News

News

ACInsider Year in Review 2023

Now that we’re well into the start of the New Year, we can finally take a moment to catch our collective breath and reflect a bit on the very good year that was 2023.

ACI continued our growth trajectory that we had set about in the post-pandemic year of 2022; projects, geographic reach, and number of employees are all on the rise. Our backlog of jobs is solid, our reach has now expanded confidently into Northern Virginia and Wilmington, North Carolina, and our employee count has grown to well above 1150. Our offices in Roanoke and Hampton Roads are experiencing steady growth as they carry the ACI Mission in Western and Southeastern Virginia and at home here in Richmond, construction of our new facility (HQ2, as we refer to it these days) is moving along on schedule (feel free to take a look HERE).

Below, we invite you to explore a handful of achievements that made us proud in 2023, projects that were thoroughly imbued with the ACI Mission to be EXTRAORDINARY, through Innovation, Collaboration, and Diversity. We hope the year just passed was a good one for you, and we invite you to join with us in this New Year and as we work to make it a great one!

aci divider 3
#image_title

Confidential Modular Pipe Rack Project

Atlantic Modular Steps Up

About this Project

Realizing that ACI was uniquely well-positioned to take on very large, complex modular projects, one of our partnering firms engaged us to assist in building 61 modular units of pipe racks for one of the highest profile clients/companies in North America.

With a very challenging schedule to meet, work started on the contract (valued at just under $6M) just after Thanksgiving and was completed by the start of the last week of January, which made it just shy of an 8-week turnaround. Systems on the racks were: Electrical, Chilled Water, Natural Gas, Domestic Water, Compressed Air, Non-potable Water, and Steam.

– Fabrication & erection of 277 tons of steel.
– Installation of 11,000 feet of pipe
– Coordination of outside insulation & electrical crews to install to form a multi trade rack.
– Shipment to Tennessee


In the time-lapse video below, you can see 18 days of the process compressed into 38 seconds:

#image_title

Confidential Owner

A Decade-long Relationship Continues

About this Project

ACI was engaged in the first of four data center projects in Boydton, VA, over a decade ago, resulting in project success and relationships that have grown our project resume to be one of the leading mission-critical contractors in Virginia today. ACI will have completed over $30M in mission-critical construction services in 2023 alone (creating a combined total of $76M for this series of projects). Recently awarded mission-critical projects occurring during 2024 will far exceed construction services completed in 2023.

Completion of one 250,000 Data Center Facility while starting another 250,000 SF data center facility
– 160 Air Handling units per facility
– 160 Supply Louvers, damper assemblies (ACI Prefabricated)
– 160 Return Lovers, damper assemblies (ACI Prefabricated)
– 2 Air Handling units, and associated HVAC equipment dedicated to admin office spaces

basic divider sharper
#image_title

VCU Health Main Hospital

3rd Floor IR Renovation

About this Project

The VCU Health IR Main 3 project included 43,000 square feet of renovation scope on the 3rd Floor of the Main Hospital at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center to support the needs of VCU Health System Authority.

The significant renovations to accommodate five new interventional radiology rooms, two new CT rooms, two new procedural ultrasound rooms, a new fluoroscopy room, a new twenty‐five bay prep‐recovery area, new radiology reading rooms and clinical and administrative support space. The scope of the project also includes the construction of a new 7,500 SF mezzanine between the 2nd and 3rd levels to accommodate administrative offices and support space.

– AHU replacement of an existing air handling unit currently on the 4th floor of the Main Hospital
– Temporary AHU staged and tied to existing duct to provide conditioning in the hospital while the unit was being replaced
– The project was completed in multiple phases due to coordinating scope with active healthcare services

 

basic divider sharper
#image_title

Lego Warehouse

Upfitting a Massive 270,000 SF Facility

About this Project

ACI was awarded the Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, and Fire Protection scopes for an upfit to an existing 257,000 SF warehouse. This facility serves as a temporary training location for new hires of the permanent Lego facility soon to be constructed nearby. We were aware from the beginning that the schedule for this project was accelerated and ACI was prepared to successfully meet the challenge of that timeline.

The warehouse work included new HVAC units, an additional electrical switchboard, lighting, copious amounts of duct work and plumbing fixtures, low voltage work and sprinkler pipes.

– One 6 Ton Air Cooled Chiller
– 20 Package Roof Top Units
– A total of 291 GRDs were installed in the office space.
– ACI installed over 8,800 feet of pipe (copper and cast iron)
– 2000-amp switch board added existing 3000-amp main electrical service
– 2 Package DX Air Handling Units
– 79 plumbing fixtures installed in the building, including the emergency eyewash and wall hydrants in the warehouse space
– 30 VAVs
– 2 Air Compressors and accessories for complete system directed by Lego
– 16 forklift battery chargers were installed

basic divider sharper
#image_title

Confidential Owner

Two Advanced Manufacturing Infrastructure Improvement Projects

About these Projects

ACI’s scope of work on this pair of manufacturing space transformation projects consisted of Utility Steel, Mechanical Ductwork, Operational Infrastructure and other utility piping improvements. The combined value of the projects was $20M.

