Category Archives: Global

The construction industry will need to attract an estimated 439,000 net new workers in 2025 to meet anticipated demand for construction services, according to a proprietary model developed and released recently by ABC. In 2026, the industry will need to bring in 499,000 new workers, as spending picks up in response to presumed lower interest rates.

“While the construction workforce has become younger and more plentiful in recent years, the industry still must attract 439,000 new workers in 2025 to balance supply and demand,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “If it fails to do so, industrywide labor cost escalation will accelerate, exacerbating already high construction costs and reducing the volume of work that is financially feasible. Average hourly earnings throughout the industry are up 4.4% over the past 12 months, significantly outpacing earnings growth across all industries.”

ABC’s proprietary model uses the historical relationship between inflation-adjusted construction spending growth, sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Construction Put in Place Survey, and payroll construction employment, sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, to convert anticipated increases in construction outlays into demand for construction workers at a rate of approximately 3,550 jobs per billion dollars of additional spending. The model also incorporates the current level of job openings, unemployment, and projected industry retirements and exits into its computations.

“This represents improved labor availability relative to recent years,” said Basu. “The improvement can be traced to two primary factors. First, construction spending is expected to grow at its slowest pace in years throughout 2025, especially in interest rate-sensitive segments like homebuilding. Interest rates will remain elevated in 2025 before likely beginning to dip next year. Second, the industrywide workforce has become significantly younger over the past several quarters, with the median construction worker now younger than 42 for the first time since 2011. As a result, the pace of retirements is expected to slow this year.

“Despite that improvement, contractors will struggle to fill open positions,” said Basu. “This will be especially true in areas where manufacturing and data center megaprojects are underway. More than $1 in every $5 spent on nonresidential construction currently goes toward manufacturing projects, and those projects are absorbing a significant share of the labor force in their respective regions.”

“The U.S. construction industry’s efforts to hire more workers to replace retirees and meet the demand for new construction projects gained momentum in 2024,” said Michael Bellaman, ABC President and CEO. “That is fantastic news, but we still have a long way to go to shore up the talent pipeline. The data on the number of young people choosing a career in construction suggests that employing practical technology and innovation in educational programs and on jobsites helps maximize the productivity and efficiency of the construction workforce. ABC’s all-of-the-above workforce development strategy is working to draw new entrants into the industry through hundreds of entry points, and upskill them through both industry-driven and government-registered apprenticeship programs.”

“There are also factors that could render this model overly conservative, meaning worker shortages could be more severe than predicted in 2025,” said Basu. “While the consensus forecast has construction spending increasing by less than 3% in 2025, that same forecast has underestimated growth by a significant margin during each of the past 3 years. If inflation dissipates in coming months, borrowing costs will subside and construction volumes will increase. Faster-than-expected immigration over the past few years has also bolstered labor supply, and potential changes to immigration policy will likely constrain worker availability.”

“ABC’s goal is to work with the Trump administration and Congress to create a visa system that allows people who want to contribute to society and work legally in the construction industry to do so,” said Bellaman

“President Trump and the 119th Congress have a significant opportunity to advance policies and regulations that protect free enterprise, reduce regulatory burdens, [and] expand workforce development,” said Bellaman.

As we move into 2025, understanding the trends and factors affecting the built environment is more important than ever. Not all sectors, geographies, and business models will see the same outcomes. Gaining insight into what is likely to shape your strategy will be critical for success in the latter half of this decade.

There are many factors influencing how construction spending will close out the decade, including the current political climate, policy and funding shifts, and changing priorities across sectors. While we cannot predict the future, there are several areas that will likely have an outsized impact on construction spending.

Following are four of the most important trends that will shape engineering, construction, and other areas of the built environment in the coming years. We at FMI also offer some questions for executives to consider when looking to understand the operating environment and how to make strategic decisions that will drive long-term results.

 

TREND 1

Increases in data centers and reshoring of manufacturing facilities are driving engineering and construction (E&C) growth.

Spending on data centers is forecast to reach more than $30 billion by 2026, with an annual growth rate of more than 10% through 2026.

Private data center spending, which is a subset of the broader office sector, rose 60% from 2023 levels through the third quarter of 2024. New inventory grew by more than 20%, driven by surging demand for artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing. Spending on data centers is forecast to reach more than $30 billion by 2026, with an annual growth rate of more than 10% through 2026.

But it is not enough to quickly assemble a metal building on a concrete slab and add servers. The design and construction of data centers are changing to incorporate increased demand and new trends in the industry, such as the need to be more energy efficient. Since data centers consume 10 to 50 times the energy of commercial office buildings, owners are looking for energy-efficient solutions. This is especially true for hyperscale data centers because many large technology companies pledged to reduce their carbon emissions and integrate sustainability into their operations.

The rise in data centers is also changing how electricity is produced and how much it costs. Data centers use an estimated 2% of the total electricity consumed in the United States1, and this use is expected to grow. That means upgrading transmission and distribution infrastructure is essential to meeting demands. Strategic investments in smart grids, energy storage, and grid flexibility allow electrical providers to effectively address the evolving requirements of electrification, support clean energy initiatives, and achieve emissions reduction targets while ensuring reliable and sustainable power supplies.

Because transmission and distribution lines already carry substantial energy loads, and substations are often located on the outskirts of urbanized areas, there is a clear need to prioritize upgrades, maintenance, and restoration work on the electrical infrastructure. The lack of capital and necessary labor force coupled with the extensive timelines for major transmission projects further emphasizes the need to efficiently and intelligently expand the grid. Power system engineering providers and software solutions sit at the forefront of this massive development effort.

Besides data centers, construction spending will be driven by manufacturing. In October 2024, manufacturing construction spending reached $236 million2, up 16.6% from the year before, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted supply chain risks and other gaps in U.S. manufacturing, prompting many companies to begin moving production to the United States. The risk of tariffs and other trade policy changes is also pushing many to build greater flexibility into their procurement strategies to help navigate uncertainty and diversify supply chains.

Critical questions to ask yourself:
  • The continued data center builds to support AI are driving up the demand for power and the price of electricity. How does this impact traditional energy efficiency efforts?
  • What happens after the federal stimulus program money is spent, especially given the transition toward smaller government spending and initiatives?
  • What constraints are data centers putting on your business, including access to skilled labor, material procurement, transportation logistics, etc.? How can you work to combat these challenges?
  • What strategies are you employing to integrate sustainability and resilience into your projects, ensuring you meet both regulatory requirements and client expectations in a rapidly evolving market?

 

TREND 2

Long-term efficiency and sustainability implications are reshaping how our world is built.

The U.S. Government is mandating that state departments of transportation develop climate resiliency plans to qualify for federal funding and designated more than $50 billion to enhance climate adaptation and resilience nationwide.

