Spring-Ford Area School District

Overview

The Spring-Ford Area School District serves a growing community in western Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Facing the challenges stemming from outdated HVAC equipment, the district was looking for a partner that could replace the old equipment while providing engineering services and self-performing mechanical piping, sheet metal, and controls. 

Our Approach 

Southland provided design-build mechanical services, including removal and replacement of 243 source heat pumps at an intermediate school within Spring-Ford Area School District. The team also provided engineering services and self-performed the mechanical piping, sheet metal, and controls. The project's scope included survey, disconnect, and demolition of existing equipment, in-kind replacement of the heat pumps with upgraded controls, and piping isolation.

With an initial phased construction schedule of 2 years, the project schedule was accelerated to approximately 10 weeks. Additionally, the building remained operational for staff during the project. 

Result

Facing an accelerated schedule and working in an occupied building, the Southland team increased manpower and enabled an assembly-line approach to meet weekly productivity goals and stay on tracks. Despite hurdles with equipment lead times and factory startup, the team used internal resources and modified plans to meet the accelerated schedule. 

Overcoming the challenges, the team completed the scope of work safely with no recordable injuries or lost time incidents. The field team also executed an increased level of care during the project, resulting in no damage to the existing building during construction.