– Utility steel fabrication and install
– Operational Infrastructure improvements converting warehouse to manufacturing
– Manufacturing equipment setting
– Sheetmetal systems ranging from standard HVAC and dust collection to built-up walkable ductwork
– Modifications to Mechanical Equipment Room – equipment changeout, piping, venting modifications

basic divider sharper
#image_title

Bon Secours St. Francis Health System

Upfit of MOB

About this Project

ACI was tasked to upfit the Fire protection in the existing MOB building and install new systems for the vertical expansion of the existing hospital. The project spanned 4 floors and 332,430 square feet.

Our experienced crews were able to successfully complete the upfit of the entire 1st and 4th floors of the MOB building while the remainder of the hospital and MOB remained actively treating patients.

basic divider sharper
#image_title

Virginia Tech Holden Hall

Mechanical and Plumbing for 124,000 SF Building

About this Project

Virginia Tech’s Holden Hall currently houses the university’s Mining and Mineral Engineering Program as well as the Material Science and Engineering Program. ACI was the prime M&P contractor on this project, which consisted of installation of all new mechanical and plumbing systems, including several lab spaces in addition to custom Air Handlers located in a penthouse on the roof. ACI prefabbed all piping/plumbing racks in corridors on all floors which included domestic water, lab water, lab gases, HVAC piping, etc. Other prefab included all piping for mechanical room and all bathroom groups. Our prefab capabilities helped control the schedule and keep the project moving and on schedule.

– 3 Custom Air Handlers
– 700 Tons of cooling
– 78,000 man hours
– 210,000 pounds of ductwork

basic divider sharper
#image_title

VCU Children’s Hospital Ronald McDonald House

Tenant Build-Out in Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU

About this Project

ACI’s Service & Special Projects Division performed the tenant build-out on this 3,800 SF in-Hospital Ronald McDonald House. The facility serves caregivers and families while their children receive care in the hospital. The build-out included dining and lounging areas, four Family Sleep Rooms, a food-service area, laundry facilities, a children’s play area, and an outdoor patio.

basic divider sharper
#image_title

Confidential Data Center

Specialized Fire Protection

About this Project

ACI’s Fire Protection Division wrapped up two Data Center projects this year, making a total of four over the past three years for the same customer. The total square footage of all four projects combined is a whopping 2,479,551 for contract amounts totaling $15M

The scope of work performed in these two most recent Data Center projects consisted of 27 Sprinkler Systems, 25 Pre-Action and 2 wet systems.

– Pre-Action Sprinkler systems utilize Nitrogen Generators to fill sprinkler pipe with inert gas to significantly extending the longevity of the sprinkler system.
– Over 120,000 feet, or 22.5 miles of sprinkler pipe!
– Worked with DPR to pre-fabricate a Multi-Trade Rack which housed sprinkler bulk feeds.

basic divider sharper
Confidential Project

Confidential Project

Research Facility

About this Project

DPR chose ACI as a their M&P partner for a brand new research facility in SW Virginia. This project had a very time sensitive schedule which led to several components of the job being pre-fabricated, including 100 Phoenix valves and seven process water skids. The project is expected to finish on time, later in February.

ACI performed the M&P scope of work on this $12M research facility (location undisclosed).

Equipment included:

– 3 Air Cooled Chillers
– 8 Air Handling Units
– 3 Strobic Fans
– 100 Phoenix Valves
– 7 Process Water Skids

#   #   #

Atlantic Constructors, Inc. is a full service industrial and commercial contractor headquartered in Richmond, VA (Chesterfield County) with satellite offices in Newport News, Roanoke, Hampton Roads, Sterling, and Wilmington, NC. Our highly skilled team of over 1100 employees serves customers throughout the mid-Atlantic region. For more information, visit www.acibuilds.com.

ACI Makes People Count
News

ACI Celebrates Construction Inclusion Week

At ACI, we have adopted this approach towards inclusion:

ACI Builds, not by counting people but by making people count.

This statement is our declaration of the fact that we understand the difference between diversity and inclusion. We believe that diversity is the mix while inclusion is what makes the mix work. We aspire to have an inclusive culture – one where not only are there people of different backgrounds and experiences gathered, but also one where each person is made to feel welcomed, and their thoughts and feelings valued.

In certain respects, every person behaves like all others: in other respects, like some others… and in some cases, like no others.

We use these three filtering ideas to identify and treasure similarities (all), clarify what’s cultural (some), & turn loose the contribution of uniqueness (no). What better way to build than to leverage the power that is inherent in our differences? By doing so, we offer our clients the best of who we are collectively and create the opportunity to set ourselves apart from our competitors.

#   #   #

Atlantic Constructors, Inc. is a full service industrial and commercial contractor headquartered in Richmond, VA (Chesterfield County) with offices in Hampton Roads, Roanoke, Sterling, VA. Our highly skilled team of over 1,000 employees serves customers throughout the mid-Atlantic region. For more information, visit:  www.acibuilds.com.

ACI Newsletter
News

ACInsider Fall 2023

Table of Contents

ACI Modular Steel

The Future of Construction Is Modular...