As FMI wrote in our paper, “The Seven Biggest Trends Affecting Infrastructure Today3,” the movement to reduce the United States’ carbon footprint is driving significant investment allocations in renewable energy infrastructure and the grid, sustainable transportation systems, and low-carbon construction materials and building products. In fact, investments in clean energy technologies in the United State are expected to surpass $300 billion4 in 2024, outpacing fossil fuel investment by a factor of two. Looking beyond mandates and sustainability goals that are driving these investments, renewable energy generation costs have declined considerably, allowing them to frequently compete with or surpass new fossil fuel plants. Technological advances and large-scale production have facilitated these reductions, making renewables highly competitive.

The Energy Information Administration is forecasting a substantial increase in the use of renewables, with solar energy capacities expected to grow by 128% over a 3-year period ending in 2025, and wind energy infrastructure expected to expand by nearly 15% in the same period5.

While we expect this shift to continue long-term, the new administration’s stance on specific initiatives and certain companies pulling back on environmental, social, and governance commitments, will likely bring potential setbacks in the adoption of renewable energy. This is something that the industry has continuously faced over the past decade, while continuing to outpace projected growth. Long-term, however, the rising cost of electricity and the need to find cost-cutting measures across the energy spectrum will continue to push new sources of generation across the board.

Adding to the shift in energy sources is the movement of more people to cities. Those living in cities and surrounding suburbs made up about 83% of the U.S. population in 2020, up from 64% in 1950. This urbanization trend is expected to continue, with 89% of the U.S. population expected to live in cities by 20506.

The continuing population shift from rural areas is expected to challenge the capacity of transit systems, roadways and utility systems in developed areas, driving the need for further infrastructure investments and increasing subsequent development, engineering, and construction activity. This population shift puts increasing pressure on an already overburdened and aging infrastructure base, which will require investments in maintenance and repairs just to keep up with the status quo.

The United States is also dealing with rising costs from natural disasters and shifting investments to infrastructure that can withstand extreme winds, water, fire, and other events. The U.S. Government is mandating that state departments of transportation develop climate resiliency plans to qualify for federal funding, and designated more than $50 billion to enhance climate adaptation and resilience nationwide, particularly in communities most vulnerable to flooding, wind damage, and other extreme weather.

This mandate will shift where states invest and how they design, bid on, and execute projects. Stakeholders will also likely see increased demand for projects to fortify roads, bridges, and other structures against extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and other climate-related risks.

The enhanced focus on addressing aging U.S. infrastructure—and a funding influx and numerous high-priority initiatives—present an opportunity for those ready to capitalize on the trends.

Ask yourself:
  • Will the threat or implementation of tariffs impact the supply chain or cause elevated inflation? Or will it result in a strengthening of the dollar and have a limited impact on domestic spending?
  • How will the pace and shape of the energy transition change under the new administration?
  • How do changes in federal administrative regulations impact companies in the built environment?
  • To what degree are corporations comfortable resisting pressure from the new administration to stick with long-term sustainability goals?

 

TREND 3

Companies that put workers first are solving key labor challenges.

It takes dedicated leadership who are committed to empowering their employees to manage their careers. This is a critical piece of the puzzle in solving for labor constraints.

It is time to shift our thinking about labor in construction. Labor is and always will be a constraint on E&C firms, whether you are building a road, a data center, or a multifamily unit. What we have learned over the years working with clients is that companies not experiencing labor issues put workers at the forefront of all their decisions.

Our nonresidential construction index survey this quarter tackled labor questions, finding that 38% of respondents expect to somewhat increase hiring, and 41% plan to keep it about the same as 2024 levels. Most survey respondents plan to keep project staffing for field and skilled labor, project management, and estimators and office functions the same as in 2023, but that still indicates that companies need to hire workers across the project spectrum.

The open-ended responses to our survey questions revealed many of the reasons hiring remains a challenge, such as the increase in revenue and backlog, growing project size, the need for greater oversight of poorly executed project documents, constraints from immigration policies, growing competition, and project delays causing strain on skilled labor. While the challenges may vary by company, contractor type, or region, the need remains the same: replace departing workers and hire the right people to execute your project pipeline.

But as we all know, it is not enough to hire workers. You need to train and develop these individuals to keep them engaged. Companies with clear pipelines for developing talent, whether it is field leaders or those expected to take on roles in the C-suite, understand that putting power and decision-making capabilities into the hands of those who are best equipped to execute the work helps streamline operations and fuels employees’ job satisfaction.

Companies that have the right mix of competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, meaningful work, and talent development programs, along with clear management succession plans, are attracting and retaining the best workers and seeing more growth compared to their peers. It takes dedicated leaders who are committed to empowering their employees to manage their careers. This is a critical piece of the puzzle in solving for labor constraints. You can take action to position your company for the future, craft a talent strategy that supports your performance and goals, and ensure you have a clear path to success.

Ask yourself:
  • Do you and your team have a clear and compelling vision for your organization?
  • Have you effectively communicated your vision and how your team members contribute to that success?
  • Are your leaders prepared to lead in today’s operating environment?
  • Are you proud of every aspect of your culture, and are you leading effectively?

 

TREND 4

Companies that leverage digital tools are boosting operational efficiency and profitability in construction.

Aligning strategies with the right technology and data, including AI solutions, is crucial to achieving business goals.

Technology continues to transform the way we work, especially in the built environment. From building information modeling, which enhances constructability and coordination, to advanced analytics powered by AI, which optimizes project planning and supply chain management, the opportunities for increased efficiency are unparalleled. Autonomous job sites are redefining logistics, materials management, and manpower allocation, while robotics installations deliver unmatched precision, reducing both time and costs. These innovations are reshaping the construction lifecycle, driving significant productivity and profitability gains.

However, technology is only part of the solution. To unlock its full potential, companies need a clear business strategy aligned with a comprehensive data and technology roadmap. A successful transformation begins with understanding the “why” behind technology investments and developing a well-defined, actionable plan to help you achieve measurable results.

To develop a clear strategy, you need to ensure your workforce fully understands every project. In your leadership role, you need to understand your employees’ depth of expertise, their current challenges, and what it will take to empower them to adopt advanced tools. And technology adoption is not just about tools; it is about giving your teams the tools and information needed for long-term growth and success. By addressing these fundamentals and combining digital tools with improved processes, companies can ensure that technology enhances collaboration, efficiency, and profitability.

Digital transformation is not a one-time event; it is a continuous, proactive journey. Every individual in the company must be involved and guided by a shared vision and direction. Success demands a structured, ongoing effort to implement, refine, and update tools and processes that grow alongside your team and your business.

