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Dynamic Systems Relies on HoldRite to Increase Hospital Project Efficiency

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Overhead supports in new build.

For mechanical contractors that specialize in fabricating and installing sophisticated medical gas and process piping systems, hospital projects pose a number of unique challenges. Construction sites often have limited material storage space, timelines can be tight and complex plumbing and electrical systems can make it challenging to fit all needed components into a wall or ceiling space.

Dynamic Systems, Inc., an Austin-based mechanical contractor, finds that HoldRite’s engineered secondary pipe support and alignment bracket systems make a significant difference in their ability to efficiently meet these challenges. HoldRite products help them reduce costs and increase storage space – a win/win for Dynamic Systems and its clients.

Eliminating the Hassle of Making Trapezes

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Dynamic Systems uses HoldRite stout bracket systems to eliminate making trapezes.

Before they discovered the HoldRite® EZ-Strut™ telescoping galvanized trapezes, Dynamic Systems made their trapezes out of strut. Strut typically comes in 20-foot lengths, and takes many hours to cut  down to the one- to four-foot lengths that are actually needed.

“When we’re working on a hospital project with multiple floors,” explains Dynamic Systems Project Superintendent Denny Gosser, “we really don’t want to bring in 20-foot lengths of anything. There’s just no room for it. With HOLDRITE EZ-Strut we get an easy telescoping trapeze that comes pre-manufactured in a box of 25 brackets. Two models provide telescoping options from 12 inches to 40 inches. It’s easy to store these types of products in a building that’s already having problems with over-storage of material during the construction process.”

Making Med Gas Lines Easier to Install

Hospitals depend on their medical gas piping systems to deliver piped oxygen, nitrous oxide, medical air and more. When installing these med gas lines, Dynamic Systems uses the HHoldRite® Silencer ™ #250 and #280 variable size isolation clamps to attach the med gas line to the HoldRite EZ-Strut trapeze. The clamps prevent dissimilar metal contact by working as an isolator between the galvanized bracket and the copper tubing. The two clamp models support ½ inch – 2 inch tubing and piping, thus simplifying needed inventory from nearly 20 strut clamp sizes down to just two.

“We’ve been using the HoldRite clamps for about 12 years,” states Gosser. “They install quickly without any nuts and bolts – one piece just slides over the top of the other. It’s very fast and efficient. Plus they’re easy to store, and a lot less expensive than the isolated strut clamps that we used in the past.”

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Dynamic Systems project collage.

Read More: Plumbing Noise: Causes, Solutions and the Importance of Acoustic Isolation

Saving Valuable Space within the Wall

Another way that HoldRite products help Dynamic Systems increase the efficiency of their hospital projects is through the use of specially-engineered brackets and clamps that easily fit inside the wall while leaving room within the walls for other necessary contents, these brackets save both space and valuable construction time.

For supporting domestic water risers and med gas risers inside the walls, Dynamic Systems depends on the HoldRite #SB1 Stout Bracket®, a telescoping galvanized bracket that spans from 10 inches to 18 inches. Gosser likes the way its compact design not only fits perfectly between the studs, it also fits inside a 3-5/8 inch wall much easier than a piece of strut with strut clamps, with room to spare.

The firm also uses HoldRite #SB3 Stout Brackets for bathroom fixture rough-ins. As part of their high-efficiency approach to construction, Dynamic Systems builds entire bathrooms in their off-site warehouse, right down to the tile and paint. They then ship the completed pods to the site, set them in place and install the overhead pipes.

“The HoldRite #SB3 Stout Bracket is another telescoping galvanized bracket,” notes Gosser. “It mounts inside the wall studs so we can anchor the drop-eared 90s for shower heads. The #SB3s provides the stability we need, while saving much-needed space inside the wall.”

Speeding Up Installations and Supports for Fixture Stub-Outs

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Stout bracket installed

HoldRite brackets also help Dynamic Systems install fixture stub-outs more efficiently. The HoldRite #107-18 copper bonded brackets are used to support domestic water stub-outs, while the #114-C copper toilet carrier brackets are used to hold the stub-outs for the flush valves. Gosser finds that both are faster and easier to install than other options.

“The HoldRite #107-18 copper bonded bracket takes just two screws and two solder joints to install,” Gosser states, “and you don’t need to put any clamps on it because it’s already copper-plated so the tubing solders right to it. The 114-C copper toilet bracket just bolts to the carrier, so it’s all in one package. This really helps with our pre-fabrication work. In general, we’ve found that HoldRite products go in faster, are already pre-manufactured, come in boxes that are easy to store on the project, and are installer-friendly.”

Conclusion

Contractors who are looking for ways to increase the efficiency of their projects should not overlook the importance of the secondary pipe supports that they use. Well-designed pipe and equipment supports, manufactured by HoldRite, will reduce costs, standardize high quality installations and maximize the limited storage space available on most jobsites.

 For more information about Dynamic Systems, Inc., visit www.dynamicsystemsusa.com.