...and ACI Has Been Doing It For Years

Modular construction. It seems the phrase is everywhere these days, with pundits and industry watchers everywhere touting modular as the future. And they’re right, of course, but at ACI we’ve been working on this particular wave of the future for years, perfecting our standardized approach to design, build, and deliver large-scale, complex modular components that provide the best experience and finished product for our customers.

Without a doubt, modular construction is transforming industrial construction, bringing with it unprecedented advantages that allow us to uncouple from a project’s timeline; designing, creating, and precommissioning full MEP systems in our off-site, controlled environment for later integration.

The key to our ability to accelerate timelines lies within our massive, fully automated 170,000 square-foot facility. We leverage self-performed design and fabrication all under one roof for maximum, turn-key efficiency. Our extensive capabilities range from structural steel, sheet metal, process piping, plumbing, and electrical, to virtual design, fire protection, and blast and paint. With our own experienced riggers and fleet of vehicles, we not only design and manufacture fully integrated solutions, we transport and install them as well.

Atlantic Modular’s approach offers the flexibility to quickly adapt to complex industrial applications, ensuring seamless integration of advanced systems and evolving technologies. Our modular techniques streamline processes and increase sustainability, unlocking a range of powerful advantages for our customers:

Accelerated Project Timelines: Modular construction allows for parallel workflows, where site preparation and off-site fabrication occur simultaneously. This significantly reduces construction times compared to traditional methods, enabling faster project completion and the start or resumption of operations sooner.

Cost Efficiency: With Atlantic Modular, economies of scale factor heavily. By fabricating components at our controlled environment, material waste is minimized, and costs are optimized. Additionally, these streamlined processes and shorter construction schedules contribute to overall cost savings for you.

Enhanced Quality Control: Off-site modular construction ensures a superior level of quality control. Atlantic Modular conducts rigorous QA inspections and utilizes standardized processes for consistently high-quality results.

Flexibility and Adaptability: Industrial facilities often require complex configurations and the integration of advanced systems. Atlantic Modular provides the flexibility to meet these requirements with precision and speed. Components can be customized, allowing for seamless integration of specialized equipment, machinery, and technologies, ensuring your project is tailored to your unique needs.

Reduced On-site Disruption: One of the key advantages of modular construction is the reduction in on-site disruption, as much of the construction takes place in our off-site fabrication facility, minimizing work stoppages and delays at your facility.

Increased Safety: With more work being done off-site, the danger on-site accidents is greatly decreased, both for ACI and our customers.

When you choose Atlantic Modular, you get our decades of experience and expertise and our commitment to surpass your expectations with extraordinary results. Contact us today to learn more about how our innovative modular solutions can transform your industrial project into a streamlined, cost-effective reality.


ACI Apprentice Signing Day

The Importance of Apprenticeships at ACI

Signing Day 2023

ACI apprentice group

Newly signed apprentices at ACI’s Apprenticeship Signing Day

Apprenticeship programs play a vital role in construction, serving as a cornerstone for skills development, workforce training, and career advancement. These programs offer a specialized learning experience that combines hands-on training with classroom instruction, equipping participants with the practical skills and theoretical knowledge necessary to excel in their careers.

A study conducted by the National Skills Coalition found that nearly 80% of construction firms reported difficulties in finding qualified workers. Apprenticeships not only provide targeted training that aligns with the industry’s needs and reduces skill shortages, but also offer participants a pathway to long-term career stability. The Construction Industry Institute points out that skilled craft professionals who undergo formal apprenticeship training are more likely to have extended careers, reduced turnover rates, and increased job satisfaction.

At ACI, we are committed to providing the best opportunities for our employees. To do so, we are working vigorously to increase our participation with apprenticeship programs offered by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) and the Roanoke Technical School. These programs encompass several trades — Electrical, Plumbing, HVAC, Sheet Metal and Fire Protection and require three years to complete.

Apprenticeship programs must be accessible and affordable to be successful. At ACI, anyone can sign up and first year tuition is paid by ACI and reimbursed by the employee. If the employee maintains a “C” average, graduates, and either gets their journeyman license or completes an additional year of employment, ACI will reimburse the tuition costs. In Richmond, both day and evening classes are available; Tidewater and Roanoke currently offer evening classes.

To promote these programs, ACI holds high-visibility events such as our annual Apprenticeship Signing Day, complete with fun photo-ops and prizes. We encourage our hiring managers to offer the program to employees during the hiring process as well as throughout the year. We regularly send out notices about upcoming sign-up events via our internal communications platform and we maintain interest through updates and posts about Graduation and major milestones of our participants. We encourage our apprentices to share their experiences with their peers to highlight the benefits of participation.

Apprenticeship programs facilitate the transfer of knowledge and expertise from experienced professionals to the next generation of workers, ensuring our industry remains adaptable and innovative. We want to help our employees increase their skills and knowledge and we want to increase the number of people in the trades as older generations transition out of the work force. As we help our employees build more successful careers, we also foster a culture of continuous learning and increased skills. This benefits our workforce and adds even more value for ACI’s customers.


AccessAtlantic

Empowering Our Employees

ACI's Employment Engagement Platform

The Power of Communication
It’s Business 101 that customer communication plays a pivotal role in the success of any company. At ACI we continually strive to keep the channels of communication with our customers wide open and accessible. If we don’t, neither of us will be successful.