Aligning strategies with the right technology and data, including AI solutions, is crucial to achieving business goals. From project selection and preconstruction to cost estimating and post-job reviews, operational excellence hinges on disciplined process improvements that empower teams to adapt, grow, and sustain long-term success.

Key questions to consider:
  • What tools do you have that can drive productivity, and what obstacles prevent
    you from fully leveraging them?
  • How can you ensure your people have the right technology and processes to maximize efficiency and performance?
  • What is your strategy for aligning technological investments with your long-term business objectives and operational road map?
  • How can you leverage data, AI, and other digital tools better to improve decision making and streamline key processes like preconstruction and project delivery?
  • What metrics will you use to measure the success of your digital transformation, and how will you refine your approach based on the results?
What it Means for You

The built environment is entering a transformative era, shaped by rapid technological advancements, shifting economic dynamics, and an evolving regulatory landscape. From the rise of AI-driven tools to the increasing demand for sustainable solutions, the forces driving change are vast, complex, and interconnected.

For executives, the challenge is not just to react but to anticipate and strategically position their organizations to thrive. The questions raised throughout this article serve as guideposts— prompting leaders to evaluate their approaches to labor shortages, digital transformation, and energy transitions. The organizations that embrace adaptability, invest in their people, and leverage innovation will be the ones that define the future of our industry.

As we move into 2025 and beyond, one thing remains clear: Success will belong to those who can connect long-term vision with decisive action. Now is the time to seize the opportunities ahead, challenge conventional thinking, and build a foundation for sustained growth and impact.

References:
1. https://www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/data-centers-and-servers
2. https://www.census.gov/construction/c30/pdf/release.pdf
3. https://fmicorp.com/insights/industry-insights/the-seven-biggest-trends-affecting-infrastructure-in-2025
4. https://www.iea.org/news/investment-in-clean-energy-this-year-is-set-to-be-twice-the-amount-going-to-fossil-fuels
5. https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=61242
6. https://css.umich.edu/publications/factsheets/built-environment/us-cities-factsheet#%3A~%3Atext%3D83%25%20of%20the%20U.S.%20population%2Cto%20live%20in%20urban%20areas

 

A similar article was written on this topic 11 years ago. From a safety perspective, much has remained the same, but OSHA is now more aggressive. Safety should be a key component of every job, regardless of size, and contractors should prioritize safety planning when they are developing their bids. The cost of maintaining a safe jobsite should be considered and made part of the bid; and if the contractor gets the job, it should be treated as an integral part of the project. Not only will this greatly reduce the potential for expensive enforcement actions by OSHA, but it will also greatly reduce the likelihood of serious and costly injuries on the job. When contractors visit jobsites to obtain project information, they should also evaluate safety concerns to outline what is needed to finish the job safely and in compliance with all applicable codes, standards, etc.

When assessing a jobsite, it is important to keep in mind what you require to accomplish the job safely, as well as the things you may need on site when you start work to ensure the safety of all employees. Once you have a contract, it is time to put into effect those things you identified during your pre-bid assessment and make decisions about what you must have before you begin work.

The following is a starter list of points to consider before beginning any project (or workday). The steps and requirements may change as the regulatory environment changes.

  • Identify the employees who are going to make up the project crew. Confirm that each employee has received the necessary safety training to perform the job safely and that the training has been properly rendered and appropriately documented. This includes the use of any personal protective equipment (PPE), hazard recognition, and steps to take if they perceive a potential hazard exposure. This training should include their initial new-hire orientation, as well as jobsite orientation for the location where they will be working.
  • Confirm that your Safety Director, Consultant, or other individual responsible for safety has a site safety plan for this project. This should include a job hazard assessment. From a workday perspective, ensure that each employee on the crew has completed a Pre-Task Plan (PTP) or received a documented safety briefing by the Site Supervisor covering the work to be performed that day.
  • Be sure that the site competent person, or your site or branch Safety Representative, has surveyed the site and identified all confined spaces. Be sure that all confined spaces are correctly labeled, and that all Permit Required Confined Spaces (PRCS) are so labeled with an appropriate sign, including a “DO NOT ENTER” warning. Document this assessment and the completion of this task.
  • Confirm that if any exposure assessments are required, they have been or will be completed on the first day. These assessments should be in each employee’s breathing zone. If the exposure assessment is being performed on the first day, ensure that all employees are protected at the level required by OSHA until the results of the exposure assessment are known. If the assessment indicates that personal respiratory protection needs to be worn, be sure each employee who will need to wear such protection has completed the assessment required by OSHA Standard 1910.134 (this will include completion of the required questionnaire, as well as any testing).
  • Keep a copy of your company safety program on the jobsite, along with a copy of your company’s hazard communication program.
  • Ensure that sufficient PPE is on site for all employees.
  • Make sure that all PPE on site has been inspected, is in good condition, and is safe to use. In addition, every employee who will wear PPE should inspect it before they wear and rely on it for protection.
  • Whenever possible, assign a well-trained competent person to work at the site most employers in the construction industry qualify each Site Supervisor or Foreperson as a competent person. Alternatively, schedule this person to visit the jobsite several times a day to perform the necessary safety walk-around inspections and ensure that all employees are working in compliance with all company safety rules. You should consider this a minimum requirement, and you should strive to assign a competent person to each jobsite to be there whenever work is being performed. Remember that some OSHA standards have requirements beyond the basic guidelines for a competent person that apply to the areas covered by those standards.
  • Be certain that management on the jobsite knows how to respond to a visit from a federal or state OSHA Representative, how to conduct an accident investigation, and how to perform regular daily safety audits. Site safety compliance audits and inspections should be performed multiple times each day, and the results of the audits/inspections should be documented.
  • Have someone on the site assigned as responsible for determining the predicted heat index for the day, or—in the case of cold work—the projected low temperature, and arrange appropriate safeguards for either situation. The responsible person should monitor the heat index or low temperature during the entire day and take any necessary steps described in your heat illness or cold injury protection programs.
  • If scaffolding is to be used on the project, ensure that it is designed by a qualified person and erected under the supervision of a competent person.
  • Be certain that any ladders on the jobsite erected by your employees or to be used by your employees are properly erected and tied off, and that the ingress and egress points to the ladders are guarded from displacement. Be sure that any employees who will use ladders have been trained under and comply with your ladder safety program when erecting and/or using the ladders.
  • Have a written procedure in place to identify damaged or unsafe equipment, tag it, document your inspection, and remove any such equipment from the work site until it is properly repaired. This procedure should include the methods you use to train employees to identify damaged and/or unsafe equipment.

