Industry News Archives

Warfel Receives National Excellence in Construction Award From Associated Builders and Contractors

Posted on March 28, 2019 by adminwarfelcc

Warfel Construction is pleased to announce that the Aerzen USA project in Coatesville, PA has earned a National Excellence in Construction® Pyramid Award from Associated Builders and Contractors. Vice President of Operations Conlan Swope and Project Executive Fred Lohss received the award March 27 during ABC’s 29^th annual Excellence in Construction® Awards gala at ABC Convention 2019 in Long Beach, California.

The Aerzen USA Expansion project was comprised of a 22,000 square foot office and manufacturing addition. The office expansion included the construction of new private offices, work rooms, conference rooms, and a new kitchen and café area. Renovations were also completed in select areas of the existing office. The manufacturing and warehouse expansion included the erection of a 35’ high pre-engineered metal building with insulated roof and wall panels. In addition to the building construction, various site improvements including the construction of underground rain water tanks, a large landscape package, and a new pervious asphalt parking lot were completed.

Proven LEED strategies from the original building, such as geo-thermal heat pumps (8 wells) and earth tubes, were incorporated into the addition. New advances in enclosure technologies such as structural insulated panels (SIPS) and ZIP system sheathing, as well as an integrated water- and air-resistive barrier that delivers moisture and air protection in one system were also utilized.

“We are proud to honor Warfel Construction Company with a National Excellence in Construction® Pyramid Award,” said 2019 ABC National Chair Tony Rader, telecom vice president of National Roofing Partners, Coppell, Texas. “The Aerzen USA project shows not only the exceptional talent in our industry, but the overall commitment to building safely, on time and on budget. Warfel’s breadth of skills and craftmanship greatly benefits the merit shop construction industry.”

The Excellence in Construction awards program is the industry’s leading competition that honors both general and specialty contractors for innovative and high-quality merit shop construction projects. The award honors all construction team members, including the contractor, owner, architect and engineer. The winning projects, selected from entries submitted from across the nation, were judged on complexity, attractiveness, unique challenges, completion time, workmanship, innovation, safety and cost.

A panel of industry experts served as the competition’s judges. This year’s panel included representatives from the Building Owners and Managers Association International, the Smithsonian Facilities Construction Division, the Construction Management Association of America, Engineering News-Record, Design-Build Institute of America and various construction-related firms nationwide.

A full list of EIC winners is available on ABC’s website.

Engineering Degrees Build Construction Management Careers

Posted on February 18, 2019 by adminwarfelcc

Engineers are critical in the construction process. Not only do they design the systems inside and outside a building- the HVAC, electric, plumbing, the structure itself, the stormwater management (to name just a few!) but their skills are necessary in the construction process too!

Warfel hires many engineering majors to join our estimating, preconstruction, and project management staff. Our employees usually do not seek their Professional Engineering (PE) license like design engineers are required to do, but the skills learned in an engineering education transfer well to construction management. An engineering education teaches many technical equations and calculations, but more importantly, great problem solving skills are developed. The construction industry faces new and unique problems on every project, and our staff members need to have great critical thinking skills to innovate and overcome the challenges.

Having an engineering degree is not a prerequisite to work in construction management at Warfel, but candidates with those degrees are highly regarded. Warfel seeks students to join our summer internship program by targeting local schools with good construction management and engineering programs. Engineering is at the heart of the construction process and Warfel is proud to hire talented engineering majors every year.

Are you an engineering student considering a career in construction management? Click here to visit our Careers page.

Infection Control: A Key Component to Safe Healthcare Projects

Posted on January 21, 2019 by adminwarfelcc

Almost everything in the healthcare industry is focused on one main point: patient safety. While working in an active healthcare environment, this focus is of utmost importance. Maintaining a healthy environment is key to a successful project outcome, and must be a key factor throughout preconstruction and construction.

One way to evaluate potential hazards that may occur during a healthcare construction project is to perform an Infection Control Risk Assessment. A best-in-class assessment is more than just running down a list of potential hazards and informing personnel of best practices. A sophisticated infection control risk assessment is a living document that forms the foundation of any comprehensive infection prevention program. The policy evolves over time as goals and measurable objectives change, while maintaining a solid framework for consistent patient safety.

For more information on how to perform an Infection Control Risk Assessment, click here.

At Warfel, we’re committed to continuous improvement and innovation. Our teams are constantly learning about improved methods, industry best practices, and ways to serve our clients better. To learn more about our work in the healthcare industry, click here.