2013 Issue

39 Having fallen into disrepair after years of overcrowding, the Tooele County Detention Center in Tooele, UT, badly needed a new lease on life. T he Tooele County Commission and Sheriff’s Office worked side- by-side to provide a brand new $25 million, 72,000-sq.-ft. facility for the community. Designed with the future in mind, the cutting-edge building can ac- commodate up to 264 beds, a far cry from the previous structure’s 104 beds—a rela- tively small space that had some prisoners sleeping on the floor. As a local jail facility that also houses fed- eral inmates, the Tooele County Detention Center’s design had to focus on expen- sive state-of-the-art security technology, including touch screen doors, more than 91 security cameras, intercom controls, electronic inmate commissary kiosks and video visitation capabilities. Because of the need to save costs in other areas, design- build firmand installing contractor Envision Mechanical Inc. of Ogden, UT, incorporated Aquatherm polypropylene-random (PP-R) piping systems into the facility, helping reduce material and labor expenses. Saving Material Costs Completed in December 2011, the deten- tion center was Envision Mechanical’s first Aquathermproject, a large undertaking that went smoothly overall and delivered sav- ings. Aquathermpiping systems utilize safe and reliable heat-fusion welding to connect pipe and fittings. Because polypropylene is well suited to this joining method, the pipe fuses together at the chemical level into a single, homogenous material, eliminating seams and systematic weaknesses that can plague other piping systems. Envision Mechanical, Salt Lake City-based GSBS Architects, general contractor Sahara (Bountiful, UT), EEC Aquatherm (the local Aquatherm relocated in North Salt Lake) and Ferguson Enterprises (Salt Lake City) worked as a team to incorporate Aqua- therm’s Climatherm® and Greenpipe® systems in sizes from 2 to 6 in. for domestic water distribution. While copper was used for smaller ½- to 1½- in. piping sizes, Aquatherm PP-R systems were used for the majority of the project. Although copper piping prices fluctuate with themarket, Aquatherm remains stable and typically costs less than copper. Saving Labor Costs According to Craig Thornock, superin- tendent for Envision Mechanical, welded stainless steel also was considered. How- ever, using lightweight Aquatherm “was a lot faster,” Thornock (a 25-year industry veteran) said. “Probably 25 percent faster.” Aquatherm is high-heat stabilized, deliv- ers excellent flow rates and is consider- ably lighter than metal piping, which also curtails labor costs. Climatherm is specially engineered for hydronic, geothermal and industrial applications, while Greenpipe is designed for hot and cold potable water and food-grade applications. Freeze toler- ant, Greenpipe is corrosion and chemical resistant and has a high environmental compatibility. Resistant to impact, corrosion and seismic stresses, Climatherm piping systems are designed to last a lifetime and are available in standard dimension ratios (SDRs) — or the ratio of pipe diameter to wall thickness —of 7.4 and 11. Greenpipe SDR 7.4 (faser) is used for hot water and SDR 11 (non-faser) is used for cold water. The faser pipe contains an extruded core layer of fiberglass that increases the rigidity and working pressure of the pipe at hot-water temperatures. The SDR 7.4 faser pipe is high-heat stabilized, allowing it to handle temperatures of up to 180˚F at 60 psi. The following types and sizes of Aquatherm PP-R piping were used on the detention- center project: • 169 ft. of 1/2-in. Aquatherm Greenpipe faser SDR 7.4 Overcrowded County Jail Finds Better Value with Piping Solution Polypropylene-random piping helps Utah project save on materials, labor. By Barry Campbell PIPING SOLUTION | continued on page 40 Tooele Jail - Aquatherm Case Study