving existingmaterials in this LEED-registered project. With its system of separatedumpsters, Contract Resources had diverted about 93 percent ofmaterials from a landfill by late December 2009. “Site demolitiongenerated a great deal of concrete debris that was shipped to acrushing plant in the initial phases of the job,” said Barnard. “We alsodiverted masonry debris from the brick veneer installation.”

As the job progresses, one recycling constraint is the region’sundeveloped recycling infrastructure, said Barnard. Nearbyrecycling opportunities shrink as the debris stream switches togeneral waste, such as drywall. “There isn’t any place close to takesome of these items, such as the plastic irrigation piping weuncovered during demolition,” said Barnard.

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The 29,000-square-foot addition is an intricate puzzle of a buildingcomposed of six different sections marked by strong angles and varied heights.

B & A Steel Co., Inc., Chesterfield, erected the structural steel for thisangular building’s hybrid block and steel frame structure.

Mar 1-17_Dec 2/17/10 12:14 PM


Another constraint is theingrained habit of simplytossing debris into adumpster. “We make sure thatdebris is diverted properly andplaced in the right dumpster,”said Barnard. Beyond jobsitemonitoring, LEED and itsrequirement for proper debrissegregation is a contractualobligation for all subcon-tractors. “Obtaining LEEDcertification is a team effort,”said Barnard. “Everyone’s goalis to get the gold.”

AN EXERCISE IN ADVANCEDGEOMETRY

The 29,000-square-footaddition is an intricate puzzleof a building composed of sixdifferent sections marked bystrong angles and variedheights. Piecing together thisensemble of angular sectionswas an exercise in advancedgeometry. “With so manyangles, it is more challengingto visualize how a detail isactually going to cometogether, and it is morechallenging to holdeverything plumb,” saidBarnard. “Everything in theCity Council chambers has anirregular angle. Fortunately,every angle is either 45degrees or 22.5 degrees,which helps to somewhatsimplify the process.”

This layered structure steps down in a series of tiers, somecapped by steeply sloping roofs in a building designed with threedifferent roofing systems. The building’s spine – the highestportion of the structure - will be capped by a standing seam metalroof and will be wrapped in translucent panels. The two mainsections descend and stretch northeast and southwest of the spine.A rubber membrane roof will cover the northeast wing, while a liveor “green” roof will blanket the larger southwest wing – the futurehome of the City Council chambers and various city offices. Soon tobe clad in clear glass curtain wall, both wings cantilever on thenorth over the lowest building tier via four-post column piers, saidBarnard. In the lower tier, small live roofs will sprout on a bricksection, called the patio, as well as on the roof linking the additionto existing city offices.

As far as exterior cladding, “the majority of the building will beeither translucent panels or a glass curtain wall system, he added.Brick will compose the remainder of the building skin, much of itclustered on the lower tier of the building. According to Richardson,“burnished block from Fendt Builder Supply, Inc., Farmington, formsthe base of the hybrid block and steel frame structure, and at thesame time is the finish for the new City Council chamber. They alsoprovided the pervious pavers for the new parking spaces. Other

Michigan-based products inthe project include SunGuardLow E glass from Guardian. “Itlets in visible daylight to helpreduce electric light needs,while at the same timeblocking out heat gain in thesummer and heat loss in thewinter,” Richardson added.Contracting Resources

launched this complex projectin early July 2009. Theconstruction manager and itssubcontracting team hadpoured spread footings,erected the hybrid block andsteel-framed structure, laidbrick veneer, and had curtainwall installation wellunderway by the beginning ofJanuary 2010 for this approxi-mately $8 million dollarbuilding. Subcontractorsincluded masonry, D’AlosioMasonry & Construction, Inc.,Farmington Hills; glass andglazing, Peterson Glass Co.,Ferndale; exterior metal studs,Brinker Team ConstructionCo., Detroit; interior metalstuds, SHS Incorporated, Novi;structural steel, B& A Steel Co.,Inc.; electrical, MAS ElectricalServices, Livonia; and roofing,Christen Detroit, Detroit.

WORKING ON A TIGHT SITE Contracting Resources and its

team grappled with theconstraints of a tight site throughout the project. The small site issandwiched between the existing City Hall, the small parking areafor the police headquarters, the close proximity of 11 Mile Road,and a protected grove of trees surrounded by a snow fence. “Wedon’t have much room between the building and the tree line towork,” said Barnard. “We also have limited room for lay down ofmaterials.”

In early April, municipal workers will vacate the existing buildingand move into the new addition. Contracting Resources will begincompleting gutting and renovating the interior of the existing CityHall. A new roof, complete with one set of solar panels, will beinstalled as well. In addition, the mansard roofing will bedemolished, the old asbestos shingles will be abated, removed andsafely disposed, and a new veneer of soldier course brick installedto match the addition’s veneer.

The shift from the old asbestos shingles to a contemporary liveroof clearly demonstrates how building materials and systems haveevolved over the decades. The future is certain to hold the prospectof even more advances in building technology and more changeson the jobsite to promote sustainability. The efforts of the City ofFarmington Hills, Lindhout Associates, and Contracting Resources,Inc. will soon bear fruit with the grand unveiling of this signature,sustainable project slated for the end of September 2010.

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and aquathermal consultant and equipment supplier Loop Group,Fort Wayne, IN, played key roles in developing the aquathermalsystem. There was also a strong effort to include Michigan contractorson this complex installation, with mechanical contractors S & JHeating and Insulation, Dewitt, and Remer Plumbing and Heating, Inc.,Saginaw, gaining valuable experience on this emerging technology.

UNDERSTANDING THE SYSTEM Geothermal systems that draw energy out of the soil have been

well publicized in recent years, but water can be an attractivealternative under the right circumstances. Conditions at SVSU wereideal for an aquathermal installation.“We had 12 acres of ponds to work with on the site,” explained

Wayne Kerbelis, principal for Peter Basso Associates. “That was a hugeadvantage for us because sinking coils into a pond – rather thandrilling vertical wells or stripping back the land and putting in ahorizontal system – is the cheapest way to provide a geoexchangesystem. We had a really good resource that was already in place, and

Green technology is changing the industry so quickly thatcontractors are now being asked to reinvent the buildingprocess on almost every job. Geothermal systems, forexample, are new enough that most contractors still have no

experience with them, but an innovative technique using the sameprinciples has already emerged as a more appropriate solution forsome projects. Instead of using thermal energy in the ground,aquathermal systems utilize water from a pond or other geographicfeature. This type of system provides an attractive combination ofbenefits for facility owners, so contractors who want to becompetitive in the future need to get their feet wet now.Many area contractors were introduced to this technology when

Michigan’s largest aquathermal system was recently installed inconjunction with the new College of Health and Human Servicesbuilding on the campus of Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU),built by construction manager Spence Brothers, Saginaw, andarchitecturally designed by TMP Associates, Inc., Bloomfield Hills.Mechanical and electrical engineer Peter Basso Associates, Inc., Troy,

M E C H A N I C A L

By David R. Miller, Associate Editor Photos courtesy of Spence Brothers

Getting Their Feet Wet

Among other benefits, the aquathermal systemat Saginaw Valley State University providedMichigan contractors with valuable experiencein emerging technologies.

Mar 18-27 Mechanical_DEC 2/17/10 12:18 PM


that helped with our cost estimates and ourexpected payback.”Another advantage associated with

aquathermal systems is easy access to thecoils. Excavation is required for buriedsystems, while air can be added to thesubmerged coils at SVSU to bring them to thesurface of the pond. Placing the coils in thethriving ecosystem of the pond requiredadditional care, but they are filled with 10,000gallons of DOWFROST SR1 that was donatedby the Dow Chemical Company. Thispropylene glycol product is generallyregarded as safe for use around people andwildlife.Water towards the bottom of the pond

holds a consistent seasonal temperature ofaround 45º F in the winter and 65º F in thesummer, making the glycol in the coilsroughly the same temperature. Heat pumpsare used to boost the temperature of thewater into a suitable heating range duringthe winter, while the cool water in the pondacts as a heat sink in the summer. The glycolis transported from the pond to anunderground vault through a series of two-inch pipelines, and then to the buildingthrough a 10-inch underground supply andreturn piping system.Unlike most heat pumps, which are water-

to-air systems, the heat pumps at SVSU arewater-to-water systems. Typically water-to-air systems require a separate heat pump andthermostat for each room, but water-to-waterheat pump systems essentially operate likecentral boiler and chiller systems, which letsone air handling unit serve multiple rooms.Older water-to-water heat pumps wouldhave only been able to boost the glycol’stemperature to around 100º F, according toKerbelis, but the high-tech units installed atSVSU achieve a temperature of 130º F with apond temperature as low as 40º F. Thistemperature allowed for a central heat pumpsystem rather than a less efficientarrangement of heat pumps scatteredthroughout the building. The heat pump hotwater output is considerably cooler than the180-200º F typically found in a traditionalboiler system, but there are advantages tothis.“You wouldn’t want to push 160º of 180º

fluid through a snowmelt system because theexpansion and contraction would be toomuch of an issue,” said Kerbelis.The 130º F hot water produced by the heat

pump system at SVSU can be used in a varietyof applications. The College of Health andHuman Services building will use the centralheat pump output of hot water and chilled

Water towards the bottom of the pond holds a constant seasonal temperature of around 45º F inthe winter and 65º F in the summer, making the glycol in the coils roughly the same temperature.

