A-Z Solutions, Inc. 7681 Tim Ave. NW, North Canton, OH 44720330.915.2650info@vaporremoval.com

Revitalizing Cleveland:  A-Z Solutions Raises Standards for Energy Efficient Vapor Mitigation in New Construction

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Revitalizing Cleveland:  A-Z Solutions Raises Standards for Energy Efficient Vapor Mitigation in New Construction

A 16 month new construction project has finally been completed and the results are better than even we expected.

As part of the projects’ environmental sustainability program, A-Z Solutions was contracted to design and vapor mitigation systems in 3 newly constructed buildings on the east bank of the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland Ohio.  Our project managers worked with the on-site construction management team successfully design and install vapor mitigation systems to depressurize over 500,000 square feet of commercial and retail space.  These systems will ensure that indoor air quality in all of the buildings will remain safe for years to come.

A-Z’s design team worked with Dimmit Architects, the lead architectural firm on the east bank of the flats revitalization project, the general contractor, and other environmental consultants to blend the system components into the buildings’ modern open design.

“We have worked with Dimmit on several projects now.  They have always been great to work with”, remarked Tony McDonald, A-Z Solutions VP of Operations and Lead Project Manager on Site.

The overall scope of the project included 3 buildings:  2 restaurants and a 500,000 ft2, 9 story mixed use building with 100,000 ft2 of commercial space on the ground floor.  One of the greater challenges was designing a system that was easily installed and repaired throughout the life of the building.

“We couldn’t use a spray on vapor barrier because the repair cost would be too high every time the building had a new tenant.  To solve this, we chose a vapor barrier and underground vapor collection matting that is easily repairable if the need arises,” added McDonald.

The construction schedule left no room for error, especially in building 4.  A-Z had to coordinate the SSD system installation with 18 different contractors over the course of 16 months.  The system couldn’t be turned on until all of the concrete was installed for the parking garage, the common areas and the 9 restaurant spaces.  With differing construction schedules for each contractor, most of the accessible system piping was buried inside finished walls.

“Since all of the system piping was hidden by the time we energized the fans, we had no room for making adjustments if our system was under-performing in any part of the building,” remarked McDonald.

The project was completed within the time allotted and within the agreed upon budget
In addition to successful pressure readings at final diagnostics, A-Z Solutions was able to achieve significant energy savings on our OM&M.

“We measure the efficiency of our SSD systems by the ratio of square foot affected per watt of energy the system consumes.  Depending on site conditions, a typical SSD system achieves a ratio of about 20 square feet of area depressurized per watt of energy consumed by the system, or 20 to 1, in new commercial construction and about 25 to 1 in residential.  We were able to achieve a 50 to 1 ratio for this project.  To achieve this we needed both a great design and good execution at the site.” Said Mr. McDonald

The flats East project opened its first set of buildings in 2015.  The space includes restaurants and night clubs that have quickly become a top attraction in Cleveland for dining and entertainment. For more information about the flats east project visit http://flatseast.com/.

About the Author- (Should be a link)

Jessica Karns joined A-Z Solutions in 2011 as the Sales & Marketing Manager. A seasoned professional, she has acquired over 10 years of experience in the sales and marketing arena. In her current position, Jessica is responsible for designing and overseeing the strategic direction of the companies’ marketing plan including web site design, social media content and media relations.

In addition, Jessica is a state licensed radon testing professional. Jessica also holds a radon testing certification through the NRPP (National Radon Proficiency Program.). She heads up the companies’ continuing education program for real estate professionals.  As a state certified CEU instructor, she conducts ongoing training for real estate professionals about radon.

Jessica is a graduate of Kent State University in Kent Ohio. She sits on the Ohio Association of Radon Professionals Board of Directors where she continues to strengthen the industry standards by creating public policy and raising awareness for this critical issue.

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This article was written by Tony McDonald

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