Milestones Include One Billion Solution Installations Worldwide, Contributions to Eiffel Tower, Hoover Dam and Other Iconic Projects Victaulic celebrates a century of innovation—100 years since it was granted its first industry patent for mechanical pipe joining solutions. On its Centennial “Innoversary,” the company continues to develop and patent groundbreaking technologies, with a current portfolio of Read More
Industry News
Milestones Include One Billion Solution Installations Worldwide, Contributions to Eiffel Tower, Hoover Dam and Other Iconic Projects
Victaulic celebrates a century of innovation—100 years since it was granted its first industry patent for mechanical pipe joining solutions. On its Centennial “Innoversary,” the company continues to develop and patent groundbreaking technologies, with a current portfolio of more than 2,000 patented solutions that transform the building and industrial construction industries, while driving new industry standards in performance and safety.
From the very beginning, Victaulic recognized the importance of hands-on demonstrations and building customer relations.
In 1919, Lieutenant Ernest Tribe filed the first patent for The Victory Joint, the first mechanical bolted coupling to join grooved pipe ends. Now known as the Victaulic coupling, the invention enabled critical piping infrastructure to be installed more quickly, safely and cost effectively than traditional methods. While first devised for military applications, the coupling went on to revolutionize the construction industry.
“For 100 years, Victaulic’s reputation has been built on customer collaboration, delivering new technologies that enable productivity, and reducing risk across the construction lifecycle,” said Victaulic’s Chairman, President & CEO John F. Malloy. “Our Centennial ‘Innoversary’ is not only an opportunity to look back on our achievements, it’s also great motivation to make our next century even more valuable for our customers and rewarding for our employees.”
Today, one billion Victaulic solutions have been installed worldwide in some of the world’s most important, iconic and ground-breaking construction projects, including the Hoover Dam, Eiffel Tower, Beijing Olympic Stadium, Petronas Towers and Hudson Yards. The company’s 4,000 employees are spread among 37 branches, 13 manufacturing facilities and five foundries around the world. They proudly serve customers in 120 countries with a variety of application solutions across diverse industries, such as commercial buildings, oil, gas and chemical facilities, power generation facilities, mining operations, and municipal and clean water operations.
Victaulic broke ground in 1976 to construct its foundry and world headquarters office, on 84 acres of farmland in Easton, Pennsylvania.
Victaulic has been part of Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley business community for almost 40 years, having first been headquartered in New York City. Victaulic’s “Innoversary” coincides with current global expansions and investments that will add close to one million square feet to Victaulic’s manufacturing operations, expanding manufacturing capacity to serve customers around the globe. Set to open in 2020, the new, state-of-the-art manufacturing center in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, a 400,000 square-foot facility, is the result of increased domestic demand for the company’s products and the company’s desire to manufacture its products in close proximity to its customers. Additional global expansions include the company’s facilities in Dalian, China; Drezdenko, Poland; and Ontario, Canada.
“Our next 100 years will include more customer-centric innovation as technology grows more rapidly than ever before and we continue to make strategic R&D investments,” said John Malloy. “Our company is an exceptional place to work because of the dedication of our employees and a shared passion for customer excellence across the entire global Victaulic family.”
Victaulic will celebrate its centennial throughout 2019. For more information about Victaulic’s 100 Years of Innovation visit https://www.victaulic.com/100-years-innovation/.
New site is designed to educate, engage, and provide tools for users’ unique needs Aquatherm announced the launch of a totally refreshed, updated, and expanded website. The new site is designed to educate, engage, and assist contractors, engineers, and building owners who are considering or undertaking projects using Aquatherm polypropylene piping systems. Improved navigation, searchability Read More
New site is designed to educate, engage, and provide tools for users’ unique needs
Aquatherm announced the launch of a totally refreshed, updated, and expanded website. The new site is designed to educate, engage, and assist contractors, engineers, and building owners who are considering or undertaking projects using Aquatherm polypropylene piping systems.
Improved navigation, searchability and simplification were paramount to the update, according to Aquatherm North America VP of Marketing Barry Campbell.
“The previous version of our site was great and served us well, but it had become dated and we really needed to upgrade it in those areas,” Campbell said. “We’re confident the site will allow us to better connect with customers, potential customers, and partners.”
The new site includes detailed information about Aquatherm pipe, fittings, and parts, including the multi-layer faser composite construction available on the company’s Blue Pipe® and Green Pipe®. Other information includes applications, comprehensive design tools, and useful downloads.
Engineering resources include easy access to linear thermal expansion and head loss calculators, chemical compatibility, and downloadable CAD files.
The contractor services area of the site covers training, installation equipment, and ancillary products, and offers a quick way to find local reps and distributors.
Other key elements of the new site include easy access to a quick estimation calculator and the pressure test that is required to qualify an installation to be covered by Aquatherm’s comprehensive 10-year warranty.
