Dedicated to honoring and preserving the stories of America’s most incredible heroes, the National Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington, Texas was established to serve as a powerful tribute to National Medal of Honor recipients and their legacies. This state-of-the-art facility will spotlight the stories, impact and sacrifices of the less than 0.01% of U.S. Armed Forces service members that have gone on to receive this prestigious honor since the Civil War.

When Brandt, a Southland Industries Company, was selected to lead the mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) work for the Museum, they were faced with a distinctive challenge. In addition to outfitting the 83,000-square-foot museum complete with exhibits, a theatre, multi-purpose spaces, and offices, Brandt was tasked with routing utilities within the exhibition hall. The architectural focal point of the Museum, the exhibition hall is a 200-square-foot structure suspended above the rotunda by five concrete columns which symbolize the five branches of the U.S. military.

Brandt partnered with Victaulic when developing its strategy for routing the piping systems through the structural columns, opting to use a grooved system that they could prefabricate within the columns at their North Texas fabrication shop. Further influencing Brandt’s decision to employ a grooved system was their ability to significantly reduce the footprint of the mechanical space needed, thus increasing the amount of valuable exhibition space available in the hall. Victaulic couplings, fittings, valves and specialties were used on the 2-12” chilled water, condenser water, and domestic water systems. Prefabricated pipe spools within the structural columns made for easy on-site installation, resulting in minimal field connections. The use of QuickVic™ Installation-Ready™ Style 107V couplings further expedited the process.

“We were honored to be involved in a project that so closely aligns with Victaulic’s values and strong military heritage, which dates to the first use of grooved mechanical couplings in World War I to transport fuel and water to the troops,” said Victaulic Regional Manager Nick Stason, reflecting on the project. “Another value we pride ourselves on is empowering our partners to find innovative solutions to complex construction challenges for faster, safer and easier installations, as demonstrated on impactful projects like the National Medal of Honor Museum.”

Upon its opening in March 2025, the Museum will serve as the premier national institution dedicated to honoring the country’s bravest heroes, inspiring current and future generations of America to discover and develop the shared values of every Medal of Honor recipient – Courage & Sacrifice, Commitment & Integrity, Citizenship & Patriotism.