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would have been easy for us, and I am surethey would have done a fine job, but we sawthe value of giving this experience to aMichigan contractor. This is something thatMichigan contractors will need to know howto do.”The opportunity to learn was not limited to

the firms that performed on the project. Theproject team hosted an “Aquathermal Day” onSeptember 30, 2009 to provide a close-uplook at the system for anyone who wasinterested. Attendees were able to see thevault that houses the connections betweenthe pond’s coil pipes and the building supplylines, examine one of the 28 heat exchangergrids that were lowered into the pond, andeven see a demonstration of the fusionwelding process that was used to join thehigh-density polyethylene pipe. Remer Plumbing and Heating made the

most of the learning opportunity that theproject represented. Although this is thefirm’s first pond installation, Remer Plumbingand Heating performed well on a largeunderground loop installation with 80 milesof horizontal piping at another location.Consulting expertise from the Loop Groupand the installation of the system fromsubcontractor S & J Heating and Insulationalso played a key role in the completion ofthe SVSU project. Everyone involved in thisgroundbreaking project gained valuableexperience for the future.“You feel a little more comfortable doing a

job like this after you get one under yourbelt,” said Mark J. Katz, vice president ofRemer Plumbing and Heating.

water to provide underfloor heating, air sideheating and cooling, building entryway snowmelt, and domestic hot water heating. Inaddition, the SVSU water-to-water heat pumpsystem can produce chilled water and hotwater simultaneously year round.The SVSU project provided an opportunity

for many Michigan contractors to gainvaluable experience on many cutting-edgesystems.

BUILDING MICHIGAN CONTRACTORS Finding contractors with the necessary

skills to perform the job emerged as a keyproject challenge, especially given the size ofthe system and a strong desire to provideopportunities for Michigan contractors.“Nothing of this size has even been built in

Michigan before,” said Brian Keeler, LEED AP,project manager for Spence Brothers. “Allareas of the pond that were deep enough fora grid received one. We needed to have thegrids sunk in the proper locations, so weneeded a contractor who had experiencesinking grids and controlling them as theysubmerged underwater to the exact locationrequired.”The project team went to extraordinary

lengths to include Michigan contractors, eventhough no bidders had an ideal blend of skillsand experience. Representatives fromSpence Brothers met with several contractorsto encourage them to submit a bid.“We didn’t limit the bids to Michigan, but

we made sure that Michigan contractorsknew that they were wanted on the project,”said Keeler. “Hiring an out-of- state contractor

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Glycol is transported to this concrete vault, which was buried after this photo was taken, through aseries of two-inch pipelines. The vault is connected to the College of Health and Human Servicesbuilding by a 10-inch underground supply and return piping system.


REMERPlumbing, Heating &

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SVSU Health Science building and geothermal pond.

SVSU Health Science building addition.

SVSU Health Science piping from the building to the pond for heating and cooling.

SVSU Health Science heating & cooling grids for the building to be submerged into the pond.



unnecessary, merely resulting from apredictable drop in temperature rather thanan actual need for more heat. Every cycleburns costly fuel, emits CO2, and allowsvaluable heat to escape out the flue during aone or two minute purge cycle that allowscold air to blow across the heat exchanger.Greffen Systems recently acquired United

States distribution rights for the M2G, aBritish microprocessor product that reducesthe number of times that hot water boilerscycle. PACE Mechanical Services, an Emcorcompany located in Madison Heights, is theexclusive Michigan installer for this uniquedevice that applies proven algorithms toallow the temperature to drop below typicalset points only at times when this can bedone without impacting the system’s abilityto deliver necessary heat inside the building.The M2G essentially acts as a cruise control,replacing the stops and starts that plaguemost hot water boilers with more efficientcycling that is analogous to steady highwaydriving.

Hot water boilers have been acomfort heat mainstay for years.Simplicity is a big factor in theirappeal. Water is heated and the

heat is transferred to other media to warmthe air in a building. There are fewopportunities for inefficiencies to creep intosuch a simple system – that is until you factorin the environmental complexities that areinherent inside any occupied facility.Water needs to be kept hot in order for the

system to work. Water inside the boiler willgradually cool, but a number of factorsincluding colder ambient temperatures orsimply turning up a thermostat will hastenthis process. An increased number of warmbodies inside or thermal gains from brightafternoon sunshine can have the oppositeeffect as the day wears on. Boilers need to beset to meet peak demand on the coldestconceivable day to reliably provide warmth,so most boilers are set to cycle anytime thewater temperature falls below a certainnumber. Many of these cycles are

M E C H A N I C A L

By David R. Miller, Associate EditorPhotos courtesy of Greffen Systems

for Hot Water Boilers

Cruise Control



HOW IT WORKS Temperatures inside a boiler drop for two

reasons: real calls (heavy load) and false calls(also called light load or standing loss). Ifheat is drawn away from the boiler becauseof an actual demand for heat inside thebuilding, the result is a real call. False callsoccur when temperatures drop simplybecause the outside air is cooler. Amechanism that fires the boiler when thewater drops to a preset temperature willreact to these temperature drops, eventhough there is no real demand foradditional heat.“Basically, the M2G is a microprocessor

that uses algorithms developed by boilerpeople in Europe,” said Len Zera, regional

sales director for Greffen Systems. “Itreduces the number of times that a boilercycles by learning its thermodynamics, so itcan differentiate between real and falsecalls.”Boiler control mechanisms that only

monitor temperatures inside the boilercreate a very limited picture of what may becausing temperature changes. In addition toinside temperature, the M2G measureswater temperatures at the inlet and outlet ofthe boiler. It also tracks another vitalvariable that aids in its understanding of thebuilding’s thermodynamics.“The two sensors don’t only measure

temperature, they measure temperatureover time,” said Don Lawson, servicemanager for PACE Mechanical. “Instead ofproviding a photograph to work with, theygive the M2G a movie.”If a picture is worth 1,000 words, a moving

picture must be worth infinitely more, as thereal world applications of the M2G clearlydemonstrate.

REAL RESULTSOver 4,000 M2G units have been sold in

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Hot water boilers equipped with the M2Gmicroprocessor fire 30-50 percent less frequently without sacrificing performance.



acceptable inside the boiler, but this couldbe a concern for experienced boileroperators.“When you widen the variance, two things

can happen,” admitted Zera. “If it gets toohot, you have a lot of extra heat loss fromoverheating the water. If you let thetemperature get too low, you won’t deliverenough heat to the building.”Overheating the water is not a factor with

the M2G because the system cycles 30-50percent less frequently, but the unit alsokeeps the water from getting too cold bydeveloping an understanding of thethermodynamics of the building. It only letsthe water temperature drop below 160º Fwhen this action will not result in an inabilityto meet the heating requirements of thebuilding. Once the M2G is installed, it needsno maintenance to operate; it simply learnswhen it can let the boiler cool down withoutsacrificing performance.“You install it, walk away, check your bills

and save money,” said Zera.That kind of cruise control makes for a

smooth ride that any facility owner can livewith.

the United States. Still, there have beenseveral Michigan applications, includingSysco Foods in Canton, the Nisbet Buildingat Michigan State University (MSU), andMound Correctional Facility in Detroit.These early forays into Michigan’sdemanding climate have gone well, withSysco Foods experiencing a 17 percentsavings leading to return on investmentwithin 10 months. MSU is poised to have asimilar experience, as the M2G controlledboiler is providing heat for the NisbetBuilding and being tasked with thedemanding work of melting snow and ice onwalkways.Even though the M2G has performed well

in these applications, there are undoubtedlysome skeptics. When a real call results in aquick temperature decline, boilers equippedwith the M2G, or with standard controlequipment, will cycle. If the drop is moregradual, the result of a false call, the M2Gmay wait a few minutes before firing at thesame preset temperature, or it may even letthe temperature fall several degrees lower.M2G essentially widens the variance intemperatures that are considered