Upon arriving at the jobsite, the contractor should also check safety compliance by confirming that the site is completely prepared for work in regard to safety standards. In addition to following all state and federal regulations, contractors should:

  • Address all fall protection issues. These include, but are not limited to, ensuring that warning lines or guardrails are properly erected (where appropriate), that personal fall-arrest equipment is in place, and that adequate anchors are in place for the personal fall-arrest equipment. It is also important to make sure that employees are wearing their personal fall-arrest equipment correctly; and, in the case of fall protection, are connected to their safety lines and anchors.
    Ensure that any employee who might have ANY possibility of being exposed to a fall of more than 6 feet has been trained by a competent person, and that the person who provided the training has documented the date and time the training was performed. That person also should sign the training record as a competent person. These records should be maintained in each employees’ personnel file.
  • Ensure that all walking and working surfaces that may possibly be used by employees on the site, for any purpose and at any time, have been inspected, and that they have the integrity to support the weight of any employees on the site. Again, be sure this inspection has been documented. If any surface has been determined not to have the integrity to support the weight of any employee safely, be sure to take steps to improve the integrity of the surface. There are NO EXCEPTIONS to this requirement. Again, document your actions. You MAY NOT employ the use of any PPE to protect employees because you have not ensured the integrity of the walking or working surface.
  • If scaffolding will be used, ensure that it is properly erected. This includes, but is not limited to, barricading areas under scaffolds to prevent anyone from passing or working below employees who are on the scaffold. Additionally, make sure all guardrails and toe boards are in place for any scaffold work areas more than 10 feet above the ground.
  • Be sure that all employees are wearing proper personal respiratory protective equipment if an initial exposure assessment is being performed or if it is deemed necessary by a completed exposure assessment.
  • Walk the site and ensure that all floor holes, holes in walls, and open-sided floors are either covered correctly or guarded.
  • Check the use of electricity on the jobsite. Use ground fault circle interrupters on all extension cords or wherever else they may be necessary, and verify that all electrical cords are undamaged and have three-pronged plugs in place.
  • Properly label all containers of hazardous materials on site, ensure that copies of all safety data sheets are readily available to all employees on the site, and make sure all employees have been trained to read the safety data sheets and the labels on all hazardous materials. Be sure the labels on any containers of hazardous materials are positioned so they can be read easily by all employees on the site.
  • Determine if any other contractor’s employees, or the customer’s employees, will be on the site. These employees may create hazards for your employees. If this is the case, take all steps necessary to protect your employees and other personnel from potential hazards. Again, be sure your employees are trained to direct their full attention 100% of the time they are in the active work zone. The Site Supervisor, as well as all employees on the active site, should pay attention to employees of the customer or any other contractor(s) either on the active site or working in such a way that their activities may impact your employees.
  • Provide sufficient cool, potable water on site for all your employees if you will be working in a high-heat environment. In addition, make sure cooling-off areas are available and are located in relative close proximity to where your employees will be working. Be sure you have a heat illness prevention plan in place, and that it provides: 1) acclimatization procedures; 2) procedures to remind employees to hydrate, and that there is sufficient cool, potable water on the site for all employees to adequately hydrate; 3) a procedure for establishing a work/rest regimen; 4) cool rest areas in close proximity of the jobsite; and 5) training for all employees. Training should include the different types of heat illnesses and their symptoms, how to identify those symptoms in themselves and others, the first aid steps to take when they observe such symptoms, the importance of avoiding alcohol and caffeine when working in a high heat index environment, and the underlying physical and health conditions that can make a person more susceptible to heat illness than others.
  • Ensure that any powered equipment you may have on site has been inspected for safety issues before any employees are permitted to operate it, and that all necessary safety inspection forms have been properly completed. Also, make sure that any employees on site who may be tasked to operate such equipment have been properly trained in accordance with the appropriate OSHA standard, and training documentation is on file.
  • Confirm that all employees on site have been properly trained in all aspects of safety beyond those stated above—including, but not limited to, hazard recognition.

This list is not intended to cover all points for safety consideration on every jobsite, but it is meant to share basic safety guidelines. Every jobsite is unique and will present different safety concerns, which is why a job safety analysis is essential to identify all the safety issues on each jobsite. Please also check state and federal guidelines and laws, and consult with your own Safety Experts to ensure each jobsite is compliant and safe for your personnel. Remember, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SAFETY OF YOUR EMPLOYEES ON ANY JOBSITE, and providing them with the appropriate PPE and training alone is not enough! You MUST have a consistent and objectively applied safety compliance/enforcement program.

 

The National Insulation Association (NIA) and the Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP) have partnered to facilitate the development of standards in areas related to mechanical insulation in the commercial and industrial markets.

As a result, a joint AMPP/NIA Standards Committee, SC 27, Mechanical Insulation, has been established to:

Develop and maintain standards, guides, and reports related to mechanical insulation for industrial, commercial, marine, or consumer application. This includes mechanical insulation systems encompassing thermal, acoustical, and personnel safety requirements in mechanical piping and equipment for hot and cold applications; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) applications, refrigeration and other low-temperature piping and equipment applications, and metal building insulation.

 

 

The joint committee will be hosted within AMPP’s standards program. AMPP Standards Committees (SCs) allow committee members to share subject matter expertise, expand and enhance their relationships with industry professionals, and make a lasting impact on industry. The committees are responsible for generating, publishing, and maintaining all AMPP products that require a consensus-driven process.

The development process will be discussed at the first meeting of SC 27. The suggested process will be for NIA to create the initial draft of each insulation standards, with an arduous review process through NIA’s new Standards Committee. Within that committee, there will be Working Groups that NIA members can join. Once the draft is complete, NIA will submit the draft standard to SC 27 for that committee’s discussion and review process. Then the draft of the insulation standard will be approved by the AMPP’sStandards Program Committee (SPC). Suggested projects for SC 27 to consider can also originate from AMPP members or other industry stakeholders.

 

NIA’s Standards Committee

Initial drafts of insulation standards are in development by NIA’s Standards Committee Working Groups, which consist of NIA members from the contracting, fabrication, and manufacturing segments. The drafts will be subject to consensus approval by multiple groups, and ultimately by a review committee consisting of members of the NIA Technical Information Committee. Drafts are then subject to approval by NIA’s Board of Directors.

 

Current Initial Drafts of Insulation Standards in Development by NIA

Two standards are in the initial draft process:
  1. DRAFT: AMPP/NIA SP21594 Installation Procedures–Flashing Sealant (Flashing) of Protrusions in Mechanical Insulation Systems
  2. DRAFT: AMPP/NIA SP21595 Installation Procedures–Insulation Joint Sealant for Rigid Mechanical Insulation Systems

 

Initial Meeting of AMPP SC 27, Mechanical Insulation

The first meeting of SC 27, Mechanical Insulation, will take place Wednesday, April 9, 2:30 to 5:00 p.m. CT, Room 202C, during AMPP’s 2025 Annual Conference and Expo in Nashville, Tennessee. For more information, please visit https://ace.ampp.org.