But what about internal communications? We believe that all our employees represent ACI, and for that to be true, we all must be aligned and connected to our company culture and values. That’s no easy task, with more than 1,000 employees and multiple locations. Fortunately, technological innovations have provided us with an innovative method to easily interact and share information.

AccessAtlantic Spaces

SPACES allows for group communication and collaboration.

Meet AccessAtlantic
One such innovation at ACI has been the implementation of WorkVivo (internally branded as AccessAtlantic), our Employee Engagement Platform. Accessible to everyone within the company, AccessAtlantic is a digital environment where employees interact, share feedback, exchange ideas, and easily find. In addition to being an important work tool, it has become a key contributor to organizational success, engaging employees to align them with ACI’s core values and amplifying our company culture.

According to ACI President Terrence Kerner, “AccessAtlantic brings all the great things that are happening across our large organization and presents them right in front of us so that we can all feel better connected to each other and our mutual accomplishments. It links our goals and values to the content which our teammates share… from jobsites to fabrication to personal interests and accomplishments. Simply put, AccessAtlantic allows us to celebrate, share, and learn in a way that would be physically impractical otherwise.”

We believe that true employee engagement is crucial to ACI’s ability to deliver on the promise of our mission, vision, and values. Here are just a few of the ways our digital engagement platform is helping us ensure that we continue to provide unmatched service and solutions:

Empowering Our Employees: A social-media-style communications platform provides an inclusive space where employees’ voices are heard and ideas are shared. This empowers individuals at every level,  leading to higher job satisfaction and increased loyalty.

Enhancing Inclusion and Retention: AccessAtlantic enables employees from diverse backgrounds and departments to connect and collaborate, breaking down silos and promoting cross-functional collaboration. By leveraging our collective intelligence, we can develop innovative solutions for customers while retaining top talent.

Boosting Productivity and Efficiency: AccessAtlantic offers real-time updates, instant messaging, and notification features that eliminate communication bottlenecks and reduce the time spent on back-and-forth emails or phone calls.

AccessAtlantic is bringing these and a host of other advantages to ACI. By providing real-time information, fostering inclusivity, enabling employees’ voices to be heard, and promoting cross-functional collaboration, we are creating an environment that best reflects the values of our company. For our customers, this means enhanced customer service, more innovative solutions, and an exceptional customer experience with extraordinary results.


New Facility Coming Soon

ACI Expands to Accommodate Growth

New Facility to Neighbor Existing HQ

ACI New Facility

What do you do when your 170,000 square foot facility helped propel your company to such a level of success that you now require even more space? Well, if you’re ACI, the answer could not be more obvious.

As you can see, the wooded lot beside our headquarters is undergoing a massive change. It’s all in preparation for a major new construction project: ACI’s second 170,000 square foot facility. Turns out, when you consistently provide extraordinary solutions for your customers, you gain more customers—who want more extraordinary solutions!

Set to come online in October of ’24, the new facility will play a huge role in ACI’s future direction. Evan Shriver, ACI’s CEO, says, “We know that Modular Fabrication is the future of construction. Not only does it increase safety, quality and efficiency of our own projects, it allows us to pursue projects all across the country, without having to move our employees. ACI is already building MEP and Fire Protection systems here to be shipped and installed onsite by other contractors, and we are getting orders for more. It’s a much safer, much more efficient model, but it requires a lot of space. And that space will also help us with our growth in other areas so we can continue to provide all our customers with extraordinary solutions.”

Highlights of the New Facility:

  • Approximately 170,000 ft2
  • New, larger offices for the Service Department
  • Expanded Tool Room
  • Shipping and Receiving
  • Warehouse space to replace off-site storage area.
  • Large area dedicated to Modular Fabrication
  • 12,500 square feet of shell office space for future expansion


ACI Projects

DGS Central Lab

New Lab Construction

About this Project

Scheduled for completion in 2026, ACI will be performing the mechanical, plumbing, and fire protection scope on this new 300K SF lab facility located in Mechanicsville, Virginia. ACI combined scope for this Skanska project is more than 40M.

The building will function as laboratory space, training space, and office space for two independent agencies. This project will increase efficiency by allowing regional DFS operations to be housed in a single facility while also providing space for future expansion.

ACI will be performing the mechanical, plumbing, and fire protection scope on the new 300,000 square foot lab facility.

– 2,000 tons of centrifugal chiller cooling
– Heat shift screw chiller
– Custom AHU’s
– 350 VAVs
– 4-Pipe FCUs
– Tracking air valves
– 35 VRF units
– 3 Cooling Towers
– 6 Boilers
– 620,000 tons of sheet metal

Gallery not found.
basic divider sharper

VSU New Academic Building

Alfred W. Harris Academic Commons

About this Project

ACI was awarded the mechanical, plumbing and fire protection scope for VSUs new 172K SF Academic building.

The project is designed to be a hub of intellectual activity on the campus, boasting three stories, 40+ high tech classrooms, 110+ faculty offices and other academic resources. The new building will be state-of-the-art and include a swimming pool, gymnasium, theatre, and exhibition gallery.