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G R E E N P R I N TF O R T H E F U T U R E

GreenPipe Pumps anEnvironmentallyFriendly System Intothe U.S. Pipeline


piping system inert and non-reactive. Thisstability means the system does not leach,release or remove any substance from fluidsflowing through the pipeline. “NSF hasconducted water purity tests,” said Brock. “Ifyou put clean water in, you get clean waterout. “This product is just a small contribution to

cleaning up the environment, but it is acontribution,” said Brock. “It doesn’t add or takeaway from anything piped through it. Youdon’t get a metallic or plastic taste. It is smelland taste neutral.” Aquatherm piping systems have two other

vital properties. First, the opaque pipingsystem doesn’t support microbial growth.Secondly, in the event of a fire, the burningpipe will only emit water vapor and carbondioxide, said Brock. Redpipe Industriesdistributes a sister Aquatherm product calledFirestop, a fire protection pipe that is currentlybeing reviewed by Factory Mutual andUnderwriters Laboratory for approval. The complete Aquatherm family of pipes

includes the Fusiotherm system, suitable for alltypes of potable water systems; theClimatherm system, pipes for chilled and hotwater systems, also made of fusiolen that havethe general advantages of the PP-R pipe butoffer higher volumetric current values due tosmaller wall thickness; and RedPipe, the fireprotection pipe. At the end of its product cycle, Aquatherm

piping systems can be “ground, melted andreutilized for various applications, such asmotor-protections, wheel linings, laundrybaskets and other kinds of transport boxes,”according to the manufacturer’s literature.“There are no polluting substances with PP-R(80), either in its processing or in its disposal.”

more energy than the original installation. Aquatherm publishes a LEED Reference

Guide on its website (www.gpi-usa.com). Thedocument is a practical guide for applyingAquatherm piping system to the LEEDcertification program. The current editionfocuses on major strategies that addressseveral credits at once, earning a number ofpoints by implementing one large innovation.

A TASTE-NEUTRAL PIPING SYSTEMManufactured in Germany, the Aquatherm

piping system is 97 percent purepolypropylene with an additive share below 3percent. Technically, the piping system uses anenvironmentally friendly raw material calledfusiolen® PP-R 80. With connectionsassembled with fusion technology and pipesconnected by fusion welding, the use of glues,solvents, solders, cements and adhesives areeliminated, further reducing the presence ofdeleterious substances. “Our unique fusionprocess creates a joint of solid polypropylenewithout the need for cleaners, solders oradhesives,” said Brock.Aquatherm’s composition renders the

The Great Recession didn’t slow thegrowth of a “green” piping systemmanufactured by Aquatherm. In fact,GreenPipe Industries, LLC, a regional

Aquatherm distributor for Michigan, Ohio andIndiana, grew by about 10 percent in 2009,according to Jim R. Brock, sales engineer for theMentor, OH-based firm. This buried treasure of apiping system is a 100 percent recyclable, purepolypropylene pipe with a high R-value andsolid performance and energy-efficiencycharacteristics. Aquatherm has even earned afood grade rating from the National SanitaryFoundation (NSF), because the inert pipingsystem doesn’t react with any of the fluidsflowing within its three layers of extrudedmaterial.According to Brock, Aquatherm

performance characteristics can aid the causeof energy efficiency and the quest for LEEDcertification. The system’s low friction co-efficient – meaning fluids flow very easilythrough the pipe – permits a reduction inpump sizes. “Because the friction factor is verylow, you may be able to reduce your pumpsizes and still obtain the same flow,” said Brock.This ability can be part of a project’s LEEDstrategy, for a smaller pump requires lessenergy. As another performance advantage, hard

water deposits do not accumulate within theAquatherm piping system. “It is corrosion andscale resistant to prevent the clogging of thepipe and valves,” said Brock. “Without thebuildup of deposits, Aquatherm alwaysmaintains the same diameter over time, savingthe pump from working harder to get thesame amount of fluid through the pipe.”Because the pump will always labor at thesame level, the system will never consume

M E C H A N I C A L

By Mary E. Kremposky, Associate Editor

Unique fusion process creates a joint of solidpolypropylene without the need for solders oradhesives.



the pipe very quiet. You don’t hear waterrunning through or other mechanical noises,which is important in a school for the students’concentration.”Aquatherm is expanding its distribution

network. According to Brock, shippingoriginates from near Cleveland or Port Huron,allowing southeastern Michigan projects totake advantage of the LEED credit for usingmaterials within 500 miles of the jobsite. Brock lists other features and benefits of the

Aquatherm piping system: the system has a10-year warranty on materials, labor andincidental damage; a 50-year rating on pipesand fittings; and a $6 million insurance policyper incident. “It is resistant to chemicals, hasleak-proof connections, seamless jointsstronger than pipe, and is lightweight for easyhandling,” he continued. “Plus, it is able topressurize and run fluid within one hour.” Aquatherm pipe is currently certified to NSF

51 and 61 for use with food, beverages anddrinking water, ICC ESR-1613, ASTM F2389,2023 and D 635. Please visit www.gpi-us.com for more information.

and the partial geothermal system,” said Brock. “Many of our projects are commercial,”

added Brock. “We are currently quoting a jobfor a wastewater treatment plant.” Brock’sfuture plans for GreenPipe include breakinginto the medical, food handling, and educationmarkets.

AN EXPANDING DISTRIBUTION NETWORKAvailable in diameters ranging from 3/8ths

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from its own three-layer extruded system.“There is an outer and inner layer of purepolypropylene,” said Brock. “The middle layeris polypro with fiberglass reinforcement toincrease the pipe’s thermal resistance toexpansion and contraction. This layer alsoadds some of the R-value, which also makes

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approved in the United States since 2005, saidBrock. As a distributor in business for threeyears, GreenPipe has supplied compressed airand cold water supply for a thermal or steamplant in Cleveland, a compressed air system fora commercial laundromat, and a glycol line fora major food supplier’s ice melt system, as wellas many other applications. GreenPipe is currently supplying systems for

a private, upscale residence in northernOakland County. The home is one of the firstresidences in the country seeking registrationfor LEED Platinum. “GreenPipe pretty much tiesall the systems in the house together,including the solar hot water heating system



reused an 110,000-gallon tank from theformer plant for the storage of on-sitestormwater, ultimately using the water toflush the new basin and to help the entiresite achieve zero stormwater discharge.Capping off the project, the planting ofnative prairie grass and wetland mitigationturned this former nuisance site into apleasant expanse, easily blending with theleafy vista of the nearby Lower HuronMetropark. Clearly, this installation required expert

navigation around an array of siteconstraints, ranging from carving a deepexcavation on a small site to excavating in

protect waterways through the preventionof sanitary sewer overflows (SSO). The unofficial motto of this cost and

environmentally conscious undertakingcould have been Reduce, Reuse and Replant.Taylor-based Wade Trim’s cost-effectivedesign of this sanitary sewer equalizationsystem reduced the size of the new basin, inpart, by making use of existing sewer lines.“The project even reused components of anold wastewater treatment plant abandonedon the site nearly 40 years ago,” said GregSvabik, project manager for Walbridge,Detroit, the general contractor for thesecond of two project contracts. The project

Alight dusting of snow blankets thestaircase of earth forming the sides ofa 50-foot-deep mass excavation.

