Industry Day

On Tuesday, March 17 I visited Industry Day, directly after we were dismissed from our Building Construction class. When I first arrived, the companies were still setting up there booths and equipment.

The first activity I observed was the crane performing a pick of a HVAC unit and placing it on top of two existing metal stud partitioned walls. The crane operater was from Kiewit Construction. First, he described the procedures to properly and safely perform a pick. These steps include inspecting the rigging, know the radius and the amount of weight that radius can lift, and attaching a tag line to prevent dangerous swaying of the object once it is airborn. Next, he went over the various hand motions that are relayed to the Crane Operator, which included boom out, boom in, and rise. The man from Kiewit insisted that the responsiblility of the pick was the Crane Operator, and therefore if he feels uncomfortable with the pick, it should not be done. He also noted that a skilled Crane operator should rely on the hand signals and not look at the load while the pick is being done.

The next station we visited was Trimble Surveying, where they had surveying equipment displayed. The man from this station described the exciting new technology recently introduced. This technology focuses on the flow of real-time through the internet. He explained that a drawing could be uploaded onto the mobile computer located on the equipment, producing the appropriate numbers for the current elevation and the needed elevation. This information is then relayed to the bulldozers and graders, which will automatically adjust there blades. This technology improves the procision of grading. American Infrastructure is currently the leading company with this technology.

The third station I visited was the American Infrastructure crane operator simulator. This was a very popular activity and many of the students wanted to try. Apparently, making the pick in the simulator was extremely difficult and many of the students struggled in properly making a pick.

The fourth station I visited was the large grader brought by American Infrastructure. We were able to climb inside and pretend like we were moving this gigantic piece of machinery.

Overall, I really enjoyed my hour long visit to Industry Day. I was most interested in the crane operations, since I have never seen the process of making a pick. The employees that were around were very knowledgable and easy to talk to.

Pictures from Industry Day

This is a photo of a large grader. It is used for road surfaces and parking lots

This is a crane operator simulator presented by American Infrastructure

This is a man explaining new technology in surveying equipment

Employees from Kiewet along with Professor Mills, assembling the top portion and the bottom portion

The crane placing the HVAC unit atop the metal stud partition

the crane lifting the HVAC unit off the ground

Looping the ropes and preparing for liftoff

The crane beginning to pick the HVAC unit

A crane used by Kiewit

Professor Mills with the truck drivers from Chandler

Concrete truck from Chandler and a flat bed truck from Marshall Concrete Products

This is a very complicated section view of a drip pan unit located on the third floor of Bishop Favrao Hall. The materials in this drawing include HVAC piping, steel beams, metal supports, and metal decking.

This is a section view of an exterior wall in my dorm room. The cut takes place through a window. The materials in this drawing are Hokie Stone, CMU, window panes, and cast stone.

This is a close-up detail of the risers and treads in the starcase. There is a little amount of concrete set on top of the pre-formed steel staircase.

This is a section view of the mock up wall through the cast stone. This sits below the section view of the Hokie Stone. The materials in this drawing are styrofoam, cast stone, CMU, tie backs, and a waterproofing system

Stairway Section

This is a cross section of the stairwell is Bishop Favrao Hall. There are two landing, made of concrete. The stairs are concrete on top of steel formed stairs. The railings are also metal, with two handrails and mesh guarding.

Stairway Plan

This is a picture of a stairway plan. The dark, thick lines indicate the railings. The stairs are made from steel with concrete on top.

Landing Detail

This is a detail picture of a landing in a stairway. A concrete slab is supported by metal decking. The metal decking is supported by steel beams and bracing.

This is a close-up of a hokie stone wall system. Included in this system is CMU, styrofoam insulation, Grainage Guard, Filter Fabric, Mortar Guard, and Hokie Stone. The Grainage Guard and Filter Fabric make up the waterproofing system.

Door Section

This is a section view of an interior wall through a door. The door frame is metal, with CMU blocking above it. There is no bottom to the frame of the door, as it is simply tile flooring.

Bedroom Floorplan

This is the floor plan of my dorm room in Vawter Hall. The walls are made out of CMU blocks, the ceiling in concrete, and the floor is tile. There is also a sink and small closets for me and my roommate.