– 2 Chillers
– 6 RTUs
– 223 Term Units/Tracking Boxes/FCUs
– 6 Split Systems
– 12 Fans
– 210,000 lbs of Duct Fabrication
– 7 Water Heaters
– 160 Fixtures

basic divider sharper
UVA Olympic Facility

UVA Olympic Facility

101, 000 Sq Ft Sports Complex

About this Project

ACI is the HVAC and Plumbing Design Assist partner for the new 101,000 square feet UVA Olympic Sports Complex. The design will include new Locker Rooms, Coaches and Staff Offices, Strength and Conditioning, Sports Medicine, Sports Nutrition, Recovery Room, Sports Science, and Technology. The Complex will be centrally located in the athletics precinct and feature Performance Training, Strength and Conditioning, Tutoring, Academic Support Spaces, and Hall of Champions.

Preconstruction is underway and ACI site work begins October of 2023, with final competition targeted for June 2025.

– Mechanical and plumbing systems
– 1 RTU
– 1 DOAU
– 190 TERM UNITS/TRACKING BOXES/FCUs
– 1 HEAT EXCHANGERS
– 1 WATER TREATMENT
– 140,000 LBS OF DUCT FABRICATION
– 317 FIXTURES
– 50,000 LF of combined plumbing and piping

basic divider sharper

Polykon Manufacturing

Aqua US Piping Upgrades

About this Project

When Polykon recognized the need for process improvement they selected Atlantic Constructors’ Industrial group to perform the mechanical scopes of work associated with the new process integration.

We completed the process improvement related process piping, utility piping, miscellaneous metals and rigging/equipment setting on this new state of the art pharmaceutical production facility on the Henrico County manufacturing campus.

– Process Piping Improvements

– Integration of new equipment into existing systems

– $500K

basic divider sharper

INOVA Loudoun Hospital

AHU Moisture Carry-over Project

About this Project

There are eight central station air handling units serving Inova Loudoun Hospital including all the patient care areas and the OR‘s. They have been having trouble with moisture carryover where excess moisture on the coils is driven downstream in the ductwork. To date, ACI has replaced four of the eight coils, all during off hours as to keep disruptions to a minimum.

ACI provided Design Assistance to help find a good approach for replacing the coils in the existing air handing units, while minimizing impacts to the end users. We laser scanned the inside and outside of every air handler so we could custom order coils to fit the dimensions of the existing air handling units. We also created a three-dimensional BIM model of the existing conditions outside of the air handler and then created piping spools, based upon the BIM model. The spools were prefabricated, palletized and shipped to the job site along with the coils. We built a temporary landing pad on the roof and were able to crane up and pre-stage all the prefabricated assemblies and coils. This approach allowed us to essentially take a unit down during off hours, and in a six-hour window, pull out the old coil, put the new coil in, pipe it back out, replace the control valve and reinsulate.

Four of the units were completed in the spring shoulder season. Another area, served by AHU-1, is currently under construction so we are able to complete it this week. The last three will be completed in the fall shoulder season.

basic divider sharper
Confidential Project

Confidential Project

Research Facility

About this Project

DPR chose ACI as a their M&P partner for a brand new research facility in SW Virginia. This project had a very time sensitive schedule which led to several components of the job being pre-fabricated, including 100 Phoenix valves and seven process water skids. The project is expected to finish on time in February of 2024.

ACI performed the M7P scope of work on this $12M research facility (location undisclosed).

Equipment included:

– 3 Air Cooled Chillers
– 8 Air Handling Units
– 3 Strobic Fans
– 100 Phoenix Valves
– 7 Process Water Skids

#   #   #

Atlantic Constructors, Inc. is a full service industrial and commercial contractor headquartered in Richmond, VA (Chesterfield County) with satellite offices in Newport News, Roanoke, and Hampton Roads, VA. Our highly skilled team of over 700 employees serves customers throughout the mid-Atlantic region. For more information, visit www.acibuilds.com.

News

ACI Service Comes to Wilmington

Atlantic Constructors Opens New Commercial Service Office in the Landmark Industrial Park

Bringing the Best in Commercial Service to Wilmington.

That’s right, ACI’s 60+ years of experience is now available in Wilmington, NC., and not from some far away address in Virginia. Our Wilmington Service Division is located where it can help Wilmington businesses the most — just minutes away in Wilmington’s Landmark Industrial Park. Whether it’s comprehensive facilities maintenance or help with chillers, boilers or air handlers, ACI is here and we have you covered for all your HVAC maintenance and installation needs. Our team of Wilmington-based experts can get you up and running in an emergency or customize a preventative maintenance plan to help lower costs and decrease downtime.

Find out more about what ACI’s Wilmington Service Division can do for your business.

#   #   #

Atlantic Constructors, Inc. is a full service industrial and commercial contractor headquartered in Richmond, VA (Chesterfield County) with offices in Hampton Roads, Roanoke, Sterling, and Wilmington, NC. Our highly skilled team of over 1,000 employees serves customers throughout the mid-Atlantic region. For more information, visit  www.acibuilds.com.