Merlyn Contractors, Inc., Novi, sculpted aseries of stepped tiers over the course of anunpredictable Michigan winter, managingthe excavation of Van Buren Township’s newequalization basin with the same precisionas the cut terrace of clay and sand chiseledinto the site near Hannan and WabashRoads. As excavation and site utilitiessubcontractor, Merlyn and its convoy ofexcavators cleaved the earth to plant theseeds of an award-winning wet weatherproject created to block flooding and

E X C A V A T I O N /S I T E W O R K

By Mary E. KremposkyAssociate Editor

Photos Courtesy ofWade Trim

Mar 28-33 Excavation_March 2010 2/17/10 10:37 AM


close proximity to the reused tank. “One ofmany constraints was excavating below andnext to the retained portion of the oldwastewater treatment plant structure,” saidRobert Solway, president of this experiencedearthwork firm established in 1990. Merlyn’slengthy roster of accomplished LEEDprojects includes the Blue Cross Blue Shieldof Michigan parking structure in downtownDetroit, a corporate expansion and pondremediation for Delta Dental in Okemos, andthe conversion of a former power plant intothe Accident Fund Headquarters in Lansing.The firm’s accomplishments also include theexcavation and site utilities contract for theupgrade and expansion of a wastetreatment facility for the YpsilantiCommunity Utilities Authority. Walbridge steered the project around

another series of obstacles, includingrerouting an existing drainage ditch nearthe basin excavation. The soil of the site alsoyielded several unexpected discoveries,ranging from an abandoned fuel tank to athreatened wildflower. “The abandoned fueltank had to be properly abated andsurrounding soil monitored for any possibleremaining fuel,” said Svabik. Of the rare wildplant, David Nummer, PE, Wade Trim projectengineer, added, “Although the Goldenseal, athreatened wildflower, was not in the activeconstruction site, fencing was installed toprotect the plant.” This demanding project contained

innumerable challenges wrapped into twoseparate contracts. Executed by Six S, Inc.,Waterford, Contract 1 consisted of threemiles of 16-inch force main and a 3,000 gpmpump station, said Nummer in a writtenstatement. Managed by Walbridge, Contract2 focused on construction of the 1.3 milliongallon equalization basin and two forcedmains. The entire $11.3 million projectearned an American Council of EngineeringCompanies of Michigan EngineeringHonorable Conceptor Award and anAmerican Public Works Association-Michigan Chapter Project of the Year Awardin the Environment category for projectsranging from $10 million to $100 million.

A SYSTEM OUT OF BALANCEThe project’s mission was to expand the

capacities of Van Buren Township’s sanitarysewer system, for when Old Man Wintermelted or heavy rains fell, the aging systemdid not have the capacity to handle theinflux. Any overflow carried the potential foroverburdening the subterranean web ofwastewater infrastructure connecting a

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treatment constraints can be addressed by optimizing existingcollection system capacity and providing additional capacity withflexible, small storage facilities instead of building new, largefacilities,” Nummer added.

A BACKYARD FOR BACKFILLMerlyn was on site for the duration of the yearlong project, first

razing the site and leaving a blank expanse of earth for the massexcavation of the 90-foot-wide by 200-foot-long basin. Twoexcavators worked in tandem, the one placed in the very depths ofthe mass excavation transferring its load to another positioned at ahigher point to more easily transfer the spoils to a waiting convoy oftrucks from John D. Osborne Trucking. For safety, Merlyn carved the deep excavation with stepped tiers

and a suitable angle of repose stretching back almost 50 feet fromthe actual basin footprint. The angle of repose, coupled with othersignificant site constraints, left little room for stockpiling the 20,000cubic yards of backfill and topsoil that needed to be reserved from“the big dig” of over 40,000 cubic yards of western Wayne Countydirt. A local property owner opened his nearby field for temporarysoil storage, offering a sound alternative to hauling and storing thesoils at a distant location. “We stockpiled the topsoil to be reused onsite and a portion of the backfill on an adjoining rented piece ofland,” said Solway. This accommodating neighbor eased some of the strain of winter

number of communities across Southeast Michigan. According to Nummer, the Van Buren Township system is located

upstream of three separate wastewater transport and treatmentsystems: the North Huron Valley/Rouge Valley System, the SouthHuron Valley Utility Authority, and the Downriver Interceptor System.Because of its pivotal location, the township’s aging sewers leftresidents, downstream communities, and regional waterwaysvulnerable to sanitary sewer overflows. Wade Trim’s design offered acost-effective solution that accommodated the township’s flowswhile meeting their contract capacities for discharging into thesethree regional wastewater systems. Basically, fixing the problemupstream prevents potential problems downstream. In this cost-effective design, the basin, force main and pump

station work in concert with existing sewer infrastructure to keepwaterways clean and basements dry. “Wade Trim engineersdeveloped a hydraulic model to determine how much storagecapacity was needed during wet weather and how sewage flowscould be routed through existing sewer pipes to use availablecapacity in each transport system,” said Nummer. “…A series ofdiversions were installed in existing sanitary sewers to distributehigh wet weather flows among the three systems’ available capacity,bringing the overall system into balance and ultimately sendingabove contract capacity flows to the equalization basin fortemporary storage.“This project demonstrates that wet weather transport and


New design criteria, based on expected future performance of SSOcontrol rather than a hypothetical 25-year design storm, was developed with MDEQ to determine the equalization basin’s storagevolume, resulting in a cost-effective solution that meets regulatory objectives.

A three-mile force main constructed through urban and environmentally sensitive areas, connects the North Huron Valley/RougeValley system to the Downriver system and basin, providing more in-system storage capacity for wet weather flows.



construction, a season often impacted bystate requirements for reduced load limitson trucking during freeze-thaw periods. “Wecan only haul half loads during thoseperiods, which decreases efficiency,” saidSolway. But winter excavation was a benefitto the residents living across the road. “Allmajor basin excavation and concrete pourswere performed in the winter months tohelp alleviate residents’ concerns aboutconstruction impacts, such as dust,” saidNummer.

TAMING A RIVER OF STORMWATERAs a whole, “tight site constraints on the

basin site posed by the former wastewatertreatment plant infrastructure and by anexisting drainage ditch initially limited thework area to about half of the 5-acre site,”said Nummer. In fact, the existing drainageditch ran straight through the center of theactive jobsite. “Stormwater from Hannanand Wabash Roads was sent to the HuronRiver via an existing drainage ditch at thecenter of the new building area,” said Svabik. Walbridge worked with Wade Trim and

Wayne County in the early planning stagesto discuss options and resolve concernsimposed by this river of stormwater. “In thecontractors’ planning sessions, the proximityof the existing drainage ditch to theproposed limits of excavation was the firstissue to address,” said Nummer.“Maintaining an open ditch along the top ofa 50-foot-deep excavation was not practicalor safe. Also, to maintain the open ditchduring construction would require thecrawler crane for the concrete work to bepositioned much further south, which wouldrequire larger equipment and further reduceavailable space on site.” As a solution, “the contractors proposed

installation of a temporary, 12-inchcorrugated conduit to divert the flow duringconstruction,” said Svabik. Nummer addsfurther details to the plan: “Routing the draininto the corrugated metal pipe further southon the site allowed excavation to proceedwithout pumping stormwater. The crawlercrane that supported the concrete work wasthen positioned above the pipe for betteraccess to the work area.” Although fullyenclosed during the construction phase, thefinal ditch combined open and closedportions, Nummer added.

DIRECTING THE FLOWDiverting the drainage ditch during

construction was not the only streamsubject to control. “Walbridge constructed

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40 feet below grade. “We had to use a crane,because the structure was too heavy for atypical excavator,” said Solway. “The chamber or manhole was

constructed around the sewer line and new36-inch reinforced concrete pipe wasinstalled from the chamber to the basin,”said Svabik. “The chamber has a hydraulicgate that can open and close to allowmaterial into the basin. Sensors read theelevation and flow rate of material withinthe sewer pipe to signal when to open thegate and allow sewage into the basin.”

two new forced mains designed to pumpwater from the new basin back into thesewer system once the flow levels return tonormal within the sanitary sewer system,”said Svabik. Merlyn aided the effort to divertflow into the basin during high flowconditions from the Downriver interceptorsewer connection. Renting a crane andtaking care to avoid a web of overheadelectric lines, as well as shoring a pole,Merlyn hoisted, lowered, and set a 10-foot-diameter diversion chamber around anexisting 42-inch sewer pipe located almost


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Construction of Van Buren Township’swet weather project was divided intotwo contracts both funded through

the State Revolving Fund. Wade Trim, Taylor,designed and Six S, Inc., Waterford, built thefirst contract consisting of three miles of 16-inch force main and a 3,000 gpm pumpstation. David Nummer PE, Wade Trimproject engineer, describes the workinvolved: “The force main was constructedalong Haggerty Road using open-cutmethods supplemented with directionaldrilling and jack and bore at crossings. HighDensity Polyethylene (HDPE) pipe was usedwith directional drilling, since it was the onlytype of pipe suitable for this constructionmethod. The force main depth was relativelyshallow with only six feet of cover. “The route follows Haggerty Road for two

miles and then crosses under I-94.Directional drilling was used for the freeway

crossing. Permits were obtained from theWayne County Road Commission as well asthe Michigan Department of Transportation.For about half the length of Haggerty, theforce main was placed underneath thedrainage ditch. The final mile of the forcemain crosses under railroad tracks andBelleville Lake before discharging into theDownriver Interceptor. Directional drillingwas used for these crossings.“Constructing the force main connection

into the North Huron Valley System wasparticularly challenging. This developedarea is congested with numerous utilities,including a 36-inch gas main, three othergas mains, two water mains, one sanitarysewer, and a telephone fiber optic line.Careful review of existing drawings from aprevious project as part of advanceconstruction planning enabled constructionthrough this area without any problems.”

