Pipe Insulation at Baylor Medical Center
Baylor Medical Center, McKinney, Texas
Project Overview
Henry Jarvis, Dyna Ten Corporation
The Challenge
Among the many tasks facing construction management teams is the challenge of effectively accomplishing a fixed amount of quality work within a predetermined time period. This challenge is compounded by inevitable and unpredictable inclement weather which can easily disrupt construction schedules due to the risk of water damage to construction materials. Such was the case at the fast track Baylor Medical Center project in McKinney, Texas.
During the early construction of this project, with the building roof and exterior walls being incomplete, rain water was collecting on several floor slabs throughout the structure. Numerous holes were drilled through several upper level floor slabs to provide outlets for rain water to drain. With the building structure in this condition, and with overhead piping having been installed and hydrostatically tested, Texoma Industrial Insulation, Inc. could not begin the installation of pipe insulation using insulation faced with standard All Service Jacketing (ASJ).
It was apparent that if installation were to begin, water damage and/or jacketing discoloration would surely occur on pipe insulation jacketed with traditional ASJ facing where paper is exposed. MEDCO Construction, Dyna Ten Corporation, and Texoma Industrial Insulation, Inc. were clearly faced with having to delay the mechanical systems insulation start-up.
Any delay in the insulation start would dramatically impact the number of insulators required to finish on time. With this in mind, MEDCO Construction requested that Dyna Ten Corporation and Texoma Industrial Insulation, Inc. find a pipe insulation product that would not be damaged by short term, intermittent liquid water exposure.
Dyna Ten Corporation and Texoma Industrial Insulation, Inc. conducted a search for a piping insulation product that would not be damaged by short term, intermittent liquid water exposure. They quickly found Knauf Insulation Earthwool 1000° ASJ+ Pipe Insulation.
- Maintained project schedule with a cost competitive product
- GREENGUARD Validated to be formaldehyde-free
- Bio-based ECOSE Technology combined with insulation that is UL Environment certified to be minimum 50% recycled content
- Low thermal conductivity glass fiber insulation contributes to long-term and highly efficient mechanical system function
The Solution
Art Navarrete, Vice President and Armando Maya, Project Superintendent of Texoma Industrial Insulation, Inc. quickly recommended Knauf Insulation Earthwool 1000° ASJ+ Pipe Insulation. "We were able to start insulating the HVAC and plumbing piping about five months earlier than we would have," said Navarrete.
Among the many highly functional features of Earthwool 1000° ASJ+ Pipe Insulation is the newest generation of all-service-jacketing which is composed of aluminum foil, reinforced with glass scrim bonded to a kraft paper interleaving with an outer layer of film which leaves no paper exposed. With Knauf Insulation Earthwool 1000° ASJ+ Pipe Insulation having been properly applied, and with any temporary exposed ends vapor sealed, pipe insulation installation can be scheduled much sooner than in the past. Such was the case at Baylor Medical Center.
Navarrete stated, "Using Knauf ASJ+ instead of standard ASJ allowed us to get started insulating much earlier and stay on schedule without having to make drastic moves to bring in additional people. We peaked at about 40 insulators working at a normal pace instead of having 70 – 80 people struggling to get on schedule."
Knauf Insulation Earthwool 1000° ASJ+ Pipe Insulation with ECOSE Technology has provided solutions toward meeting the common expectation of the owner, architect, engineer, and contractors.