The site also highlights case studies (which are now easier to search and filter) to show contractors, engineers, and building owners examples of Aquatherm pipe in action at successful projects and applications similar to their own.
“The new website is the hub that can identify, engage, and inform contractors, engineers, and building owners, while also serving as a key resource for manufacturer’s reps and distributors,” Campbell said.
Please check out the new Aquatherm website at www.aquatherm.com.
Atlanta — ASHRAE announced its intent to continue development of a standard to establish safe management practices for building water systems. Global public health organization NSF International recently transferred facilitation of NSF Standard 444, Minimizing Risk of Disease and Injury Associated with Building Water Systems, to ASHRAE to complete the standard development process and publish Read More
Atlanta — ASHRAE announced its intent to continue development of a standard to establish safe management practices for building water systems. Global public health organization NSF International recently transferred facilitation of NSF Standard 444, Minimizing Risk of Disease and Injury Associated with Building Water Systems, to ASHRAE to complete the standard development process and publish it as ASHRAE Standard 514.
Proposed ASHRAE Standard 514 will be designated as a safety standard. The committee will coordinate with SSPC 188, Legionellosis: Risk Management for Building Water Systems, to ensure there is no conflict or duplication between the two standards. Where appropriate the document will reference ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 188-2018, Legionellosis: Risk Management for Building Water Systems. The committee will use NSF 444: Prevention of Injury and Disease Associated with Building Water Systems as the base document.
ASHRAE Standard 514 will build on the foundations Standard 188 and Standard 444 have provided. Standard 188 focuses on Legionella, offering guidance on the implementation of water management programs in buildings, while Standard 444 provides methodology covering the prevention of injury and disease from Legionella as well as other waterborne pathogens, chemicals and physical hazards.
“Standard 514 will go further to address building water quality, the importance of managing safe, quality building water systems and prevention strategies,” said 2018-2019 ASHRAE President Sheila J. Hayter, P.E. “We appreciate the contributions of NSF International and anticipate the publishing of a groundbreaking standard that will help safeguard building and public health.”
Both ASHRAE and NSF International agree the standard is urgently needed to assist regulators, public health departments, building owners and health care facilities in better managing the risk of Legionella and other waterborne pathogens and hazards in building water systems and to help save lives.
“We’re focused on getting the standard into the hands of people who can use it to prevent outbreaks of Legionella and other waterborne pathogens,” said Jessica Evans, Director of Standards at NSF International. “We’re proud of our contribution to this standard and we are confident ASHRAE will be able to bring all the necessary stakeholders together to finalize the standard.”
NSF International and ASHRAE are both accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to develop voluntary standards and both are required to comply with ANSI’s Essential Requirements for openness, balance, consensus and due process. While ASHRAE will facilitate development of the standard, the actual content of the standard will continue to be developed by a committee of stakeholders from academia, public health, regulatory and industry sectors. Dozens of stakeholders from these sectors remain committed and engaged in the standard development process, including 21 voting members, 21 pending members and 95 observers from both NSF International and ASHRAE committees.
A call for members for Standard 514 is expected in early April with a 30 day deadline for new member applications.
The CDC estimates that between 8,000 and 18,000 people are hospitalized with Legionnaires’ disease in the United States each year, with more than 7,500 cases reported in 2017.
Paul Nebrasky shares the benefits of using smart technology for household plumbing Monroe, NY — Nebrasky, Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, an award-winning Hudson Valley business, recently introduced a line of smart tech plumbing services to its customers. In recent years, the plumbing industry has seen a growing trend of homeowners installing smart technology or Wi-Fi Read More
Paul Nebrasky shares the benefits of using smart technology for household plumbing
Monroe, NY — Nebrasky, Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, an award-winning Hudson Valley business, recently introduced a line of smart tech plumbing services to its customers. In recent years, the plumbing industry has seen a growing trend of homeowners installing smart technology or Wi-Fi compatible devices in their homes.
One of the main benefits of smart plumbing is that it is more energy efficient. Another benefit is that it requires its users to touch toilets and faucets less, reducing the spread of germs. Products such as Amazon Echo or Google Home, or mobile devices, can be used to control smart tech plumbing items, including showers and toilets, using voice commands instead of a physical touch.
Smart plumbing also allows users to control water usage from anywhere in the home – or the world – as long as their products are connected to a Wi-Fi network. Smart plumbing products include sensors that track daily usage and patterns, and can identify when issues such as a leak arise and send an alert to connected devices, allowing users to shut the water off entirely to prevent further damage.
“There’s so much technology out there from so many manufacturers, one of the struggles we’ve faced as a company is being able to identify the best smart products to offer our customers and understanding the intricacies of each one in order to best serve our customers,” said President Paul Nebrasky. “I live with a lot of these things, so I’m experiencing the pros and cons of smart tech plumbing firsthand.”