WADE TRIM AND SIX S TACKLE FIRST PHASE OF VAN BUREN SSO PROJECT

Because of the basin’s 50-foot-depth, two excavators worked in tandem to more easily transferthe spoils to the trucks, provided by John D. Osborne Trucking.



and decidedly unglamorous part of the builtenvironment, but without this grid belowgrade, rivers would be dirtier and basementswould flood far more frequently. Cleanwater and dry communities are theblessings gained by the efforts of the expertteam of Wade Trim, Walbridge, Six S, Inc. andMerlyn Contractors.

the job. Other subcontractors on the projectincluded R.L Shekell, Inc., Wayne, the concretecontractor responsible for the placement ofover 5,000 cubic yards of concrete for thebasin; mechanical, J.F. Cavanaugh Company,Farmington Hills; and electric, DoublejackElectric Co., Inc., Royal Oak. Storm drains, sanitary sewers, pump

stations, and forced mains are the hidden

Added Nummer, “The basis of design forthe basin was very complex, involving inflowfrom three systems and maintaining outflowto contractual limits. Flow was maintainedin all three systems during the entireconstruction period.”

“GREEN” STORMWATER PRACTICESThis commendable project also serves as

a role model for “green” stormwatermanagement. The basin site has achievedzero discharge of stormwater through theuse of bioswales and the reuse andmodification of the former wastewatertreatment plant tank. Nummer explains theoverall strategy: “Bioswales were designed tocollect stormwater on the surface, filter itthrough drain tiles, and direct it into the tankbelow. After the equalization basin isdewatered, stormwater collected in the tankis used to clean and flush the equalizationbasin.” The basin itself sports a lush crop of native

grasses. “The earth-covered basin is anextension of the natural landscape, affordingMetropark users a view of a grass-coveredhill,” said Nummer. The low-maintenance,no-mow native prairie grass covers the site,promoting ground water infiltration,decreasing the amount of stormwaterrunoff, and reducing maintenance costs. In other botanical additions, “construction

activities on the basin site and force mainrequired wetland mitigation, which includedplanting native species for re-establishmentof wetland plants,” said Nummer. The project team has certainly created a

visually pleasing project acceptable to theresidences lining the nearby roadway.“Native plantings and woodland speciesscreen the facility from adjacent residentialproperties,” said Nummer. “Concerns aboutodor and noise were addressed by isolatingequipment in an earth-sheltered, reinforcedconcrete structure. In addition, the visibleportion of the control building has anarchitectural concrete stonewall finish thatis pleasing and that minimizes maintenanceneeds.“Residents also benefited from

improvements to a county drain that hadlongstanding flooding problems that wereundertaken in conjunction with force mainconstruction,” added Nummer. “Restorationwork included regrading the drain toimprove its operation during heavy rain.”Merlyn was a part of a project team who

delivered a complex and diverse job underbudget thanks to monthly progressmeetings and close coordination throughout

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Most of America’s big cities arestruggling with the slow pace ofeconomic recovery, but Detroit faces a

unique set of challenges. It is easy to forgetthat the automotive industry, which nowreceives much of the blame for the city’s woes,was once heralded for a unique blend ofingenuity and determination that still existstoday. Detroit is and always will be the MotorCity, and the early days of the industry thatdefined the city can provide valuable insightson how to turn it around.The educational opportunities that the

Thompson Educational Foundation isproviding for Detroit students bear strikingsimilarities to the early years of the domestic

automotive industry. The foundation hasdeveloped a successful programming modelwith GunnLevine Architects, Detroit, for athree-story school building and has replicatedthis model throughout the city with the sureprecision of an assembly line – yet each facilityhas its own personality and character. Byadapting existing structures to fit this model,the foundation is exhibiting the practicalitythat marked the earliest days of theautomotive industry. The recently completedUniversity Preparatory Elementary School II –Mark Murray Campus, might best reflect theearly automotive genius that permeates thefoundation’s efforts, as the structure itself is atransformed parking garage. GunnLevine

Architects and The Monahan Co., Eastpointe,led the process by which the existing facilitywas transformed to fit the new educationalmodel.

ENVISIONING THE MODEL The parking garage that was transformed by

the project team was originally designed byAlbert Kahn and was used by General Motorsuntil recent years. The New Center locationnear the Lodge Freeway and I-94 was ideal, andthe three-level design was well suited to anelementary school model that accommodateskindergarten through fifth grade by puttingtwo grades on each floor. Each floor isdesigned as a self-sustaining village with its

C O N S T R U C T I O N H I G H L I G H T

By David R. Miller, Associate Editor Photos by Justen Dippel, Gunn Levine Architects

Mar 34-39 Highlight_March 2/17/10 12:15 PM


own food service and common spaces. Anadjacent alley and parking lot were removed tocreate space for a student drop off/pick uparea, playground, and a gymnasium additionthat brought the total square footage of thefacility up to 60,000 square feet. Though theexisting structure had many points in its favor,including an orientation that allowed for ampledaylighting and a solid concrete structure thatwould accommodate almost any conceivableinterior floorplan, there were also some issuesthat needed to be addressed.“The challenge and the opportunity was in

taking a parking structure and converting itinto a school,” said Francis Resendes, director ofdesign and project principal for GunnLevineArchitects. “We not only had to work withcolumn spacing and density, but also with thecar ramps that led from one level to the next.Ultimately, we were able to utilize a lot of thatarea for mechanical, electrical and plumbingsystems.”The ramps provided room for building

infrastructure, but they could not simply be leftas is. A couple of large concrete ramps on thewest side of the building needed to beremoved to accommodate egress stairs. Sincethe ramps took up about 20 percent of the

The existing structure had many points in its favor, including an orientation that allowedfor ample daylighting, and a solid concrete structure that would accommodate almost anyconceivable floorplan.

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floor area, traversed all three floors, and were10 ½ inches thick, this was a sizableundertaking that needed to take place within afinite time window.“We had to integrate that into our schedule,

because you can’t change the end date on aschool,” said Dan Monahan, project director forthe Monahan Co. “We built in other areas of thebuilding until the drawings for that sectionwere done and approved. We were painting inone portion of the building while putting upstructural steel in the other, but everythingcame together in time for school in the end. Idon’t know how we did it, but we did.”The building was ready for the start of the

school year in September, even though thebuilding permit was not issued until April ofthat same year, yet the hurried schedule isnever reflected in the quality of the design orworkmanship. The bright, spacious interiorcelebrates the industrial history of the buildingwith distinctive columns that are exposedinstead of buried. Cleaning these architecturalgems up to display standards is one of manychallenges that the team met in bringing thisproject to fruition.

BUILDING THE MODEL Building in an urban area like Detroit often

entails having limited room in which to work.Renovating a parking deck provided a fewadvantages that are rarely experienced insidethe city limits.“Since it was a parking garage, there was a

lot of empty space in the building where wecould bring materials in,” said Monahan. “Thebuilding has large common areas in the middlewith classrooms along the outside walls, so wewere always able to stage materials in thosecenter floor areas and work outwards. We werealso able to use the gymnasium as a largestaging room.”Space was abundant above ground, but a

little harder to come by below grade. Inaddition to a wide range of infrastructure thatwas currently in use, the project team alsoregularly encountered obstacles that no longerserved a purpose, including abandonedrailroad tracks, trolley tracks, and foundations.Much of the debris was removed, but the taskof threading foundations through whatremained was further complicated by unstableclay soils with limited bearing capacity.“Abandoning the alley and building over it

was one of the biggest challenges from aconstruction and design standpoint,” saidResendes. “We had AT&T fiber optics, watermains, and storm and sanitary sewers runningthrough the alley – you name it and we had it,and that’s where all the foundations for thenew elevator and addition had to go. Multiplesolutions were needed to figure out what we

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could do with the space.”Micropiles were a key part of the overall

strategy. They have a narrower profile than thecaissons that were originally considered, whichgave the project team sufficient room tothread them through the many undergroundobstacles, but they provide the same resistancebecause of their deeper depth. The micropilesare deeply rooted in the fabric of Detroit, muchlike the building they support. Both are

steeped in the innovative spirit that definedthe industry and people of the Motor City –and both can play a role in its rebirth.