During the initial meeting, committee members will be introduced, leadership will review suggested ways the insulation standards program could be executed, members will discuss the thinking behind how initials standards drafts will be structured and developed, and the committee will solicit feedback. An agenda and additional details will be posted at a later date.

There are two opportunities to be involved:

  1. NIA welcomes and encourages members to get involved with the development of standards through NIA’s Standards Committee and Working Groups. For more information, please contact Jeff DeGraaf at jdegraaf@insulation.org.
  2. To join the SC 27, Mechanical Insulation, while the AMPP website and login portals are being updated, email standards@ampp.org with your name, title, company, email address, phone, and the type of company you work for, such as contractor, manufacturer, etc.  Please note that you do not need to be a member of AMPP to join SC 27.

Questions?

For more information about NIA’s Insulation Standards, please contact Kristin DiDomenico, Vice President, NIA, at kdidomenico@insulation.org, or visit www.insulation.org/nia-insulation-standards.

Just a few years ago, artificial intelligence (AI) still seemed futuristic to many. Now, it is a part of everyday life. Over the course of an afternoon, for example, Alexa or Siri may use natural language processing and machine learning to respond to your questions, and you might interact with a chatbot using Open AI on a vendor’s website while your preferred search engine uses AI to generate and place targeted ads to appeal to your specific interests. In the evening, an entertainment streaming service will use machine learning to recommend a movie you might enjoy, based on your viewing habits, as you experiment with a more active way you can use AI—trying out generative AI like ChatGPT to create content for a document.

We may no longer think about the ways AI factors into our daily routine, but how many of us have integrated its power into our professional lives? This article considers the way AI technology and tools are being used by firms in the construction and mechanical insulation industries to manage their internal operations and projects more easily, efficiently, and cost effectively.

Tools to Grow Business

From website builders that can design and organize web pages, using generative AI to develop content to attract and engage customers, to customer relationship management software that ties together website data, browsing history, and buying trend analysis, using predictive analytics and other AI tools to identify customers and market their products and services, those in construction and mechanical insulation are engaging AI technology to grow their business.

“In terms of adding value, being able to present real-world performance data for mechanical insulation systems your company has installed to address similar requirements strengthens a bid.”

Early in the business cycle, AI can be useful in the bidding process. As the expression goes, knowledge is power. The more historic data you have, the more accurately you can bid projects, and the more value you can add at the design stage to help your customers meet their goals. If you maintain data on your competition, and details on jobs won and lost, AI can identify trends in approach, content, and costing that have proven successful for you in the past. On the flip side, AI can identify trending areas of weakness, allowing you to continuously improve your bids, increasing competitiveness. AI’s feedback can inform your bid-no bid decisions, helping you spend your resources on projects with the greatest likelihood of high return on investment.

AI tools can analyze your data on past projects and identify conditions that resulted in deviations from benchmarks set—from effects of extreme weather and supply chain disruptions to performance of subcontractors/partners and more—allowing you to identify, plan for, and mitigate applicable risks from the outset. Just as important, it can flag issues that may constitute unacceptable risk if not addressed and clarified or corrected by the customer before contract award.

In terms of adding value, being able to present real-world performance data for mechanical insulation systems your company has installed to address similar requirements strengthens a bid. Drawing from experiences where you provided a customized solution—designing and installing built-in access points for future equipment maintenance, reducing the need to remove large portions of insulation to reach valves, for example—allows these solutions to go from one-offs designed for a single customer facility to recommendations with long-term benefits for other customers who might never have thought of the requirement until it was too late. At many construction firms, individual Project Managers or Foremen know about these individual solutions, but the institutional memory stops with them. If your company has an AI-powered and up-to-date project content repository, anyone bidding a job will be able to query relevant solution elements.

The bid process itself can be simplified and made more efficient, so that you can bid more jobs with the same level of effort. Today’s AI-enabled software can “scrub” a Request for Proposals (RFP) and build a compliant response outline. While cutting and pasting old content into new bids is (as when done with specifications) fraught with the potential for introducing errors, inconsistencies, and outdated products/techniques, someone with knowledge of the requirements and best practices can easily create a bid tailored to the specific customer objectives working from an AI-generated outline, using information from the corporate content repository. The time saved on the front end can be better spent assessing risk, seeing if there are points that need to be clarified prior to submitting the bid, researching the competition, developing a truly customer-specific solution, or working on other bids to bring in more business.

Project Management

Once a contract is awarded, AI can be useful in all phases of project management, from planning and coordinating work amongst the different trades, to assisting with resource allocation—both personnel and materials—as well as monitoring schedule and budget risks, ensuring personnel safety, through quality assurance, to efficient project closeout.

Using trend analysis of historic data, AI can assist with assessment of time, labor, materials, and equipment necessary to complete each project task or phase. Among the benefits of this approach are cost efficiency and waste reduction. In a recent Industry Dive webinar, “AI’s Impact on Technology for Civil & Infrastructure Construction Professionals,” Rajitha Chaparala, Vice President, Product, Data and AI at Procore Technologies, elaborated on how AI can be used to identify and address risks: “AI platforms can allow you to see trends that become future problems… If five projects have the same material procurement problem, then the sixth project will probably have the same problem. So that’s easy to extrapolate from the information that you have and then figure out how you can go mitigate those risks on the project.”

Throughout project performance, progress on the jobsite can be tracked in real time, using AI-enabled sensors, cameras, and monitoring and reporting technology. Project Foremen also can update status using voice-recognition apps, literally dictating notes into their phones while in the field. The real-time availability of this data—and the quality, as personnel can be trained on how to provide it in a standardized form that AI tools can recognize—is a game changer. Factors that may affect schedule, quality, or budget can be identified and addressed early—ideally before any schedule slippage or other negative result occurs.

Procore’s Chaparala described a scenario using an AI-enabled construction project management system that can facilitate project monitoring much as we imagined using Alexa or Siri in the introduction to this article.

“The next step is really helping people understand what generative AI can do in their lives, day to day… You need to know the right way to ask questions. You need to know what it’s good at, and that’s what will set you up for success…

Use it in your day-to-day life so you understand what it’s good at and what it’s not, and then combine that with that data maturity and having good data, and then your teams will know the right questions to ask to get the answers. For example, asking specific questions. Rather than saying, ‘what submittals are open?’ you can say ‘what submittals are open today that may impact my schedule?’ It gives you a much more focused answer… We need to focus on where the task that needs to be done tomorrow [is].”

