"Rules" of Construction

I had the opportunity to spend a few days in south Florida last week. It was great to get away from the cold temps here in northern Indiana and spend some time in the warmth. Next door to the condo that we stayed in was a new beachfront development. I couldn’t help but notice the construction of the new building and how much it was different (yet similar) to many of the buildings that we build here locally. It was mainly constructed of poured in place concrete, with masonry block walls and large concrete piers for the foundation. Much of this is due to the frequency of hurricanes that arise in the Gulf of Mexico along with Florida’s soft sandy soil.

Building codes are quite unique in south Florida and that is a necessity when it comes to life safety. Each area of the country has different “rules” for how you can and should construct a building. For instance, south Florida, northern Indiana and California (don’t forget earthquakes out there) will each have specific buildings codes distinctive to that area. As we know, weather differs all across the country, so to do the building codes and local ordinances.

We at PDMi have extensive building code knowledge not only locally, but across the Unites States. It is amazing how different, yet similar, buildings can be across the country. If we can be of help on your next project, regardless of the location, give us a call.

Being Efficient

Last week, Joe Humbert and I made a trip to visit a client who is looking to do some modifications to their mechanical systems. When we arrived at the building, we proceeded to the boiler room and ascended to the top of a multi-story catwalk overlooking much of the building. I had noticed earlier that our client was wearing jeans and a t-shirt (Joe and I had on winter coats, as it was a “balmy” 30 degrees outside). Once we got to the top of the catwalk, it was nearly 90 degrees up there, as the heat from all the equipment below had risen toward the ceiling. I now understand why he was wearing short sleeves! The client explained to us that they no longer use all of their boilers, as production is down a bit from its height several years ago. With that said, they would like to change out some of their supporting equipment as to be more efficient and save money in the long run.

We run into this situation often as manufacturing facilities, in this economic climate, want to be as efficient as possible to save money where they can. PDMi has the resources to come into the plant, access the client’s needs and prepare a solution that can help them save money on operating costs. Regarding our short sleeved client in the narrative above, we will analyze his current equipment and prepare construction documents for competitive bidding, which will allow them to install new equipment that better fits their current needs, saves money and makes them more efficient.

Please give us a call so that we can help you keep your business running (whatever industry it might be) as efficient as possible.