THE FOLLOWING SUBCONTRACTORS ANDPROFESSIONAL CONSULTANTSCONTRIBUTED THEIR SKILLS TO THEPROJECT:• Abatement – Environmental MaintenanceEngineers, Inkster

• Acoustic Wall Panels – IntegratedInteriors, Warren

• Asphalt Paving – Jeffrey Company,Trenton

• Automatic Doors – Besam EntranceSolutions, Livonia

• Caissons – Spartan Specialties, Sterling Heights

• Civil Engineer – George Jerome & Co.,Roseville

• Concrete Foundations – PWBConstruction, Troy

• Composite Metal Wall Panels – ExteriorMetals, Burton

• Demolition, EIFS and Carpentry –Dearborn Interior Construction, Dearborn

• Doors, Frames, Hollow Metal, Hardware,Toilet Partitions and Accessories –Rayhaven, Southfield

• Electrical – R & J Electrical, Clinton Township

• Elevator – Kone Elevator, Livonia • Fences and Gates – Harris Fence, Lincoln Park

• Glass and Glazing – Harris Glass, Redford• Gym Equipment and Scoreboards –Bareman & Assoc., Jenison

• HVAC and Fire Protection – C & L Schoen,Troy

• Interior Architectural Woodwork – Rice and Werthmann, Detroit

• Mechanical, Electrical and PlumbingEngineer – Systems Solution Consultants,Ann Arbor

• Operable Panel Partitions – AFC, Inc., Grand Rapids

• Owner’s Representative – Taktix Solutions,Detroit

• Painting, Special Coatings and HighPerformance Coating – ContinentalContracting, Clinton Township

• Plumbing – First Rate Plumbing,Metamora

• Precast Concrete – Kerkstra Precast,Grandville

• Resilient Tile and Carpet – VocheckFlooring, Sterling Heights

• Roofing and Sheet Metal – SchenaRoofing, Chesterfield

• Signage and Exterior Signage – EmbreeSign Company, Grosse Pointe Park

• Sitework – Blaze Contracting, Detroit• Stage Curtains – North Coast Curtains,Clinton Township

• Structural Engineer – Structural Design, Inc., Ann Arbor

• Structural Steel – Kehrig Steel,Ira Township

• Tile – Berardino Tile, Eastpointe

Subcontractors and professional consultantslisted in this feature are identified by the generalcontractor, architect or owner.

C O N S T R U C T I O N H I G H L I G H T



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FiberTEK FDX ModulesTransform IDEAL LanTEK IICertifiers into Cost-EffectiveAlternatives to Standard OTDRs

IDEAL INDUSTRIES, INC. has introducedits new FiberTEK® FDX Fiber Optic Modulesdesigned to extend thecapabilities of the company'sLanTEK® II LAN CableCertifiers fromcertifying coppercabling links to thecertification ofmulti-mode andsingle-mode fiberoptic cabling toTier 1 standards.

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Mar 40-48_Mar-2010 2/17/10 12:29 PM


Fypon® Enhances ShutterOfferings

Builders and remodelers now have moreoptions than ever before for adding low-maintenance, long-lasting decorativeshutters to homes. Fypon recently tripled itsdurable urethane shutter offerings andadded a new category of shutter accessoriesthat allows installers to customize theirprojects with quarter round, elliptical andtransom accent pieces.

The comprehensive line of Fypon shutterscomes in both smooth white and woodgrainsets. The solid shutters will not bow or fadeover time and are very resilient. All Fyponshutters can be painted any color or stained,and will not chip or peal, since Fyponmaterials cannot absorb water.

Raised double panel and raised triplepanel shutters have been added to the whiteshutter line options which also includelouvered shutters and louvered shutters withcenter rails. New louvered quarter round,solid quarter round and raised panel (inelliptical, quarter round and transom styles)accessory options are now available toextend the height and decorative appeal ofvertical shutters.

New two, three and four-panel arch topboard shutters are available in the woodgrainproduct line along with new three and five-board shutters. The realistic cedar woodgraintexture in these shutters complements thesouthwest style popular in homes from Texasto California.

Fypcon shutters are backed by a limitedlifetime warranty. The urethane shutters donot bow over time like some polypropyleneshutters and are simple to install.

With the expansion of the shutter productline, Fypon now offers 123 different sizes oftheir insect-resistant, all-weather urethaneshutters and accessories. An additional 18raised panel solid white window panels arealso available that can be installed verticallyfor use as shutters. All Fypon shutters aresold in sets, are easy-to-install on the jobsiteand provide long-term value to a home withminimal maintenance.

For additional information, call 1-800-446-3040 or visit the company’s websitewww.fypon.com.

HCSS Launches Equipment360Equipment MaintenanceSoftware Program

The new Equipment360™ EquipmentMaintenance Software program from HCSSenables construction companies to managetheir entire maintenance operation, thuslowering costs and increasing utilization ofeach piece of equipment.

Equipment360 tracks equipment

Lawyers Specializing In Construction Litigation

Patrick A. Facca Gerald J. Richter Bruce M. PreglerMichael A. Hassan

6050 LIVERNOIS • TROY, MI 48098

PH. 248-813-9900 • FAX 248-813-9901WWW . F R P L AW . C O M

� Contract Disputes� Corporate Matters� Lien & Bond Claims

� A/E Liability� Arbitration� Construction Claims

FACCARICHTER &PREGLER,P.C.

Troy, MI: 248.680.0400

Brighton, MI: 810.224.4330

Chicago, IL: 847.353.8740

www.g2consultinggroup.com

YOUR DIRTIS OUROBSESSIONAll of us at G2 share a single-minded obsession with unearthing every obstacle

and opportunity on your site – from topsoil to bedrock. So leave the dirty work

to us. It’s what we live for.

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G Page 1

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maintenance schedules for trucks,bulldozers, scrapers and other companyequipment. That helps the company performtimely maintenance that reduces downtime,lowers fuel consumption, avoids costlyjobsite repairs and enhances equipmentresale value. Performance metrics inEquipment360 identify unreliable equipmentthat should be sold.

The product provides an itemized costhistory for each piece of equipment and awork order management system thatprovides a framework for capturing laborand parts costs. It stores that information inan easy-to-find format. Mechanics entertheir time directly into the system, thusavoiding errors and double entry; mechanictimecards can be reviewed and approvedbefore they’re exported electronically to thecompany’s accounting system, thus savingtime and money.

Equipment360 is covered by the HCSSmoney-back guarantee that applies to all ofits software products. The guarantee has onesimple condition: the customer must take therecommended amount of training. If thecustomer decides to return the product forany reason within 12 months after thepurchase and subsequent training, the cost ofthe software will be refunded in full. Thetraining cost is non-refundable.

For information about Equipment360,contact HCSS at www.hcss.com,[email protected], or 800-683-3196.

Ergonomic SprayCan Handle

CAN-GUN®1 is apatented new pistol gripspray can tool that easilysnaps on to standard aerosol spray cans -transforming them into professional-stylespray guns with unprecedented control, forhours of effortless, pain-free spraying.

CAN-GUN1’s exclusive FullGrip™ triggereffectively eliminates finger fatigue andnumbness, wrist & forearm strain, handcramping and the chemical contact normallyassociated with spray cans during theapplication of paints, coatings, adhesives,lubricants, cleaners, and more.

Made in the USA from 80% recycledplastic, the reusable CAN-GUN®1 featuresfive customizable logo areas. CAN-GUN®1may also be private labeled and/or co-branded as well as custom colored to suit acompany's specific marketing needs. Its one-size-fits-all FutureLock™ attachment ring isguaranteed to fit 100% of all standard spraycans.

For technical specifications and otherinformation, visit CANGUN1.comhttp://cangun1.com/ or call SafeWorld at 1-541-512-2500.