News

Revisiting The Year That Was

There’s no denying that 2022 came in with a great deal of uncertainty. While most of the business world appeared to be coming back from the paralysis of Covid 19, there were no guarantees, particularly in the world of construction. But for ACI, 2022 turned out to be a banner year, one that came to a close as our efforts were coming to a close on the largest project in company history (VCU’s Children’s Hospital Tower), all while expanding our offices in Roanoke and Hampton Roads, extending our footprint into North Carolina, and launching a brand-new national division devoted to modular construction— Atlantic Modular.

Of course, those weren’t ACI’s only EXTRAORDINARY accomplishments from last year. Read on to learn more about some other 2022 projects of note!

aci divider 3
NICH-Main-graphic

VCU Children's Hospital Tower

Getting to TCO by Year End

ACI was initially awarded only the sheetmetal portion of this massive hospital addition (14M out of 65M total) in Q1 of 2020. However, later in that year, ACI was asked to take on the entirety of the project: plumbing, mechanical, and med gas, as well as providing all air handlers, med gas compressors, pumps, and heat exchangers, as well as VDC for all the mechanical / plumbing trades.

So why is a project we began in 2020 on our 2022 Year in Review? Because even though we were brought in late in the project cycle, we were able to execute on the largest single project in ACI history and meet the customer’s deadline of having the facility ready for occupancy by 12/31/22, all within a working hospital that saw patients Monday through Saturday, 12 hours a day.

About this Project

Total length of pipe utilized:
Nearly 20,000 feet ( cast iron, steel, copper, etc)
(Equates to 37 miles of pipe)

Pounds of duct throughout:
58,000 lbs
(This is 291 tons of duct – or roughly 3 adult blue whales!)

2025 tons of cooling capacity

335000 CFM of Main AHUs (5AHUs)

6075 GPM of condenser water

3030 GPM of chilled water

39,000 steam lbs/hr

………………………………………………………………………………

Number of Man-hours:
Total Hours: 583,788
Man Days: 72, 974
Man Weeks: 14, 595
Man Months: 3,649
Man Years: 304

Scroll/Click for Larger Image

basic divider sharper
Dominion_ITC-Main-graphic

Dominion Energy: Innsbrook Technology Center

Renovation and Lab Addition

ACI’s work began on Dominion Energy’s Innsbrook Technology center in Glen Allen, Virginia in October of 2021; the TCO for the building was obtained in November of 2022.

The facility is comprised of a large two-story building with office spaces and a new laboratory space. ACI’s 3.1 M scope of work consisted of plumbing and mechanical, both above and below ground.

About this Project

This 420,000-SF phased renovation and new laboratory took place while the ITC was occupied and running 24/7, conducting critical operations. Among the many contributions ACI made to the project were:

2 Roof-Top Air Handling Units (AHUs)

6 Computer Room Air Conditioning Units (CRACs)

A chilled water piping system fed the AHUs and CRAC units and was tied-in to the existing building’s systems.

The underground sanitary pipe from the new building was tied-in to the existing building at the basement level.

 

Scroll/Click for Larger Image

basic divider sharper
ADVAN_six-Main-graphic

AdvanSix (Hopewell): Kellogg HTS Vessel Replacement

Fall 2022 Turnaround

ACI coordinated work with ten subcontractors throughout the duration of AdvanSix’s Fall Turnaround. This included working with: electrical, insulation, scaffolding, asbestos abatement, cranes, hydro-cutting, pre-heat & post weld heat treating (PWHT), a rigging engineer, a rock base for crane pad, and NDE of piping welds.

Working 2-12 hour shifts for 15 straight days during the turnaround, with roughly 16 people per shift, our ability to pre-plan and follow a detailed schedule allowed ACI to complete our work scope 2 days ahead of the 17-day planned outage schedule, saving valuable time for our customer.

About this Project

In addition to being the project with what may be the largest lift ever undertaken by ACI Richmond (355,000 pounds, fully loaded with catalyst, platforms, and piping) there was much more to the 4.5 M Kellogg HTS Vessel Replacement project, as it involved removing the existing vessel as well as the installation of the new. Here are just a few of the project details:

16,000 man hours, split between shop and field.

A “hydro-cutting” subcontractor was utilized to cut the existing HTS vessel and separate it from the LTS vessel below.

ACI designed a rigging plan for lifting the original 3¼ thick vessel (from 1965).

The existing HTS vessel was rigged and removed by ACI using a 650 Ton crane (MLC-650).

ACI offloaded & up righted the new HTS vessel on site prior to the outage and then set the new HTS vessel during the outage.

 

 

 

 

Scroll/Click for Larger Image

basic divider sharper
Mondeleze Main graphic

Mondelez International Bakery Line Expansion

Oreo Production Comes to Richmond

ACI was the mechanical & equipment setting contractor for the Modelez Inernational 69,000 SF building expansion in Henrico County, Virginia.  Dedicated to a new Oreo Production Line, the final contract value for this sweet project was 5.3 M.

About this Project

Below are some of the installations and fabrications carried out by ACI.

