California-based Marelich Mechanical served as the mechanical contractor on a mission-critical 43 thousand square-foot Northern California data center project where they were tasked with installing a complex mechanical and plumbing system on an aggressive schedule. Marelich Mechanical leveraged their own successful fabrication shop strategies and Victaulic products to increase efficiencies and minimize risk while overcoming space constraints at the job site.

Marelich Mechanical’s scope of work involved installing a chiller plant and variable-flow split system on the mezzanine level of the 43,000-square-foot facility. The piping systems required built-in redundancies, and all systems had to be designed for future expansion. The contractor was also tasked with installing all equipment, including five air-cooled chillers, ten interior Data Aire units, six hot and cold-water pumps with variable frequency drives (VFDs), 12 relief air fans with VFDs, a split system, outside condenser, two fan coil units and two heat recovery pumps. All the work needed to be completed in just three months.

For the project, the Marelich Mechanical fabrication shop implemented Victaulic’s work cell layout and fabrication tooling. The layout and tooling maximize cell throughput, allowing users to deliver one-man fabrication on 24-inch-and-down pipe using a minimal footprint. With this approach, Marelich Mechanical efficiently fabricated and assembled grooved piping systems 14 inches and below off-site. Once spools arrived on-site, a crane carried the piping to the roof, where crews quickly configured the system. Even when installing large-diameter AGS™ couplings in tight spaces, Victaulic products provided the ease of installation and design flexibility that enabled installers to work quickly and safely.

“There was no way we could complete the project in the scheduled time frame without fabricating in our fab shop with Victaulic’s work cell layout,” said Bob Goldsberry, welder and piping superintendent. “For our first large project using the new strategy, the process went extremely well. There is no way our people in the field could have welded the joints fast enough to be successful.”

To streamline installation on a fast-paced, highly complex project, Victaulic ensured deliveries were optimized with truck sequencing for more organized deliveries, helping to save limited space on-site and providing a seamless transition from fab shop to field.

The partnership and collaboration between Victaulic and Marelich Mechanical led to a successful outcome for the client. The data center was completed on time, with Victaulic products and fabrication strategies speeding up the construction process and saving costs.