P R O D U C T S H O W C A S E

Dan Thome, District ManagerMidwest District

4124 Douglas Avenue - Kalamazoo, MI 49004Phone: 269-353-8421 Fax: 269-353-8435 www.nicholsonconstruction.com

MICROPILES

ANCHORS

GROUTING

AUGERCAST PILES

SOIL NAIL WALLS

SOIL MIXING

DIAPHRAGM WALLS

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Micropiles, MDOT Riverside Drive - Battle Creek, MI

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The SE Michigan Chapter of theInternational Facility ManagementAssociation is pleased to announce itsOfficers and Board of Directors for 2010:President: Margaret St. Andre, MCR, RPASenior Manager - Auto Club Group – RealEstate Services; Past President: JasonWells, Vice President ComputerizedFacility Integration (CFI); Vice President:Vicky Lorkowski, CFM, LEED AP ProjectManager CB Richard Ellis; Treasurer: PaulGagel, Construction Manager, Real EstateManagement, Charter One Bank;Secretary: Bill Orlowski, CFM;Membership Chair: Chris Mancus, RD WeisCompany; Professional Affairs Co-Chairs:Robert Beuter, Global Manager,HAYWORTH, Inc. & Angelo Torcolacci,AIA, Senior Project Manager, NSA-Architects, Engineers, Planners; Awards,By-Laws, Government Affairs,Communications Chair: Henry Werner, PE,LEED AP, CFM Program ManagerWalbridge Facility Management;Education & Professional DevelopmentChair: Terry White, Facility Manager,Fanuc Robotics, North America, Inc.;Public Relations Chair: Cheryl Carey, SalesManager DocuStore Archives; WebsiteCoordinator: Kim Ross, FacilitiesCoordinator, Mitsubishi Motors; ProgramsChair: Daniel Hayes, Business Developer,Computerized Facility Integrations (CFI).

Navigant Consulting,Inc. (NCI), an internationalconstruction consultingfirm, announced thatDonald J. Webb, PE hasjoined its Troy office asmanaging consultant.Webb brings many yearsof experience in the MetroDetroit construction market to NCI andwill be working with construction profes-

sionals on project planning, monitoringand disputes.

Kraemer Design Group(KDG), Detroit, is proud toannounce that in 2009Ashley Latinen, interiordesigner, earned her(NCIDQ) Certificate. Morethan 25,000 individualsaround the world haveearned the prestigious National Councilfor Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ)Certificate, the Mark of a Professional® forinterior designers.

Jason Smith, AICP, acommunity planner andcommunity developmentprofessional in WadeTrim’s Detroit office,recently earned hisAmerican Institute ofCertified Planners certifi-cation by passing the ComprehensivePlanning Examination and completingmore than four years of planning workexperience.

Midlink Business Park, Kalamazoo,welcomes Robert D. Britigan III, CPM ofSignature Associates, as vice president ofoperations. In this role, Britigan will serveas the primary operations manager for the340-acre business park which includes 1.6million square feet of industrial space.

Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber, Inc.Engineers ● Scientists ● Architects ●Constructors, is pleased to announce thatCynthia C. Irving, PE, Brianne N. Rootes,PE, LEED AP,Andrew T. Peters, PE; andBrian Phillips, PE, LEED AP have allreceived their Professional Engineerlicenses in Michigan.

P E O P L E I N C O N S T R U C T I O N

O’Boyle, Cowell, Blalock& Associates, Inc. (OCBA)has announced that aftermore than 50 years ofpractice as a landscapearchitect, Robert L.O’Boyle retired at the endof 2009. O’Boyle wasinstrumental in the development of manywell-known projects throughoutMichigan. His contributions to thelandscape architecture profession earnedhim election as Fellow of the AmericanSociety of Landscape Architects in 1983.OCBA was founded by O’Boyle 1964, andcontinues to provide landscapearchitecture, urban design, waterfrontplanning, land planning, and site designservices from its offices in Kalamazoo andGrand Rapids.

Phil Rudolph Jr., Rudolph/LibbeCompanies vice president of businessdevelopment, has been appointed to serveon Toledo Mayor-Elect Michael Bell’s fulltransition team, which will offersuggestions and strategies forimplementing the mayor-elect’s platform.Rudolph’s background includes morethan 15 years of experience in sales,marketing and economic development inthe Toledo area.

G2 Consulting Group, a Troy-based full-service geotechnical, environmental andconstruction services engineering firm,recently hired Ken Schaub and Alan Scottas staff engineers in G2’s constructionengineering services groups.

An environmentalattorney for more than 20years, Saulius K. Mikalonisrecently joined PlunkettCooney, one of theMidwest’s oldest andlargest law firms, as asenior environmental andenergy law attorney in thefirm’s Bloomfield Hills office.

Jerry Brand has beennamed vice president ofLansing-based GrangerConstruction Company,where he has served assenior project managerand project director fornumerous Michiganeducational and correc-tional facility projects since joining thefirm in 1989.

Webb

O’Boyle

Latinen

Mikalonis

Brand

Smith

SPEAK UP!The Editors of CAM Magazine invitecomments from our readers.

Email us at [email protected]

Or send your remarks to:CAM Magazine

43636 Woodward Ave.P.O. Box 3204

Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302-3204

www.cammagazineonline.com

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C O R P O R A T E N E W S

Stephen Auger + Associates Architects Inc. (SA+A), a leadingmid-sized architectural firm in Oakland County, is pleased toannounce and congratulate The Lake Orion United MethodistChurch Community on the completion of their historic churchexpansion. The expansion includes a new 2- story, 14,000-square-foot Educational Wing and Fellowship Hall roofredesign and renovation.

Ann Arbor architectural firm Hobbs+Black, was recentlypublished by the AIA Academy of Architecture for Health intheir annual Academy Journal, Vokume 12, October 2009. Thearticle, A Shared Vision: Patients, Providers and Economics BeyondEvidence Based Design, looks at “collaborative approach”healthcare methods used by the founding fathers of the MayoClinic and Henry Ford Health System and how they should beapplied today. The content specifically examines the design andconstruction process of Clarkston Medical Center, a compre-hensive medical building that serves the Clarkston community.Also, Hobbs + Black has been selected by Mid MichiganCommunity College (MMCC) to design a proposed expansionto the MMCC Doan Center. Recognizing the growing need forskilled healthcare professionals, MMCC opened the originalHerbert D. Doan Center for Science and Health Technologies inthe spring of 2008.

In addition to selling certain assets of Wolverine Tractor &Equipment Company, Volvo CE has appointed Alta as itsauthorized dealer in the State of Michigan, effective January 1st,2010. Alta’s impressive service and distribution capabilities willensure that customers continue to receive high standards ofproduct support and service while presenting considerableopportunities for Volvo CE North America to strengthen itsoverall position in Michigan.

Gould Engineering, Inc. is pleased to announce the opening ofa branch office within the City of Flint where Gould wasestablished in 1916 and maintained its offices relocating toGrand Blanc Township in 1967. The firm will be leasing space inthe historic Stockton Center. This building is next to the SpringGrove Restoration project in the Grand Traverse DistrictNeighborhood, which was historically part of the ElevenSections along the Grand Traverse of the Flint River IndianReservation.

Waste Management of Michigan, operator of Eagle Valleylandfill in Orion, is celebrating the commissioning of a newlandfill gas-to-liquefied natural gas (LFG-to-LNG) facility at thecompany’s Altamont Landfill near Livermore, CA. The facility,built in a partnership with Linde North America, is nowproducing renewable fuel for several of Waste Management’sfleet of LNG collection vehicles, reducing emissions and

C O R P O R A T E N E W S

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View, print, search, and download CAM Magazine right on your computer.

is now available FREE ONLINEfor your employees, customers and businessassociates.

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providing a new way to recover the valueof landfill gas.

Benton Harbor-based WhirlpoolCorporation was recently recognizedwith the “Vendor of the Year” awardfrom the Bath & Kitchen Buying Group(BKBG) at its annual conference inDallas, TX.

Hilti’s newly renovated Hilti Onlinewebsite features a fresh, user-friendlydesign, bringing modern, faster, andeasier online shopping to constructionprofessionals. Following nearly twoyears of development, with input from20,000 customers worldwide, the newHilti Online went live for the Hilti U.S.(www.us.hilti.com) and Canada(www.ca.hilti.com) markets in December2009. Hilti Fastening Systems, Inc. islocally based in Livonia, Flint, and GrandRapids.

Contracting Resources, Inc., aBrighton-based design-build andconstruction services company, is

providing general contracting servicesfor the Botsford Hospital CafeteriaRenovations project. The 5,475-square-foot renovations involve the existingkitchen serving area and adjacent diningspace. The project is scheduled forcompletion in March 2010. The projectarchitect is Stucky + Vitale, Royal Oak.

