Masonry Magazine July 1967 Page. 14
Through the work of MCAA, many mason contractors know about the use and effectiveness of such devices.
The rewards have been clearly demonstrated in Canada, where winter construction lag has been diminished, and where winterizing costs have been pinpointed at between three-quarters of one per cent and 1.5 per cent of the contract price. These figures were gathered by the Canadian Contractors Association who polled 100 contractor members to ascertain how much more it costs to work year round on large and small buildings, lengthy bridges, high dams, and big-scale earth-moving projects.
The Canadians seem to have learned the value of all-weather construction, and from them we can borrow without trial-and-error risk. Successful winterizing is dependent upon several key points-advance planning, cooling, which is advocated as a genuine stimulus to cheap and easy enclosure, and mechanical heating (or productivity during the dog days.
Practical enclosure materials and methods vary. Lightweight, transparent plastics which frequently can be re-used appear to be favored. Heating can be by means of gas, oil, or electric space air conditioners.
Full enclosure of very large buildings has proved feasible. A single-story 22,000 square-foot structure at Brampton, Ontario, was enclosed and construction was completed in eight weeks; a six-story building in Winnipeg, Canada, was enclosed with polyethylene and wood-fiber board; and at Calgary, Canada, a 10-story project employed bowstring timber trusses to support a protective plastic roof, an enclosure solution that cost 10 cents a square foot.
It may not always be practical, or necessary, to enclose an entire structure. An eight-story building went up in Winnipeg after the contractor developed an enclosed swing scaffold suspended from roof outriggers on cables. The platform was plastic-enclosed and heated, and masonry and glazing progressed despite the cold. Some contractors in this country have developed enclosure systems employing re-usable panels, as well as other methods.
Outdoor temperatures of 35 degrees below zero didn't curtail construction of the three-story Fine Arts Building at Northern Michigan University. It took two weeks for the contractor to erect scaffolding and cover it with plastic. Steam heaters maintained a temperature of 50 degrees inside the building, at a heating cost of $30 a day.
These highlights of all-weather protection typify the economy and practicality that have been proven. Although the extent of potential economic benefits can not be fully measured, we know that the spread of winterization techniques in this country would create a genuine stimulus to American business, since construction is the largest industry in the U.S.
We know that manufacturers and suppliers could effect vast economics through more efficient production, inventory, and shipping operations. Contractors working on an all-year basis could stabilize their overhead and manpower requirements. Owners would achieve significant gains since many projects could be completed without the customary winter interruptions. Architects and engineers could rely on a 12-month, rather than eight- or nine-month schedules.
We at BM&PIU, along with the other supporters of the Allied Masonry Council-Mason Contractor Association of America and SCPI-are hopeful that the crippling effects of seasonality can be greatly mitigated by the concerted action of all segments of the industry. A waste of manpower and money that occurs with unfortunate regularity each winter is altogether incompatible with the traditions we value and with our obligations to both our industry and to the American economy.
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MASONRY July, 1967