Despite an additional upfront cost, smart plumbing technology can save users money in the long run. The cost savings can be seen through more efficient water and energy usage as well as costs for repairs associated with leaks or faulty plumbing lines. Additionally, smart products require a Wi-Fi connection in order to properly function, so homeowners are encouraged to ensure they have a strong connection before purchasing and having smart products installed in their homes.
To learn more about Nebrasky Plumbing, Heating & Cooling and its services, please visit www.nebraskyplumbing.com.
Designed for contractors, civil engineers, landscape architects, and DIY homeowners, the app is a quick way for determining water runoff and making decisions about drainage fixes Woodland Hills, Calif. — NDS, Inc., a provider of drainage and stormwater management solutions for both residential and commercial applications, announced the official launch of its mobile app. Designed Read More
Designed for contractors, civil engineers, landscape architects, and DIY homeowners, the app is a quick way for determining water runoff and making decisions about drainage fixes
Woodland Hills, Calif. — NDS, Inc., a provider of drainage and stormwater management solutions for both residential and commercial applications, announced the official launch of its mobile app. Designed for contractors, civil engineers, landscape architects, and DIY homeowners, the “Stormwater Drainage Tools” app simply and quickly calculates stormwater runoff and determines requirements for implementing a variety of drainage solutions.
The app includes NDS’ complete product catalogs for drainage, stormwater management, irrigation and flow management. It features an easy-to-use calculator that determines runoff in gallons per minute and cubic feet of water per second as well as required pipe diameter for any given drainage need. It also includes a separate calculator for determining the number of dry wells needed for detaining collected stormwater and the type and size of drainage pipe needed based on area size and surface type, the depth and thickness of gravel backfill, and the slope of drainage pipe. The app also links to “Where to Buy” information for purchasing products.
“Our mobile app provides an easy and quick way for determining the amount of water draining from a property and the various ways water can be efficiently stored or managed,” said Sharon Vessels, vice president of marketing and e-commerce for NDS. “The financial cost of a drainage problem can range anywhere from several hundred to tens of thousands of dollars to fix a wet basement, a soggy back yard, a compromised house foundation, or a washed away landscape – which is why it’s important to spot drainage problems early and fix them correctly. With one click, our app connects you to information about drainage products and provides access to our bilingual Technical Services Team who can answer questions – via phone or email – about diagnosis and installation. We are evolving this tool based on contractor feedback and will push an update to the market by July 2019 that will include more powerful diagnosis and installation tools.”
The human health costs of poor drainage on a property can be significant:
- Poorly drained runoff from roofs can enter basements or flow inside homes through foundational cracks or leaks where it can warp floorboards and turn finished rooms into disastrous, mildewy and moldy messes that can attract insects and rodents
- Outside, inadequate or non-existent drainage from gutter downspouts can also create standing water that can harbor breeding spots for mosquitoes that carry West Nile virus, Zika virus and heartworms
The financial costs of poor drainage can be substantial:
- Drying a basement of toxic water due to poor drainage ranges from $1,000-$10,000, according to the U.S. National Flood Insurance Program
- Repairing damage to a home’s foundation as a result of poor drainage can range from $3,500 to $25,000, according to the National Association of Realtors
- Replacing a landscape washed away from heavy rains averages $7,500 and can run as high as $30,000, according to HomeAdvisor
- Soggy, poorly graded ground spells certain doom for lawns, shrubs and plants, and current estimates are that a home with a major drainage problem or foundation damage can reduce a home’s value by 10-15 percent, according to the National Association of Realtors
Two of the most common solutions for drainage problems are French drains and dry wells.
A French drain is a trench filled with gravel, rock or a gravel-free alternative containing a perforated pipe that directs stormwater away from a specific area, blocks the passage of excess debris, and collects water over the entire length of the drain instead of one particular spot. NDS offers two French drain products, called EZflow andEZ-Drain, that are all-in-one gravel-free alternatives to a traditional French drain. EZflow is available in 5-foot lengths; EZ-Drain is available in 10-foot lengths. Both products feature a slotted pipe surrounded by a polystyrene aggregate enclosed in a geotextile mesh. The aggregate increases void space for improved water flow and greater storage while offering greater structural integrity than gravel. Both products are ideal for retaining walls, foundation and footing perimeter drains, landscape drains, and sports fields.
Dry wells capture, filter and discharge stormwater into the subsoil, reducing pollutants, helping replenish groundwater tables, and managing stormwater close to its source. Used independently or as part of a larger stormwater management system, dry well units can meet a variety of project needs and accommodate higher volumes of water. NDS offers a dry well product, called Flo-Well, that holds up to 50 gallons of stormwater per unit and is a gravel-free alternative to a traditional dry well without requiring heavy equipment for installation, saving time and labor. Flo-Well is a 2-foot round barrel made of 100 percent recycled plastic materials that is easily assembled and placed into a hole. A lid is then placed on the Flo-Well to prevent dirt from getting inside. The side panels have knockouts that easily remove to allow for a wide variety of pipes to be connected.
The NDS mobile app is available for free download at Apple’s App Store and Google Play.