By: RK Energy

Modular facilities and skidded equipment are manufactured and assembled indoors, at a fabrication facility, affording companies the opportunity to produce high-quality units while decreasing costs and often accelerating the project schedule. Organizations are increasingly innovating their construction and procurement processes by purchasing modular, mobile, prefabricated facilities and equipment.

Save Time and Money

Equipment is contained within a modular facility or skidded frame that allows it to be easily transported. Individual skids can house complete systems, or multiple skids may be combined to create larger modules. In cases where there are logistical constraints, large modules are split into multiple pre-assembled units that are interconnected at the site.

An Alternative to Traditional Construction

System parts can be shipped individually and installed on-site as needed. Because the systems are built off-site in a fabrication facility, improvements can be completed at the plant site simultaneously. Skidded process systems provide several advantages over traditional construction process systems:

Portability: Units are self-contained within frames, making it easier for them to be transported. Systems can be moved to another location as needed.

Space Saving: Custom frames allow equipment layering. All of the necessary equipment is able to fit into a smaller area.

Accessibility: Skids often contain a hallway in the center with the larger pieces of hardware placed around the periphery.

Better Organization: Skids are organized into one area at the site, making on-site connections easier.

Off-site Assembly: Skids are built in controlled conditions at a fabrication facility. Operations taking place at the plant are not affected by the new system fabrication.

Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT): Testing is completed before systems are shipped. Equipment is ready to be used immediately upon delivery reducing startup time.

Maintain Productivity: Skidded systems allow facilities to remain functioning while maintenance is being performed.

Quality Control: There is a higher level of responsibility and quality control when a single party is responsible for the construction and installation of skidded equipment.

If you are interested in learning more about the advantages of modular facilities and skid-mounted equipment or systems, or if you would like a free project consultation, please contact us at rkenergy@rkindustries.com.

Denver is flourishing. Its population and employment growth are among the strongest in the nation, with the population almost tripling since 2000, according to the Denver Business Journal and the Downtown Denver Partnership. To accommodate the population and business growth, nearly $2.5 billion is currently planned or under construction in Metro Denver.

Steady Construction for the Foreseeable Future

Collecting accolades from Forbes as the best place for business and careers, and with U.S. News and World Report declaring Denver as the best place to live in the country, it’s easy to see why companies are flocking to Colorado. The city’s rapid growth means its infrastructure must quickly expand as well. New buildings have to be built and older buildings have to be renovated to keep up with the office and living space demand. In turn, construction project schedules are extremely tight with little room for error.

The structural support for these new and renovated buildings must be sturdy and stable as they are being constructed in the densely populated downtown area with heavy vehicle and pedestrian traffic. Developers and owners rely on contractors to hire experienced project teams to fabricate and install high-quality products to construct these buildings on a fast paced schedule.

Structural Steel is the Material of Choice for Commercial Construction Projects

The American Institute of Steel Construction says structural steel is the trusted material of choice for many reasons:

1. Project Schedule: Prefabrication in a fabrication shop increases productivity allowing for rapid erection on-site and a decrease in wasted materials.
2. Construction Budget: Steel costs 5 – 7{daeb8d662f58e4975bc93960761d671bdf0aa2ad049ea8a375d2717d280ef80b} less than concrete framing. Today, a single ton of steel requires less than one single man-hour to produce.
3. Aesthetics: Steel is functional and unique, with natural beauty, allowing for creative designs. Exposed steel emphasizes strength and transparency.
4. Design: Building Information Modeling (BIM) allows full integration between analysis, design, detailing and fabrication. BIM applications like Trimble are taking steel design to a new level.
5. Sustainability: Structural steel is the most recycled material on the planet and can be reused without additional processing.
6. Modifiable and Efficient: Steel can easily be modified or strengthened depending on requirements. It also optimizes building space efficiency through the use of columns and beams that allow for longer spans of open space.
7. Reliable and Predictable: Structural steel is fabricated under controlled conditions using quality control processes. Its strength is verified at the point of production, not after the material is installed.

Industry Knowledge and Proper Training Create a Reliable Project Team

Safe erection of structural steel requires a knowledgeable team. Ensuring workers are qualified, suitably trained and have sufficient experience to perform work safely must be established and verified prior to starting work. The steel team should be in constant communication with the general contractor and other trades to plan site access, equipment needs and laydown requirements. In addition, developing site-specific work instructions and safety procedures to identify potential risks is key.

