The flight deck of a warship needs rapid-response readiness to launch helicopters, landing vehicles and personnel in the face of potential attack or to assist in natural disasters. In addition to applying non-skid deck resurfacing, International Flooring & Protective Coatings provides containment services and can quickly erect vast protective structures over work in progress. Aboard the USS Ponce, teams were able to work 24/7 in a fierce nor’easter to complete resurfacing on time.

A 19,200 Sq. Ft. Building: Up in Six Days
With the inventory, expertise and determination of a fighting force, IFPC’s containment team arrives at  the Norfolk shipyard of Metro Machine Corporation and goes swiftly to work.  Towering spines of  aluminum begin to  rise high above the deck, covered in a tough PVC fabric membrane.

Weather Out, Wastes Contained, Coastal Waters Protected
Kevin Gooch, IFPC’s containment supervisor, says that there’s another protective aspect to the mega-tent. The work of removing the worn out decking must be contained. “Dust, dirt and removed materials are captured and disposed of,” he explains. To meet EPA standards, a skin-tight barrier is fortified at all four corners of the 240x80 foot deck.

Lights, Power, Action
Into the containment tent arrives a portable armada of utilities.  Bright lights illuminate.  Power sources energize the heavy duty equipment that removes old decking, then cleans, treats and primes the surface. A heating system keeps the temperature inside moderate, not only to permit  constant ongoing work but also to help the newly applied non-skid deck coatings to adhere and dry quickly.  

Storm Rages Outside, Work Continues Inside
Rob Patrick, IFPC’s general superintendent, recalls the powerful nor’easter that arrived mid-project.”The heavy winds and rain lasted for days, but our tent held up perfectly,” he says. The deck resurfacing crews worked day and night, oblivious to the weather. IFPC’s Patrick thanks the Metro shipyard team.  “They were always there, on hand to assist us with anything we needed,” he says.

Job Done, USS Ponce Heads Out to Sea.
Metro Machine’s subcontract superintendent Joe Kovach echoes the power of both the teamwork and the tent.  “The job was a big success,” he says.  Rob Patrick adds, “In our work for the Navy, we have to be ready to fight not just tight deadlines but Mother Nature. A ship has to be back at sea. There can’t be delays due to weather. Our containment services assure that we win that battle.”

 Other Uses for IFPC’s Containment Services
The fast-rising assets of containment tents have as many uses as there are circumstances requiring immediate housing, protection, storage or ongoing work in all weather conditions. The tents can be set up as temporary offices, makeshift hospitals, construction site storehouses, emergency operation centers and more. For more facts or to comment, post your information below.

Enter us in your resource files and keep us in mind for solutions.

International Flooring & Protective Coatings

www.internationalflooring.com

Metro Machine Corp
www.memach.com

With substantive recovery and a new-build cycle not anticipated until  2013, what hospitality industry gurus recommend for right now are renovations and innovations that add value to infrastructure - and elevate guests’ experiences - at manageable costs.  

International Flooring and Protective Coatings, Inc. has a well-grounded partnership with many of the industry’s most respected hotel and motel firms. IFPC’s expertise in granite, marble, tile and carpet has led to refreshed entrances, lobbies, concierge enclaves, fireplace hearths, pool surrounds and other innovations that “make $1 work like $2” in adding value, currency and style. Check in here for a brief series of steps recommended by industry designers and business development experts to build brand, traffic and guest goodwill while holding down costs. 

 Read more.

Think timeless instead of trendy. 

Stick with designers and suppliers that understand the need to be budget-smart. Choose materials more readily available in stock, rather than custom products. Avoid “newest, hottest” trends in favor of elegant neutrals and natural ambiance in surfaces such as granite and marble.  

Open a value-added window of opportunity.

Early adopters of renovation projects will fare best in terms of material and labor prices and availabilities. Further along, as travel regains momentum, more hospitality operations will opt in,  heightening demand and lengthening lead times to complete projects. 

Down time is easier in a slow season. 

Renovating or upgrading judiciously in advance of a market upturn will be accomplished less disruptively now and pay dividends later, when vacation and business travel begin to accelerate. 

Front-desk iPads add a touch of class. 

Hotels in New York, London, Hong Kong and elsewhere offer use of iPads that book dinner reservations, buy theater tickets and map local attractions. After  lobby renovations,  add a tablet to extend a concierge’s expertise and put electronic touches of hospitality at guests’ fingertips. 

Want more information? Consider the source.

These tips were harvested from  June 15, July 30, and August 11, 2010 editions of a leading hotel and motel management and design publisher at http://www.hotelworldnetwork.com

Check in with your comments. 

Maybe the hurricanes, floods, blizzards and heat waves of 2010 haven’t exactly been of biblical proportions, but they’ve caused plenty of pain in all major areas of construction - industrial and commercial, on land and offshore. Mother Nature was not especially nice this year, in some cases crippling major projects and causing weeks or months of delay to schedules.  

 As the largest operation of its type on the U.S. Eastern Seaboard,  International Flooring & Protective Coatings, Inc. has met and mastered the demands  of extreme weather and crucial time constraints in providing high-performance floorings and protective coatings.  Here are some rudimentary considerations to keep in mind about climate factors and how to weather future storms. Read more

Weather Delays: What’s the bottom line? 

Both parties to the construction contract should be alert to specified terms about who bears responsibilities.  The contract is the all-important arbiter of  weather delay scenarios. 

Here’s What AIA has to say. 

AIA contract documents stipulate that “if adverse weather conditions are the basis for a claim for additional time. . . it shall be documented by data substantiating that weather conditions were abnormal for the period of time, could not have been reasonably anticipated, and had an adverse effect on the scheduled construction.” Note it says “additional time” not “additional compensation.” AIA goes on to allow for “an equitable extension of the time contract.” The weather must be “unusually severe.” It further specifies the importance of norms in a specific location, and notes that documentation is essential. 

 National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration is an important source. 

At www.nws.noaa.gov, there is a database of daily and monthly historical weather information, collated from thousands of weather stations. The station closest to the construction site can be explored for norms to contrast with the “severe” conditions that have affected construction. 

 One of the best pro-active steps in construction progress, on both sides of the contract, is the time spent to document what’s going on, weather-wise and concerning any other situation that may affect the schedule. Define in advance. Document day by day.

Got an interesting “weather report” or comment? IFPC would like to hear it. 

Fill us in below. And rest assured that when you give us the floor, we’ll get the work done to the highest standards. Challenge us! We’ll meet it, whatever the weather. 

Recently, the IFPC team provided a solution for a problem Northrop Grumman was having with the tile work coming apart near the fountains of the company’s Newport News Vascic building.  What made this application interesting was the Poured in place concrete application.  This type of concrete coping incorporates both the coping and the decking materials by pouring right over the edge of the fountain structure (pool) and creating a consistent, durable finish with no distinguishable change of pattern at the structure’s edge.

The versatility of this approach comes in because the coping can be custom-designed in shape, and then a variety of finishes can be applied to achieve just the right look.