Rochester Hills civil engineering andsurveying firm Giffels-WebsterEngineers, has announced that it has wona contract to serve as WashingtonTownship’s engineering consultant. Inthis relationship, Giffels-WebsterEngineers will provide municipalengineering services such as review ofsite plans and engineering documents forprivate developments; inspection ofprivate construction projects; masterplanning for utilities, roads, pathwaysand flood plains; design, administrationand inspection of all capitalimprovement projects such as trunk-linewater mains and sanitary sewers; andstrategic counsel at board and planningcommission meetings.

&W E L C O M E N E W M E M B E R S

BETH SINGER PHOTOGRAPHER, INC., FRANKLIN

COMMERCIAL CONTRACTING TECHNOLOGIES LLC, WATERFORD

CONCRETE SERVICES/BLACKTOP SERVICES, INC., BIRMINGHAM

CYBERTECH, INC., PLYMOUTH

DMC CONSULTANTS, INC., DBA DMCCONSTRUCTION, INC., DETROIT

ENRIGHT CONSTRUCTION,TROY

FINANCIAL PARTNERS, COMMERCE TWP.

FOCO INCORPORATED, BAY CITY

HUBBARD SUPPLY CO., FLINT

IMPERIAL LANDSCAPING, INC., LIVONIA

ISCO INDUSTRIES, MACOMB

J & R TOOL, INC., AUBURN

J K TRANSPORT, INC., HOWELL

METRO FABRICATING, BAY CITY

MICHIGAN SWITCHGEAR SERVICES, INC.,AUBURN

MSC BLINDS & SHADES, BRONSON

SOLE' CONSTRUCTION, INC., WESTLAND

TIMELESS COATINGS DBA RHINO SHIELD OF MI., BRIGHTON

VANGUARD FIRE & SUPPLY CO., INC.,GRAND RAPIDS

WATERTRAP, INC., SOUTH LYON

WIRT STONE DOCK, BAY CITY

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Industry EventsMar. 3 – ESD Alternative Energy Conference

– The Engineering Society of Detroit (ESD)Alternative Energy Conference is an all-dayconference at the Doubletree Dearborn Hotel. Itwill bring together policy makers, businessleaders and entrepreneurs who will focus on waysto achieve palpable results in this emerging field.

For more information or to register, visitwww.esd.org.

Mar. 10-Sep. 16 – ASCC Events – TheAmerican Society of Concrete Contractors(ASCC) has announced the following events:

Mar.10-11 – ASCC Regional Meeting –Embassy Suites – North, Columbus, OH

Jul. 29-Aug. 1 – ASCC CEO Forum – Ojai ValleyInn & Spa, Ojai, CA

Sep. 16-19 – ASCC Annual Conference – LittleAmerica, Salt Lake City, UT

More information is available by calling 866-788-ASCC (2722) or at www.ascconline.org.

Mar. 11-May 13 – The Metal Initiative (TMI)Webinars

TMI is sponsoring three complimentaryinformational webinars during the months ofMarch, April and May:

Mar. 11 – Metal Roofs and Walls: From (A)luminum to (Z)inc

Apr. 15 – Retrofit Roofs and WallsMay 13 – Building GreenFor more information, or to sign up for a

webinar, please call 847-375-4718, or visitwww.themetalinitiative.com.

Mar. 15-18 – Annual International Sheet MetalCompetition – More than 325 sheet metalapprentices and their families will come to LasVegas, NV for this event, hosted by the InternationalTraining Institute (ITI), which allows sheet metalapprentices from throughout the United States andCanada to demonstrate their skills. Competitors willcompete in five sheet metal disciplines includingHVAC, industrial/ welding, service, architectural andTAB.

For more information, please visit us atwww.sheetmetal-iti.org or call 703-739-7200.

Mar. 30 – SMACNA Chicago Trade Show – TheSheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’National Association (SMACNA) of Chicago willhold its 2010 trade show at Drury Lane inOakbrook Terrace, IL.

For more information on SMACNA Chicago or

the 2010 Trade Show, call 708-544-7007.Apr. 5-8 – INSTALL Leadership Conference –

INSTALL will host a floor covering leadershipconference at the Carpenters InternationalTraining Center (CITC) in Las Vegas, NV.Contractors, partnering mills and manufacturerswill join INSTALL representatives and local leadersat the event, which will include six educationalworkshops and guest speakers who will addressissues crucial to the flooring industry.

For more information, contact John McGrath at215-582-4108 or [email protected].

Apr. 28-30 – SMPS Hartland RegionalConference – SMPS chapters from a total of sevenstates will meet in Indianapolis, IN, for this eventhosted by the SMPS Indiana Chapter. Once there,they will join with a stellar collection of clients,national speakers and peers for a three-dayexcursion filled with skills development, marketawareness and networking events. Educationalprograms will focus on client relationships,communication and leadership skills, and differ-entiation planning.

For more information, please visithttp://www.smpsheartland.org.

Training CalendarCAMTEC, the training & education center of the

Construction Association of Michigan, hasannounced its 2010 class schedule. To register,obtain a class listing, or for more class information, please visit www.cam-online.com.

Date ClassMar. 2 – AIA ContractsMar. 2 – AIA Contracts +

Contracts and SubcontractsMar. 2 – Construction Contracts

and SubcontractsMar. 9 – Techniques for

Delayed ProjectsMar. 10 – Construction Industry

Technician (C.I.T.)Mar. 10 – First Aid, CPR, AED CombinedMar. 11 – Excavations the Grave DangerMar. 23 – Accounts Receivable Mgmt.

and CollectionsMar. 23 – Lien Law/Payment BondsMar. 24 – Estimating I/BasicApr. 13 – Blueprint Reading II/IntermediateApr. 14 – Construction Safety WorkshopApr. 27 – OSHA 10-Hr.Apr. 29 – Scheduling and Planning

C O N S T R U C T I O N C A L E N D A R

Ace Cutting Equipment & Supply ................24

Aluminum Supply Company

/Marshall Sales..................................................6

Aoun & Company, P.C. ......................................32

Bennett Holland & Associates ......................24

CAM Administrative Services ..........................3

CAM Affinity Programs ..................................IBC

CAM ECPN............................................................39

CAM Magazine Online ....................................44

CAM Newsroom ................................................37

C.F.C.U. ..................................................................17

Cochrane Supply & Engineering ..................22

Connelly Crane Rental Corp. ..........................31

Curran Crane, J J ................................................29

Deppmann, R.L. ..................................................27

Detroit Terrazzo Contractors

Association ......................................................19

Doeren Mayhew ................................................42

Efficiency Production ......................................33

Facca Richter & Pregler, R.C. ..........................41

G2 Consulting Group........................................41

Gwyer Reprographics ......................................32

Hartland Insurance Group, Inc.......................38

Hilti, Inc. ................................................................20

Kem-Tec Professional

Engineers and Surveyors ............................23

Limbach................................................................BC

MasonPro, Inc. ....................................................13

Merlyn Contractors ..........................................29

National Construction Rentals, Inc. ..............36

Navigant Consulting ........................................36

Nicholson Construction Company ..............42

North American Dismantling Corp. ..........IFC

Oakland Companies ............................................9

Operating Engineers Local 324- JATF............5

Plante & Moran, PLLC........................................11

Plumbing Professors ........................................25

Plunkett Cooney ................................................12

Propane Services ..............................................23

Remer Plumbing ................................................21

SANI-VAC Services, Inc. ....................................31

SMRCA ..................................................................25

TEMP-AIR, Inc. ....................................................25

Trend Group ........................................................35

Valenti Trobec Chandler Inc. ............................7

A D V E R T I S E R S I N D E X

CONSTRUCTIONCALENDAR

Mar

Please submit all calendar items no less than six weeks prior to the event to:Calendar Editor, CAM Magazine, P.O. Box 3204, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302-3204.

Mar 40-48_Mar-2010 2/17/10 12:29 PM

Members receive discounted credit card processing, no set-up fees and no account minimums.

Call Tina Allcorn at (248) 623-4430

Call William Jeffrey at (248) 723-6400

More than 13,000 copies of thiscomprehensive construction industrydirectory are distributed. Marketingopportunity through special classifiedsection. Offered online and in print.

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WE ARE THE SOLUTION

Pontiac, MI (248) 335-4181 www.limbachinc.com

Mar 40-48_Mar-2010 2/17/10 12:30 PM

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