In October 2021, mechanical contractor Stanger Industries, Inc. was selected to replace the 46-year-old chilled water system at Valley Regional Medical Center, a top-ranking hospital in Brownsville, Texas. With a tight project completion timeline of 4 months, Stanger Industries partnered with Victaulic to meet the accelerated timeline.

The medical facility’s new condenser water system included two water towers and 287 feet of schedule 40 steel piping ranging from 2-inch to 20-inch in diameter. Accuracy was paramount to avoiding schedule delays, primarily because the scope involved large-diameter piping.  The Victaulic Virtual Design & Construction (VDC) team conducted a 3D laser scan of the space to capture the existing onsite conditions, allowing the team to identify and address potential issues during design, therefore mitigating the risk of downtime during installation. Through intensive coordination, Stanger Industries was ready to assemble and install the fabricated system in early January. Before delivery to the jobsite, every pipe spool was tagged in accordance with the VDC-provided pipe schematics to boost efficiency and streamline installation. Pipefitters also found Victaulic’s grooved pipe-joining design easy to install and were able to verify proper installation visually at every joint confidently. Victaulic AGS™  products were utilized to expedite installation on 14- to 20-inch piping, both mitigating fire risk associated with welding and meeting the construction schedule.

“Victaulic put a lot of care into making the installation virtually problem-free for us” said  Garrett Lamb, Stanger Industries’ field superintendent for the project. Through collaboration and partnership with Victaulic, Stanger Industries successfully met the owner’s schedule goals and delivered a reliable cooling system that will serve Valley Regional Medical Center’s staff and patients for years. 

External Links:

Fast-Tracking a Texas Hospital’s HVAC Upgrade Using Grooved Pipe-Joining Technology, Engineered Systems Magazine