RK Steel is currently working on several projects in downtown Denver including Bock A, 17^th and Wewatta, 1709 Chestnut, 14^th and Lawrence, Denver Club Renovation, Helen Bonfils Theatre Renovation, Denver Center for the Performing Arts Galleria Rails, Confluence Park Tower, 1201 Auraria and the Residence on Cherokee. RK Steel is a single source for fabricating and installing any type of structural steel or miscellaneous metals such as stairs, rails, platforms and canopies.  Do you have a project that needs a trusted, premier steel contractor to get the job done? Contact our team for a free project consultation today at rksteelestimating@rkindustries.com.

By: RK Mechanical

The healthcare field is vast and frequently progressing. As death rates decrease and life expectancy increases, people are living longer creating a demand for new and updated healthcare facilities. Thankfully, prefabrication has allowed healthcare facilities of all sizes to be built in record time.

According to The 2015 SmartMarket Report on Prefabrication and Modularization published by McGraw-Hill Construction, contractors believe that prefabrication can decrease project schedules by four weeks or more. In addition, 65 percent of contractors believe that prefabrication leads to a decrease in budget and, because of that, more than 49 percent of healthcare projects now incorporate prefabrication.

Mechanical contractors are capitalizing on this approach and are experiencing great success. Prefabrication has proved to increase efficiency through less wasted material and improve the speed of construction. Repetitive processes lead to consistency and fewer mistakes, leading to better quality products. Prefabricated mechanical systems, specific to healthcare facilities, include bathroom components or whole bathroom pods, MEP racks, wall systems and exterior elements. As prefabrication advances, new applications include modular mechanical rooms and patient and exam rooms.

Prefabrication creates safer working environments for employees. Prefabricating mechanical systems in a controlled environment means that as little as 20 percent of work is done on-site, reducing health and safety risks. And, more than one third of McGraw-Hill survey respondents using the approach say they have seen safety improve company-wide. Weather is not an issue and ladders and platforms are rarely needed. Fabrication in a warehouse and installation onsite allows multiple construction activities to be performed in parallel. According to a recent article published by Sourceable, between 60 and 90 percent of the prefabricated portions of healthcare facilities are assembled off-site.

Prefabrication is essential for operational facilities. Construction crews are able to perform work and install systems with less congestion and disturbance to facility employees and patients. Cutting down the construction schedule is also a key benefit because the sooner construction is finished the sooner they can expand the amount of care that they are able to give.

RK Mechanical has extensive experience working in the healthcare industry prefabricating and installing mechanical systems for projects including:

• Audie Murphy VA Memorial Hospital, San Antonia, TX
• St. Anthony Hospital, Denver, Colorado
• Fort Carson Soldier Family Care Center, Colorado Springs, CO
• Vail Valley Medical Center (VVMC), Vail, CO
• Swedish Medical Center, Englewood, CO
• Northern Colorado Medical Center (NCMC), Greenly, CO
• U.S. Air Force Academy Hospital, Colorado Springs, CO
• Denver Health, Denver, CO
• Castle Rock Adventist Hospital, Castle Rock, CO

Looking to build or renovate a healthcare facility?  RK Mechanical would be happy to discuss our services with you. Contact RK Mechanical at communications@rkindustries.com for more information.

By: RK Energy

The number of industries tapping into the advanced methodology of custom fabricated off-site constructed products and facilities are revolutionizing the way they are being built world-wide. From horticulture to data centers, housing and healthcare, prefabrication is a hot topic. This progression proves that regardless of the industry, companies continue to battle the same monsters: producing superior products, lowering costs and increasing productivity. These universal industry challenges make modular manufacturing and construction the golden ticket in which companies are willing to invest.

WHY IS MODULAR BETTER?

Modular and skidded buildings are built to last. These facilities are constructed in controlled conditions and engineered to comply with building codes and industry standards. Off-site construction projects are easier to manage and prefabrication eliminates the risks of building a facility on-site in unpredictable conditions. This gives companies the power to build any type of facility they need.

To learn more about RK’s robust prefabrication abilities, contact RK Energy at rkenergy@rkindustries.com.