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Gaston Blog Series / 2019 Electrical Systems Preventative Checklist

December 26, 20180

Greetings from the Gaston Electrical Service Division. As 2018 comes to a close, many property owners and managers are gearing up for 2019 projects and improvement programs – including preventative maintenance for building systems. While we stand ready to provide all electrical and technology infrastructure solutions (along with 24-hour emergency service), we prefer to work with our customers in identifying potential issues before an emergency arises.

Preventative Maintenance of critical building equipment can help identify and rectify issues before they escalate into major problems for property management and tenants. These actions will ensure that electrical systems are performing at optimal levels – significantly reducing costly downtime. To help with your proactive planning, we have compiled a helpful checklist of considerations for improved electrical building maintenance.

Gaston Electrical

Infrared Scanning

  • Annual Infrared scanning of energized electrical systems
  • Switchgear, busway, panelboards, disconnect switches, generator equipment, and UPS systems should all be scanned

Gaston Electrical

Switchgear, Transformers, Panelboards, and UPS systems

  • A cleaning and visual inspection of all components
  • Transformer testing – including oil sampling for primary transformers
  • Breaker testing
  • 100% UPS load and battery testing and maintenance

Bus Duct Testing

  • Visual inspections
  • Infrared scanning
  • Torquing of all bus duct connections
  • Megger testing of all bussing
  • Contact resistance testing

Life Safety

  • Verify functionality of all emergency lighting systems
  • Manually test all batteries
  • Visually test all emergency lighting
  • Fire alarm testing per NFPA-72
  • Visual inspections of fire alarm
  • Waterflow, tamper, battery tests
  • Complete fire alarm systems testing

Generator Testing:

  • Testing per NFPA 110
  • 30-minute testing including ATS testing
  • Load bank testing
  • Fuel sampling and testing by ISO-certified laboratory
  • Scheduled maintenance by factory-authorized representative
  • Infrared scanning of all connections (annually)
  • Modernization and retrofitting (as necessary)

Power quality metering

  • Identify loads on switchgear, panelboards, emergency systems, etc.
  • Monitoring and logging system performance
  • Identifying specific problems within the electrical system


Click here to email John Buckley / Gaston Electrical Service Division Manager or call 781.255.8881

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Gaston Wins 2018 NECA National Project Excellence Award

October 10, 20180

On Monday, October 1st Gaston Principals Bill and Mike Weber joined other leading Electrical Contractors on stage to be recognized at the 2018 NECA National Project Excellence Award Ceremony – part of the 2018 NECA Annual Convention in Philadelphia.

Gaston Electrical
Gaston Electrical

Per the NECA website:

The NECA Project Excellence Awards were created in 2017 to acknowledge the most highly skilled electrical contractors in the country. Companies are recognized for their commitment, professionalism and ingenuity in delivering an electrical project across 11 different market sectors.

“After our successful launch last year, it’s exciting to showcase another group of projects that are worthy of NECA’s 2018 Project Excellence Awards,” NECA CEO John M. Grau said. “They represent the best of our industry.”

The award ceremony showcases the exceptional work performed by member-contractors throughout the country, and was created to recognize companies for their outstanding commitment, professionalism, and ingenuity in delivering electrical projects across 11 different market sectors.

“Only projects completed in 2017 were considered. Judges took into account aesthetics, application, difficulty, innovation and originality,” said Mir Mustafa, NECA Executive Director of Business Development.

“The contractors responsible for this year’s remarkable projects demonstrated impressive skill and an undeniable passion for excellence,” Mustafa said. “NECA is proud to honor them and their work.”

Gaston Electrical
Gaston Electrical

Gaston was recognized in the “Commercial / Institutional Under $1 Million Category ” for work that was completed at The Revere Hotel Boston. Th Revere Hotel Boston is a premier Hotel in Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood. With the recently completed upgrades to the lobby, bar/restaurant, an function spaces, the hotel has solidified its place as a top destination for travelers, business professionals, and theater-goers – as it is just stps from Boston’s busy Theatre District.

Gaston Electrical
Gaston Electrical

The Gaston Electrical Revere Hotel Project included Paul Higgins (Project Manager), Matt Gosselin (Project Foreman), and Adam Berecz (Project Foreman. The client was Cafco COnstruction managers and Pyramid Hotel Group. The multi-phase project included full electrical services upgrades/renovation for hotel lobby, lounge, and function space including all lighting and associated controls.

Learn more about the project and see photos of the finished spaces via our projects page here: https://gastonelectrical.com/project/revere-hotel-boston/

Learn more about the NECA National Project Excellence Award by clicking here: https://www.necanet.org/about-us/news/news-release-archive/news/2018/10/02/neca-2018-project-excellent-award-winners-take-to-the-stage-in-philadelphia

Electrical Industry News, Events

Bill Weber participates as panelist in ENR Webinar Series on Quality and Safety

August 29, 20180

On Thursday, August 9th Gaston Principal Bill Weber was featured in the latest edition of Engineering News Record’s (ENR) Webinar Series – along with more than 250 attendees from across the country. The webinar was hosted by Richerd Korman, Deputy Editor for ENR, and the topic for this informational event was “Finding Gold at the Intersection of Construction Quality and Safety”. On the panel, Bill was joined by Steve Pianalto of CRB and Kevin Hildebrandt of Miron Construction Company. They shared valuable tips and best practices for delivering quality services in a safe in a timely manner while highlighting the importance of pre-planning, LEAN construction principles, and company safety cultures.

The entire audio transcript of the webinar is available by clicking here http://bit.ly/GastonENRwebinar.

