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Midstate Mechanical has sustained remarkable growth and has created a strong and valuable reputation in the construction industry. We welcome you to take a closer look inside Midstate Mechanical’s accomplishments, rewards and articles, and find out what is new.
Midstate's Virtual Construction Featured in AZRE Magazine
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
VIRTUAL CONSTRUCTION
By Kerry Duff
BIM, or Building Information Modeling, is revolutionizing the construction and design industries by increasing productivity and saving time and money in the field. BIM is a virtual 3D model of an entire building. Modeling provides the building owner and construction team the opportunity to see every aspect of the building prior to construction -- shape, size, color, walls, finish, heating and air conditioning, plumbing, electrical, etc. Each trade creates their own 3D model at the start of a project. Each model is then imported into a software program called Navisworks that analyzes the drawings to detect collisions in the project.
“Modeling detects 99 percent of the problems prior to construction resulting in reduced downtime in the field,” says Don Humke, operations manager for Midstate Mechnical of Phoenix, a full-service mechanical contracting firm specializing in commercial and industrial projects. “With the old method, the general contractor got the job then all the subs show up to decide where things went. Eventually one trade ran into another resulting in downtime, rework, re-fabricating of materials and throwing out materials that could no longer be used.”
Midstate Mechanical and The Weitz Company worked together recently on The Summit at Copper Square, a 23-story residential development in downtown Phoenix. The Weitz Company, general contractor on the project, created a 3D model for the post tension floor slabs. The model guided the construction team on where to leave holes in the floor before pouring concrete. This was an important step because the concrete had tension cables sandwiched inside that were pulled tight with a hydraulic machine after the concrete was dry to support the floor slabs. Thus the construction team could not go back later and core a hole in the floor without hitting a cable that would snap like a rubber band and fly 200 yards out the side of the building.
“BIM is a proactive approach that eliminates conflicts before they hit the field,” said Trent Mostaert, construction manager for The Weitz Company. “We jumped in with both feet to learn BIM and it has drastically changed our business. Modeling saves time and money and is safer for workers.”
Midstate Mechanical drew a 3D model of each condominium at The Summit and coordinated the electrical, plumbing, and mechanical, fire protection systems for the project. BIM allowed the construction team to go floor-to-floor looking for conflicts and then resolve them on the model before construction. It also provided the information to prefabricate all the plumbing, mechanical, fire and electrical systems for the project. For example, as the virtual model was created it downloaded information to a computer-aided pattern cutter that manufactures the duct work. For piping and plumbing, a spool drawing was produced and the parts were fabricated in the shop.
“The Summit was a tight site and we didn’t have enough room for everyone to bring their stuff down there and store it, so when an electrician or someone needed materials for a particular floor, his shop would send down all the specific parts for that floor,” said Mostaert. “Since many of the parts were prefabricated installation went quickly.”
Jon Haug, vice president of Midstate Mechanical, says the construction industry’s transition to BIM has been slow, especially in Arizona. “This is great technology and it’s going to help our industry immensley,” he says.
Midstate Mechanical is Presenting Sponsor for Goodwill of Central Arizona
Friday, April 18, 2008
Midstate Mechanical is the Presenting Sponsor for Goodwill of Central Arizona’s 2008 Evening of Goodwill. This event will take place on Saturday, October 25, 2008 at JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort and funds raised that evening will support Goodwill’s post-secondary scholarships.
Goodwill of Central Arizona, one of the state’s oldest and largest charitable organizations, strives to give everyone an equal chance at success. From its charter high schools to its workforce training programs, individuals are given the resources and knowledge to move beyond their means.
In addition to imparting a high school education and workplace skills to citizens of our community, Goodwill provides financial support for individuals to advance their knowledge through post-secondary education. Midstate’s sponsorship will help support Goodwill’s Ruth & Hartley Baker Post-Secondary Scholarship Fund. This scholarship fund has made it possible for more than 20 individuals to embark on a growth and development journey in architectural drafting, nursing, dental assistance, teaching, business management and an MBA in finance.
Midstate Mechanical is honored to support Goodwill of Central Arizona whose mission is simple: We put people to work. Donations from the community provide Goodwill stores with products to sell. Retail revenue then supports workforce programs that offer job training, education and career services to youths and adults seeking self-sufficiency.
To learn more about this event go to www.eveningofgoodwillaz.org to learn more about Goodwill of Central Arizona go to www.goodwillaz.org.
Midstate Mechanical moves up in ENR's Top Specialty Contractors Ranking
Monday, October 15, 2007
Midstate Mechanical Inc. is ranked in the Top 600 Specialty Contractors by ENR Magazine and climbing.
It's a great honor to be ranked among the world's top performing firms.
Midstate reaches 2.5 million man-hours worked without a lost time accident.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Midstate Mechanical announces three years without a lost time accident. Midstate employees have worked 1,095 days without a lost time accident.
Dave Jones was recognized as a finalist for Construction Executive of the Year 2007 by CFMA.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
The Valley of the Sun Chapter of the Construction Financial Management Association held its Annual Construction Executive of the Year Banquet on Thursday, May 3, 2007 at the Wrigley Mansion. Dave was selected because of his leadership in helping the company grow to become the fourth largest mechanical contractor in the state of Arizona. Under Dave’s dedicated leadership the company’s revenue has tripled over the last seven years. Working to stay on top of industry trends, anticipating changes in the various markets and developing company measurements for success have been key areas of involvement for Dave.
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