 

INSTALLATIONS:

  • Chiller and 3 dehumidifiers on roof (10,000lb, 5,000lbs, 3,000lbs)
  • 600+ feet of Houdijk conveyor
  • 600+ feet of Imaforni cooling conveyor
  • IJ White Spiral cooling conveyor and insulated panel walls
  • ¾ of mile belt on IJ White spiral cooling conveyor
  • 100m long oven, and belt on second floor of existing building
  • 2800+ feet of conveyor belts


FABRICATIONS & INSTALLATIONS:

  • Two platforms— a combined 28 tons of steel
  • Steel framing for conveyors—25 tons of steel

Scroll/Click for Larger Image

basic divider sharper
VCU MAin graphic

VCU Main 3 Interventional Radiology

Phased Renovation at an Active Urban Hospital

ACI was the prime Mechanical and Plumbing Trades Contractor for this 11M phased renovation of an active hospital in downtown Richmond. In order to meet project milestones and deliverables, ACI maintained multiple shifts and alternated between day and night shifts. This approach also greatly aided in keeping disruption within the active hospital to a minimum.

About this Project

The primary scope comprised the replacement of the HVAC system, including installation of a new 55,000 CFM knocked-down custom air handler on the 4th-floor mechanical room, VRF systems, isolation rooms, ventilation and general exhaust systems, plumbing, medical gas, four CLEANSUITE ceiling systems, and CRAC Unit installation for IT and electrical equipment rooms.

This project necessitated the installation of a temporary 45,000 CFM temporary air handler with duct and chilled water system to keep the third floor active during the demolition of the existing custom air handling unit.

………………………………………………………………………………

Number of Total Man-hours: 107,453

184 tons Airconditioning system

136,620 pounds of ductwork 

15 fan arrays on the permanent air handler – supply and return

Scroll/Click for Larger Image

#   #   #

Atlantic Constructors, Inc. is a full service industrial and commercial contractor headquartered in Richmond, VA (Chesterfield County) with satellite offices in Newport News, Roanoke, and Hampton Roads, VA. Our highly skilled team of over 700 employees serves customers throughout the mid-Atlantic region. For more information, visit www.acibuilds.com.

News

ACI Achieves Diamond Safety Level

Atlantic Constructors Recognized for Diamond Level
Safety Standards Through ABC STEP Program

Richmond, Va. (April 4, 2022) – Atlantic Constructors, Inc. (ACI), announced it has achieved Diamond Level in Associated Builders and Contractor’s STEP Safety Management System, meaning the company is 655% safer than the industry average. Founded more than three decades ago, STEP has evolved into a world-class safety program that dramatically improves safety performance among construction industry participants. This award marks ACI’s eighth Diamond Level recognition since 2011 and its fourth in as many years.

“We are very proud of our entire ACI team for this achievement. Nothing else matters if we all do not make it home safely every day,” said ACI President Terrence Kerner.

STEP participants measure their safety processes and policies on key components through a detailed questionnaire with the goal of implementing or enhancing safety programs that reduce jobsite incidents.

This can reduce recordable incidents up to 85%, making the best performing companies more than eight times safer than the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics industry average. Ratings range from Diamond, the highest, to Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Participant.

“Safety is a journey, and that journey is possible because of systems like STEP, which enables ABC member contractors like Atlantic Constructors to have a safer and more productive jobsite,” said Greg Sizemore, ABC Vice President of Health, Safety, Environment and Workforce Development. “I commend ACI for consistently raising the bar of safety performance.”

To learn more about the STEP program, visit abcstep.org.

#   #   #

Atlantic Constructors, Inc. is a full service industrial and commercial contractor headquartered in Richmond, VA (Chesterfield County) with offices in Hampton Road, Roanoke, Sterling, VA. Our highly skilled team of over 1,000 employees serves customers throughout the mid-Atlantic region. For more information, visit  www.acibuilds.com.

News

State Police Commendation

We received this commendation for Service team member, Matt Pulley, for exemplifying ACI’s commitment to providing extraordinary service to our customers! Well done, Matt!

Greetings,

I want to take the opportunity to commend the hard work and dedication of Matt Pulley. I want to start by saying Matt represents your company very well.

You may not be aware, but the HVAC system at the State Police Area 22 Office in South Hill VA was on the verge of failing. We had obtained a PO … for your company to repair the system. Matt came out to the office to make the repairs.

At no fault of Matt’s after he had taken our system down and had gotten into the heart of our system beyond the point of no return, he discovered he had the wrong part. Naturally, I was very upset. Matt was very diplomatic, calm, and reassuring in explaining the issue. We had to close the office down until the replacement part could be obtained.

At the time, the best case scenario was the following afternoon or evening. Matt made it clear he was prepared to move mountains to get our office back up and running. Sure enough, the next day in the early afternoon, Matt called the on duty sergeant and explained the part had just arrived Richmond and he was headed that way to pick it up, return to the office in South Hill, and install it. Matt didn’t leave our office until after 9PM that night.

Bottom line, my office had a worst case scenario, the HVAC system went down and we had to close the office to the public. I don’t have to explain the problems that causes a public safety entity like mine. Matt took our worst case scenario and turned it into a best case scenario. We were back up and running in just over 24 hours. Furthermore, Matt returned the very next morning to address other related issues.

In closing, please know of our gratitude for Matt’s skill, hard work, and professionalism he demonstrated in getting our office back up and running.