Electrical Industry News, Events

Gaston participates in 2018 National Construction Safety Week

May 15, 20180

During the week of May 7th-11th, Gaston Electrical joined hundreds of other leading companies from the construction industry in recognizing National Construction Safety Week. According to the official website, the mission of Safety Week is to “collectively raise the awareness of the construction industry’s continuing commitment to eliminating worker injury, and to clearly communicate its dedication to a shared culture of care and concern and the belief that every week must be Safety Week.”

2018 marked the fourth year of participation in the event for Gaston – and we successfully spread the word to all of our team members through site visits, emails, and social media campaigns. This year – Corporate Safety Director Rick Coakley focused on ladder safety training during his “toolbox talk” with our skilled team members. He also took time to introduce our new ladder inspection policy. Highlights of the busy week also included visits to the UMASS Boston Residence Halls, Boston Celtics Auerbach Center at Boston Landing, and AMGEN Cambridge. Gaston is partnered with leading General Contractors on these projects and our commitment to safety for our team (and theirs) was clearly highlighted.

Huge thanks to our field teams and project partners for an informative and engaging week – we look forward to 2019. Below are some photos from our various site visits.

 

Electrical Industry News, Events

Gaston participates in National Women In Construction Week

March 12, 20180

The Women of Gaston play a critical role in the overall success of our company and our industry as a whole.

This statement was shared with our vendors and project partners throughout National Women In Construction Week from March 4th-10th 2018. Spearheaded by the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), National Women in Construction (WIC) Week was an opportunity to join other leading construction firms in recognizing the significant contributions and important roles of Women in our industry.

During the week, Gaston arranged for numerous site visits to provide breakfast breaks and generate increased conversation around diversity in the trades. Construction is often an overlooked career choice for women, and we are working hard to help change that.

Below are photos and some of our social media posts from the week. To learn more about our activities and involvement in #WICWeek2018 please contact Nina Radzim or check out our social media channels:

www.twitter.com/GastonElec
www.facebook.com/GastonElectrical
www.instagram.com/gaston_electrical
www.linkedin.com/company/gaston-electrical
#WICWeek2018 #WomenInConstruction

 

 

 

Gaston Electrical
Electrical Industry News

Mike Weber discusses project scheduling and communication in ConstructionDive.com Feature

January 30, 20180

As construction continues to increase in complexity, the need for clear communication, realistic expectations, and trustworthy project partners have become all the more important. Recently, Mike Weber chatted with Kim Slowey of ConstructionDive.com and shared insight on the above-mentioned topics. Click here to read the full article.

 

Gaston Electrical ConstructionDive feature

Gaston Electrical ConstructionDive feature

 

Gaston Electrical Boston Electrical Contractor
Blog Series

Gaston Blog Series / Top 5 Benefits of BIM Practices for Subcontractors

December 8, 20170
Gaston Electrical BIM

Gaston Electrical BIM

Gaston’s Top 5 Benefits of BIM Practices for Subcontractors.
By David Fiorini – BIM/VDC Manager

Looking forward to 2018, we begin to take stock of the recent months, and set plans for continuous improvement in the new year. Our goal, as always, is to be proactive in identifying then implementing best practices for all aspects of our business. This applies to everything from field equipment to new software. Recent years have proven that the construction industry is accelerating the adoption of new technology like no other time in history. For a company or project to achieve true success in this era, all members of the team must be knowledgeable, skilled, and highly-connected through open communication. Project delivery methods and expectations from Construction Managers have evolved as well, and it is imperative for subcontractors to operate at the leading-edge to meet demand and differentiate themselves from the pack.

Gaston Electrical embraces Building Information Modeling (BIM) technologies and practices as part of our commitment to continuous improvement. In an accelerated and digital environment, we utilize industry-leading software programs and pre-fabrication practices to deliver increased accuracy and efficiencies on all projects. Autodesk defines BIM as “an intelligent 3D model-based process that gives architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) professionals the insight and tools to more efficiently plan, design, construct, and manage buildings and infrastructure”. We are proud of our commitment to operate at the forefront of BIM adoption/utilization – and to be viewed as a valued and sophisticated project partner. BIM plays an important role in our daily practices, and its many benefits are evident to our team, and clients alike.

 

Gaston Electrical BIM

Gaston Electrical BIM

The following are Gaston’s Top 5 Benefits of BIM practices for subcontractors.

  1. Increased quality of drawings and project workflow – The digital model allows for highly-accurate plans and workflow models to be developed. Teams can then create electrical drawings for shop prefabrication and field installation utilizing the latest Autodesk Software.
  2. Reduced requests for information (RFIs) and task rework – By utilizing BIM during coordination phases with the General Contractor, Design Team and other Trades; we can review design flaws in real time and resolve problems without going through the RFI process (which can be costly and timely) – let alone having to revisit a task or phase once the project has begun. Coordinating ahead of time and running clash detection reduces field errors and the likelihood of costly coordination delays once a project is underway.
  3. Reduced waste and overall project cost – Coordination and pre-planning allows our prefabrication department to manufacture and prep materials for installation with added accuracy. This high level of coordination significantly reduces waste on the jobsite – often resulting in savings for materials and man-hours alike.
  4. Increased accuracy with virtual inspection – Intense review of digital models (with all involved parties) prior to pre-fabrication and construction is key. All stakeholders must coordinate and run clash detection against other project trades and building structures to ensure the most efficient jobsite and task/phase delivery. Doing so will reduce the likelihood of costly issues on the jobsite.
  5. Increased job collaboration – As projects become more complex, and deadlines/expectations are accelerated, teams must establish, and maintain clear lines of communication and collaboration. The role of the electrical contractor is important throughout the entire pre-planning and construction process. It is essential to have a skilled digital design team in place to coordinate with the general contractor and other trades at every step. This will improve decision making processes and overall performance across the lifecycle of the construction delivery process.

 

Gaston Electrical BIM

Gaston Electrical BIM

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