Just as the technology facilitated bidding, planning, and resource coordination, AI tools can provide up-to-the-minute reporting on task, project, and budget status; and they can assist in project close-out.

Safety

The impact of all the applications and benefits described to this point fall by the wayside if there is a catastrophic accident on your jobsite. Worker safety is a common challenge on construction projects, and this is another area where AI can assist. Analysis of historic safety data can reveal trends, and predictive analytics can help focus a company on risks particular to your projects and personnel. From there, you can target training to prevent an occurrence or recurrence of accidents or near misses.

Applying AI with real-time access to data gathered just as the project status data described, means the feedback need not be only retrospective. In the same Industry Dive webinar on AI’s impact referenced earlier, Procore Technologies’ Makenna Ryan, Solutions Engineer, Civil and Infrastructure, gave an example of how collecting and analyzing data from the field can provide “better insight and understanding into the behavioral data of my operational teams or my craft teams.” He explained, “If we start to see a number of non lost-time safety observations around… missing gloves, or missing PPE [personal protective equipment], or hand awareness, or something like that… that can provide insight to my safety team to be able to say, ‘look, we need to be focusing on hand safety in the next few weeks, because clearly the data is showing me that we are slipping in this one area.’ Instead of blanket safety information that becomes noise to the teams, we’re giving relevant information that actually tracks to behaviors… at the region, at the project, at the site.”

AI is already being used on many jobsites to gather the kind of information Ryan alluded to, automating observations that used to require human involvement. AI-powered tools like the high-resolution cameras and sensors described earlier can monitor sites 24/7, extending the reach of safety personnel who can only be in one place at a time. These tools can identify safety hazards like scaffolding that is not secured properly, workers not wearing PPE or using a ladder improperly, and the like. Risks can be mitigated or eliminated before they become accident data. And if potentially hazardous behavior is consistently exhibited by employees of one of your partners or suppliers, this data can become valuable feedback for vetting companies to include on future projects.

Conclusion

When you think of all the ways other industries and businesses use AI to help them grow or run more efficiently—often using your data—it is time to consider how you can leverage the technology for your own benefit. And as the number of companies in the construction and mechanical insulation industries using these tools grows, not exploring how you might use them could be unnecessarily ceding ground to competitors.

We welcome readers to submit their own stories of baffling project insulation requirements and weird specifications. Send your stories or requests to be interviewed to editor@insulation.org.

Greetings, fellow insulation enthusiasts! As we all know, the world of construction specifications can be a perplexing and often humorous place. From the sublime to the ridiculous, we've all encountered those specifications that leave us scratching our heads, wondering if the specifier truly understands what they’re asking for.

To share these experiences—and hopefully prevent future bouts of head-scratching—I’m thrilled to introduce a new column in our magazine: “Bad Specs.”

“Bad Specs” will explore the fascinating world of—yes, you guessed it—poorly written specifications. Each month, an Insulation Outlook reader will share their experiences, diving into the depths of confusion and uncovering the most perplexing, puzzling, and downright hilarious requests that have graced our desks (or, more accurately, our inboxes) over the years. Think of it as a cautionary tale, a chance to learn from the missteps of others, and a reminder of the importance of clear and concise communication in our industry.

For this inaugural column, Insulation Outlook’s Julie McLaughlin, invited me, Scott Sinclair (also from Johns Manville), and Doug Fast of Owens Corning to discuss the most common types of baffling requests we receive, so she could determine how to shape this column. We all had some good ones.

Doug Fast offered a great analogy for a common problem in specs: a lack of detail. He said, “It would be like going into a restaurant and ordering your meal as ‘beef’… You may get a hamburger or a steak, and both technically fit your request. With specifications, you need to define the details of the product you actually want.”

We see the opposite problem, too. Some people order a steak but then insist that it be cooked on a specific grill, using a specific type of charcoal, cooked precisely to 165°F, and served bloody. Only some of those requests work together.

During our discussion, we found that specification errors tend to fall into certain categories. Here’s a handy list to help future authors frame their experiences in a way that can help others:

  • Cut-and-Paste Minefields
    Do you know how old that language is? Was it created in this decade? Before you were born?
  • Accidental Technical Errors and Transposed Numbers
    Simple mistakes, big problems!
  • Conflicting Standards and Requests
    “Waiter, I’d like one bloody, well-done steak, please!”
  • Missing Links
    References to standards and materials that no longer exist.
  • Prescriptive versus Performance Specifications
    Example: Nominal density versus actual density: “I need 8 pounds, but this is actually 6½.” “Yep.” “Why is XXX called 6½ pounds in the residential market but 8 pounds in the industrial market?”
  • Specifying a Characteristic versus Specifying System Performance
    Example: Insisting on a certain density rather than requiring the insulation to meet a specific thermal performance standard.
  • Getting the Insulation Right but Adding Bad Installation Requests
    Example: Requiring the contractor to secure insulation with staples or screws on a below-ambient system. Whoops! There goes your system.
  • System Performance Metrics Applied to Products
    Example: What is the Sound Transmission Class (STC) of a fiber glass board? An STC value is a measure of the system performance of a wall, floor, or ceiling partition.

We welcome readers to submit their own stories of baffling project insulation requirements and weird specifications.

Sometimes, the requests we receive are really outdated. The question I got recently was in a league of its own. Occasionally, people specify a certain brand of insulation—only to learn that “Brand X” hasn’t been manufactured since the rotary phone was king. This was worse. Someone recently asked about a mastic product produced 100 years ago and installed on a hydro dam in the 1930s, maybe as part of FDR's New Deal. They thought it had be applied as part of a "Hoosier" expansion joint. They asked if there was a friction or cohesive test for it. I asked for more details, and in response, I received a tele-ex! For those of you asking what that is, it is a technology that predates the fax machine! And it get better. This tele-ex mentions previous information being sent via TELEGRAM. (The image below is what they sent me.) If you are working on a project that was built by telegrammed instructions, maybe stop for a moment and ask yourself if this is the best you can do. Is this the best system for the equipment or company? Maybe it is time to investment in new insulation. Just a guess, but I feel like we can make a better system for you now.

This is all the information they had in their records to go on. I feel for them. Imagine taking on a project and this is all the information that they can provide you. It mentions a asphalt and asbestos mixture so clearly that is no longer being made!

Scott Sinclair, saying that Johns Manville has also gotten calls for replacement parts made “during the war.” We haven’t manufactured those since the 1940s!

Everyone in the industry has encountered boilerplate language requesting materials made with asbestos—despite its ban in the 1970s. That means no one at that company has updated those specs in nearly three generations! I know insulation is just a small part of the job, but come on!

