FACILITY MANAGEMENT ARTICLES

Outsourcing FM Can Be a Mistake
One way of ensuring cost-effectiveness in an establishment is outsourcing facility management.. But despite its numerous advantages, outsourcing facility management may not always be the optimal choice for every business. So under what circumstances is outsourcing facility maintenance a mistake?

Protecting VFDs from Overheating
The latest VFDs pack more semiconductor components into smaller form factors resulting in intense heat generation. Elevated temperatures degrade performance and shorten service life. A variety of cooling methods have proven effective, including passive air cooling with fans and heat exchangers, and active cooling with air conditioning and water cooling.

Leadership in Evaporative Cooling Towers
Evaporative cooling towers play an important role in green buildings by reducing energy consumption when they replace traditional air conditioning systems, reducing carbon footprint and operating costs. Although evaporative cooling is great at saving energy, it does consume some water but the benefits on energy savings outweigh the water usage.
CASE STUDIES

Windows Into Comedy’s Past and Future
The National Comedy Center featured Hope’s custom steel windows as part of its original Art Deco design. As a result, Hope’s Windows, Inc., another Jamestown institution, was a natural choice to provide steel replacement windows for the historic building when the National Comedy Center redeveloped the site.

Condeco Implements Office Return Solution
A multinational food manufacturer was looking to partner with a workspace solutions provider to quickly implement a post-pandemic return to office solution across ten offices. Ideally, employees could continue to work from home if they wanted but would have the facilities readily available to work from the office if required – Condeco had the answer.

Insulfoam Rebuilds Hospital Roof
A Missouri hospital rebuilds stronger after a force five tornado largely destroyed most of the St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Joplin. By using Insulfoam 15” Tapered EPS as part of the roof system on the new hospital (now known as Mercy Hospital Joplin), the resulting structure is 30% stronger than the requirements for the old hospital.

Hospital Location Embodies Philosophy
Pacific Medical Centers moved into Providence Health’s Gately-Ryan Building in Renton, WA. The building’s ease-of-use and efficiency goals extend from its layout to its design features, starting with one of the most frequently traversed thoroughfares – the doors. Often overlooked, doors can provide a key element to optimizing a space while also supporting occupant comfort.

Cooling Emergency Turns into No-Cost Upgrade
For a rural county school district in Kentucky, it started with an emergency failure of a cooling tower used with the school’s HVAC system. The old tower had required significant maintenance over the years. However, the district was hoping to delay the expense of having to replace it along with another metal tower utilized by the high school that was also nearing end-of-life.

Integrated Security System Offers Flexibility
AAU is the largest private school of art and design in the country. Since there are so many buildings and thousands of people coming and going each day, keeping track of that many was a major challenge. The campus comprises administration and classroom buildings, as well as residence halls, dining facilities, and computer labs. Effective security can often be a challenge.
PRODUCTS IN ACTION

Long Island Plumber Kicks Difficult Clog & Saves the Day With General’s Root 66®
For more than 15 years, Joseph M. Telese has trusted the portability and power of his Root 66® sectional drain cleaning machine from General Pipe Cleaners to bail him out of some tight spots. Literally.

Pfannenberg Highlights Liquid Cooling Solutions
Pfannenberg, Inc., a leading global manufacturer of thermal management and signaling technologies, highlights its high-efficiency liquid cooling solutions for industrial electronics.

FreshAir Announces Unique Smoking Detection System
FreshAir, an industry leader in the development of sensors to detect and alert for hazardous chemicals, announces its unique and highly effective FreshAir1 Smoking Detection System. The FreshAir system is ideally suited for use in dormitories and other school and university buildings.

JLG Offers New Bi-Energy Option
JLG Industries, Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation company and a leading global manufacturer of mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) and telehandlers, now offers Bi-Energy technology on its X770AJ and X1000AJ compact crawler boom lifts, reducing these machines’ noise and exhaust emissions.

Ask the Drain Brains: The Best Way to Handle Frozen Pipes
I dread winter. Every time an arctic blast moves south, the pipes freeze in one of my buildings. What method do you suggest to thaw the pipes and get the water moving again?

Cementex Highlights Arc Flash PPE Task Wear
Cementex, the safety tool specialists, highlights the Cementex Feature Series of Arc Flash Protective Clothing PPE, designed for those seeking the next level of comfort, safety, durability, and protection.