All Rooftop Air Handling Units generate noise and vibration. The built in “internal spring isolators” are difficult to adjust, so quite often the fan is left sitting on the shipping blocks. If a 250 pound mechanic manages to squeeze through the 2 X 4 ft. access opening, and execute the graceful ballet movements to reach…
Throughout the years we have had the pleasure of working on some of the tallest buildings in the world. The latest mega-project that we are working on is the Costanera Center in Santiago, Chile. The photograph below shows the Gran Torre Santiago, the marquis building of the complex at almost 1000 feet tall, the tallest…
Congratulations to Steve Fey for 25 years of exemplary service to Mason Industries. Actually, it’s closer to 27 years, but who’s counting? Steve was joined by his family and about 100 of his closest friends from the office at Norm Mason’s house this past June to celebrate his wonderful accomplishment. Steve joins ten of his…
The support of pipe risers subject to thermal expansion or contraction has presented tremendous problems for mechanical and structural engineers, and Mason Industries was there to help. Our long standing, and proven recommendation of supporting a solid, straight riser on springs, is still the best solution. This method utilizes a central isolated anchor which cuts…
Acoustical barrier ceilings are used to reduce noise transmission between rooms. These multiple layer sheet rock barrier ceilings should not be confused with light weight drop in acoustical ceilings, whose primary function is to absorb sound within a room, but have virtually no effect on noise transmission. We have had the pleasure of working with…
Mason Industries has come up with another interesting curb innovation, The Catwalk Rooftop Spring Curb. Why attach a Catwalk, or service platform, to an RSC? Large air handling units are often elevated more than 4 ft. above the finished roof line. Servicing units becomes difficult without the help of a catwalk. In other cases, sections…
Designing an exhaust piping system in a seismic zone can get complicated. The extreme change in temperature of the exhaust piping very often requires the introduction of an expansion joint to keep the pipe stress at an acceptable level as the pipe grows, and the seismic restraints have the opposing task of keeping the pipe…
Air springs are the best solution for eliminating structurally transmitted noise and vibration from equipment to acoustically sensitive areas. Air springs support equipment with pressurized air within a thin walled rubber container, similar to, but lighter than the side walls of an automobile tire. Even high deflection steel springs cannot match the air spring’s natural…
Times have changed. When I started at Mason Industries over 31 years ago I was put behind a drafting table, equipped with a set of triangles, a tee square and few pencils. A couple of years later Norm Mason gave everyone a calculator (I am still using the same TI-56 SLR). New engineers can design…
Last August, we received an unusual request from an engineering firm working with Shell Oil on a new oil and gas platform. They wanted to know if we could build a semi-circular bumper system for risers used in deep sea drilling. Ocean currents were causing their piping to move within their riser clamp and imposing…