In future “Bad Specs” columns, we’ll delve into other fascinating topics, such as the perils of “cut-and-paste” specifications, the amusing consequences of transposed terms, and the occasional appearance of mythical insulation materials that defy the laws of physics.

So buckle up, my friends. It’s going to be a wild ride. And remember: A little laughter goes a long way in this industry. After all, what’s life without a good chuckle at the expense of a particularly perplexing specification?

I hope you find this column engaging and informative!

Disclaimer: This column is intended for entertainment purposes only. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental (and probably a little exaggerated). Consult the experts before trying to resurrect ancient insulation materials.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, with input from departments and agencies across the federal government, have released The National Blueprint for a Clean & Competitive Industrial Sector (Blueprint). Building on ongoing industrial investments across federal agencies, the Blueprint outlines five strategies within a private-sector-led and government-enabled framework to fuel continued growth of American manufacturing.

This Blueprint lays out a pathway to achieve a low-carbon U.S. industrial sector that is less polluting; more economically competitive; resilient to changing global market conditions; and a contributor to good jobs and revitalization of industrial communities, public health, energy and environmental justice1, and national security.

The industrial sector is diverse and includes manufacturing and non-manufacturing subsectors (agriculture, mining, and construction), which together contribute approximately 38% of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.2 This Blueprint focuses on manufacturing because it is the largest consumer of energy and source of emissions within the broader industrial sector.

The objective of the Blueprint is to elicit rapid near-term GHG emissions reductions and expanded economic competitiveness while advancing transformative solutions for the long term. Through collaborations between the U.S. government and owners and operators of manufacturing plants, labor unions, civil society organizations in industrial communities, environmental groups, technology providers, equipment manufacturers, engineering firms, and project developers, the vision of this Blueprint can become a reality. It also aims to promote communication with communities and Tribal nations to ensure all impacted stakeholders have a voice in the transition to co-produce and deploy solutions that generate benefits for all.

 

The Blueprint establishes five strategies to guide near-term federal government coordination.

Accelerate deployment of commercially available, cost-effective lower carbon solutions in the near term. Commercially available alternatives to high-emitting industrial processes that could achieve a 10% to 15% reduction in GHG emissions by 2030 already exist.3 The Pathways to Commercial Liftoff Report4 identifies that approximately another 25% emissions reductions are possible by 2030 by actions outside of industrial facilities through the progressive reduction of GHG emissions from the U.S. power and transportation sectors. Federal government coordination is necessary to accelerate deployment of these technologies, which often face barriers associated with industry inertia, the lack of familiarity with new materials or manufacturing techniques, lack of finance for capital-intensive upgrades, and/or risk avoidance.

Demonstrate emerging solutions at commercial scale to de-risk deployment. Deep emissions reductions in many subsectors will require new large-scale changes to methods of production. The private sector is uniquely positioned to envision and build these commercial first-of-a-kind projects. Although these projects will require significant investment, they will produce a critical knowledge base for the domestic industrial sector and the clean energy research and development community, not only serving as a foundation for establishing the necessary enabling supply chain, permitting, and innovation to expand these technologies to commercial scale, but also allowing the supply chain to remain competitive with overseas players.

Increase data use to drive emissions reductions and efficiency gains that can significantly improve performance and track progress. In recent years, emissions intensity measurement and reporting systems have grown more robust and standardized, enabling manufacturers to accurately track emissions reductions and gain access to growing low-carbon markets. Meanwhile, digital technologies, including emerging forms of sensing, and computational tools are enabling new frontiers in the ways industries manage operations that could lead to efficiency gains that reduce GHG emissions. Hardware tools such as ubiquitous sensors and cyber-physical systems can capture additional data necessary to apply software tools, such as distributed computing, artificial intelligence/machine learning, the Internet of Things, digital twins, and continuous learning. These approaches represent a shift in controls for industrial facilities that was not possible a decade ago.

Innovate and advance research to develop transformative processes and products for deep GHG emissions reductions. Bringing low-emissions industrial processes and materials innovations to market quickly and efficiently means fast-tracking the stages of innovation to maximize the impact of technology investments. The International Energy Agency estimates 55% of emissions reductions technologies necessary to meet net zero are not yet in commercial stage. An example of this is cement, where technologically mature approaches such as use of supplementary cementitious materials or calcined clay can reduce emissions by 30% to 40%, but further reductions will require new processes or products. At each stage of innovation, the government can play an important role. The first stage involves solution discovery of low-emission processes and material innovations, and partnerships with government agencies and research institutions play a crucial role in this phase. Next, the product development phase to develop a minimum viable product (MVP) can leverage agile methodologies, continuous iteration, and collaboration with potential customers. The third phase is the pilot demonstration phase to test the MVP in real-world industrial settings. Finally, in the go-to-market and scale stage, the solution transitions from pilot to full-scale deployment, and can leverage investments through incentives like tax credits, grants, and strategic partnerships.

Integrate across the product life cycle to reduce embodied GHG emissions in industrial products and minimize waste. Establishing standards and evaluation methods to monitor emissions across supply chains, from raw material extraction to end-of-life disposal, can create important efficiencies. Many opportunities to reduce embodied emissions are driven by mitigation opportunities outside the industrial facility fence line. Manufacturers must deepen their understanding of both the upstream and downstream effects associated with all input and output materials. This knowledge is crucial for maximizing circularity within their operations. By doing so, they can extend the lifespan of existing materials and contribute to a more sustainable manufacturing process. Additionally, co-locating with other manufacturers can create opportunities for mutual benefits. It will be important for manufacturers to inform any co-location decisions to ensure partnerships enhance resource efficiency and promote a circular economy. Scaling these efforts will require the advancement of standards and evaluation methods to share data on carbon production and reductions across supply chains.

The Blueprint also details a set of levers, that is, programs available to governments to support this transition: expanding supply-side investments; creating demand-pull; implementing codes, standards, and reporting requirements; ensuring locally defined benefits for workers and communities; developing a common infrastructure; increasing data transparency; and expanding international cooperation. Implementing these levers to achieve the strategies outlined in the Blueprint will translate to substantial improvements in public health, accelerated innovation to support U.S. international competitiveness, reduced GHG emissions, mitigated fiscal and climate risk, expansion of high-paying jobs, more efficient stewardship of U.S. natural resources, renewed investments in industrial communities, and both near- and long-term financial stability. The implementation also aims to strengthen U.S. diplomatic standing and influence international policy to benefit both domestic and global environmental outcomes.