Service, valor, pride!

First Sergeant Sidney C. Leslie
Virginia Department of State Police
Area 22 Commander (South Hill)

News

Your Complete OUTDOOR Cooling Solution!

Your patio or deck can be just as comfortable as your indoor entertainment spaces. Our Turbo Cool outdoor cooling system creates crisp, refreshing air that feels just like outdoor AC. Say goodbye to traditional fans that do little more than circulate the hot, muggy air.

Stop losing money to heat and humidity; rent or buy our Turbo Cool system and keep your outdoor tables full!

Click here for more information about ACI’s Turbo Cool rental program.

News

Blueprint for Health Conversation

Join us Today, October 14 | 4:30 – 5:00 pm

Heart disease and stroke cause 1 in 3 deaths among women each year– more than all cancers combined. That means heart disease claims the life of a woman every 80 seconds! But we can change that, because 80% of cardiac and stroke events may be prevented with education and action.

 

Join us for this free presentation from Lisa Lingerfelt of DPR Construction and VCU Health cardiologist, Dr. Barbara Lawson as they share ways to relieve stress in the construction industry and and share the signs, symptoms, and misconceptions about heart disease in woman that may be putting you or a loved one at risk.

Click Here to Register for Today’s Free Zoom Webinar

 

Why Hard Hats with Heart?

Life is Why.
We want people to experience more of life’s precious moments. It’s why we’ve made better heart and brain health our mission. And until there’s a world free of heart disease and stroke, we’ll be here, working to make a healthier, longer life possible for everyone.

Through the Hard Hats with Heart initiative, American Heart Association will provide resources and inspiration to our partners in the construction industry to help create a culture of wellness for their workforce.

Every 25 seconds someone has a heart attack, the #1 cause of death

Every 40 seconds, someone has a stroke,the #5 cause of death

41% of construction workers were diagnosed withhypertension

Construction workers with heart disease are 60% more likely to retire on disability

Construction workers exposed to long-term loud noise are at an increased risk for heart disease

#   #   #

Atlantic Constructors, Inc. is a full service industrial and commercial contractor headquartered in Richmond, VA (Chesterfield County) with satellite offices in Newport News, Roanoke, and Hampton Roads, VA. Our highly skilled team of over 700 employees serves customers throughout the mid-Atlantic region. For more information, visit www.acibuilds.com.

News

Introducing Inclusion and Diversity Corner!

We hope you enjoy— and are informed by— this first in an ongoing series of articles from ACI’s Director of Diversity Strategies, Bill Cooper (Coop).

What do Small Businesses Need Most?

I first remember hearing this question asked more than 20 years ago at a conference focused on minority businesses. The question was asked by Mel Gravely, now CEO of Triversity Construction in Cincinnati, Ohio. Mel, a thought leader on minority business success, was then the CEO of the Institute for Entrepreneurial Thinking. (Mel actually used minority businesses in asking however I choose to use small in order to address a wider audience).

Since this time, when I have asked audiences, “What do small businesses need most?” like Mel, predictably, I got the same responses – cash and contracts.

I learned from Mel, and the School of Hard Knocks, that while cash and contracts are important—they are not as important as developing and executing a strategy for a small business. Leonard Greenhalgh and James Lowry confirmed this fact in their book, Minority Business Success: Refocusing on the American Dream. They contend that easy access to contracts and capital can “actually be counterproductive if the MBE (minority business enterprise) is not set up to deliver on the contracts or to use the capital wisely.”

Using data collected at the Amos Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, they compiled a list of the shortcomings most likely to hamper an MBE’s success. Number one on the prioritized list – lack of strategic clarity.

Greenhalgh and Lowry, as well as Gravely, agree that in order to develop this clarity, small businesses must be able to answer questions like:

  • What’s happening in the market?
  • Where do I fit in the value chain?
  • How and where do we compete?
  • How do we consistently deliver on our promises?
  • How do we make money?
  • How do we plan to grow? What customers do we pursue; what customers do we let go?
  • Who do I hire? Who do I buy from?

While this list is not exhaustive, answers to these questions and others like them will provide business owners with the road map that they need in order to understand where they (and their business) are going.

Putting in work to answer the questions that help provide strategic clarity offers owners a clearer path to profits, growth, and ultimately wealth. This work is an example of the owner working ON his/her business rather than IN that business. Because it’s often easy for the busy entrepreneur to get so caught up on working IN the business (cutting hair in the barber shop, baking cakes in the pastry shop, or supervising the crew on a jobsite) they may fail to make time to work ON their business (developing a strategy, doing research, or attending training to improve their business acumen).

By the way, for those of us who support and advocate on behalf of small business success, when we simply seek firms to satisfy diverse supplier requirements, might it be said of us that we are only working IN our business? For us to be working ON our business, we need to constantly remind them to stay ON it…

Ciao!

Coop

#   #   #

Atlantic Constructors, Inc. is a full service industrial and commercial contractor headquartered in Richmond, VA (Chesterfield County) with satellite offices in Newport News, Roanoke, and Hampton Roads, VA. Our highly skilled team of over 700 employees serves customers throughout the mid-Atlantic region. For more information, visit www.acibuilds.com.