 

A Call to Action

The industrial sector has historically been referred to as “hard-to-abate.” Although the challenges are real, that understanding is changing. The market for low-carbon materials such as green steel and low-carbon cement is growing. The technologies that producers have available to them to initiate these emissions reductions are being proven at commercial scale. There are innovative deep decarbonization solutions in research and development, attracting new talent to solve these challenges. Whereas the transition will take time, the next few years are vital for building the momentum needed to propel the economy forward over the coming decades. The Blueprint lays out federal actions that would support decarbonization of U.S. industry in line with the U.S. long-term strategy, while ensuring the greatest realization of co-benefits are achieved to strengthen economic prosperity, health, employment, and security across the country. Successful implementation of the programs already in progress, increased interagency cooperation, and a detailed plan with continued private sector engagement are the next steps for putting this Blueprint into action.

 

References

 

To access the DOE’s National Blueprint for a Clean &Competitive Industrial Sector report, visit www.energy.gov/mesc/reports. Disclaimer: This excerpt does not imply endorsement by DOE or the United States Government.

FAILING TO INSULATE CAN RESULT IN:

  • Increase in energy costs
  • Increase in greenhouse gas emissions
  • Loss of process/production quality and increase in costs
  • Occurrence of CUI
  • Development of condensation or ice, depending upon the service temperature
  • Development of mold or mildew
  • Decrease in personnel safety
  • Decrease in personnel productivity
  • Loss of time spent on other projects
  • Decline in facility appearance
  • Decrease in the life and operational efficiency of equipment in the area
  • Increase in life-cycle cost
  • Failure to obtain sustainability objectives
  • Failure to realize return on investment (ROI) estimates

For more information on how to design an insulation system for your plant or facility, visit www.insulation.org/training-tools/designguide or scan the QR code. You will also find easy-to-use calculators for insulation design, temperatures, and ROI.

If you want to speak with a Certified Insulation Inspector™, visit www.insulationinspectors or scan the QR code.

Insulation systems, like all mechanical systems, require periodic inspection and maintenance. While inspection and maintenance are the responsibility of the owner, the fact is that many insulation systems are frequently ignored. With time, insulation systems can be damaged, and the entire system can become ineffective if the damaged areas are not repaired or replaced. Train your employees to perform regular maintenance, and hire insulation contractors for regular inspection and maintenance to prevent this outcome.

Failure to perform inspections and implement a timely maintenance plan carries several risks. On hot systems, missing insulation will result in increased heat loss, which may translate to significant economic losses over time. On cold systems, damaged vapor retarders will lead to increased water vapor intrusion, which can reduce insulation effectiveness, increase the possibility of corrosion, and increase the potential for mold growth. For outdoor systems, damaged or missing weather barriers can allow rainwater entry, which can compromise the effectiveness of the insulation system. Rain and moisture intrusion through open or damaged areas can lead to corrosion under insulation (CUI) for outdoor, hot systems. If an inspection reveals missing or damaged insulation, repairs should be scheduled as soon as possible. Rapid repair is needed for cold systems, where water vapor intrusion can quickly spread.

At a minimum, insulated areas should be inspected annually. Critical systems could require more frequent inspections to ensure continuous operation. Inspection of the external surface should include checking for signs of cracking, distortion, damage, or corrosion; evidence of hot spots on high-temperature systems; and condensation and ice buildup on low temperature systems. When necessary, the external weather barrier should be removed to enable inspection of the insulation and attachments. Infrared video cameras are useful for inspection and should be considered for use after the startup inspection and for ongoing insulation maintenance. Infrared inspection can reduce the need to remove the weather barrier to inspect the insulation.

When removal and replacement of part or all of the insulation system is indicated, re-insulation should be performed in the same manner as specified for the initial installation, unless the nature of the damage suggests that the system was improperly insulated or the materials originally used are now outdated. When determining how much insulation to remove, cut and remove it until you reach undamaged insulation, if that is possible. Care should be taken in removing existing insulation to minimize damage. Temporary protection for adjacent insulation may be required to prevent damage while repairs are underway.

The following sections, “Risk Assessment Discussion” and “Maintenance Checklist,” were created by the National Insulation Association and the National Institute of Building Sciences, and are excerpted from the Mechanical Insulation Design Guide.

 

Risk Assessment Discussion

Not maintaining a mechanical insulation system promptly and effectively is associated with risks. Those risks, and the severity of potential consequences, will vary depending upon the service temperature of the operating system on which the insulation is installed, the surrounding environment, ambient conditions, the extent of any damage to the insulation system, the insulation system design, the quality of the installation, the timeline of correcting any damage, and other conditions that may be unique to the area in question. The risks of failing to implement a timely and effective mechanical insulation maintenance plan can be serious.

Each company and individual has their own level of risk tolerance; however, the risk of failing to establish a timely and proper mechanical insulation maintenance plan is real and should not be overlooked or underestimated.

 

Maintenance Checklist

Upon observing any of the following conditions, a maintenance request/action plan should be implemented to assess the degree of damage, and the damaged area of the insulation system should be repaired or replaced to prevent further damage and avoid additional risk. This list is not presented in order of importance or priority. The list is provided as a guide for individuals evaluating the condition of an installed mechanical insulation system. It is not intended to be all inclusive or to provide sufficient information to act as a stand-alone document that would allow anyone, experienced or inexperienced, to function as an inspector of mechanical insulation systems.

Checking for all of the following occurrences is a good start for a maintenance plan.

  • Damage to or wearing of the outer jacketing/finish of the insulation system (damage could be caused by mechanical abuse, negligence, or weather; or it could simply occur over time)
  • Unsealed penetrations in the insulation system
  • Missing insulation
  • Insulation that has been removed and not yet replaced
  • Insulation supports that are failing or appear not to be working correctly
  • Ice, mold, and mildew on/in the insulation system
  • Condensation
  • Discoloration of the insulation system (other than by dirt)
  • Discoloration of adjacent materials
  • “Fish mouthing” of the outer jacketing seams
  • Missing or loosening of insulation system securements
  • Sagging or pulling away of the insulation system
  • “Hot spots” in the insulation system
  • Appearance of moisture on the insulation system
  • Joints in the insulation that appear to be opening
  • Expansion or contraction joints that appear to be functioning incorrectly
  • Indication of moisture due to condensation on adjacent surfaces—stained ceiling tiles, drips, wet floors, water staining, etc.
  • Insulation system being used in a different environment or service than the original design for the insulation system

With proper attention and maintenance, insulation systems can save a company considerable energy and money, improving process efficiency and equipment life. Mechanical engineers and insulation contractors can play a key role in facilitating regular inspection and maintenance programs to achieve this outcome. Owners/operators should also train all plant operations and maintenance personnel on the importance of looking for and reporting any signs of damage to the insulation system.

If you want your employees to learn more about insulation or become a Certified Thermal Insulation Inspector, visit www.insulation.org/training-tools or www.niaeducationcenter.org.

The mechanical engineer is responsible for designing a commercial building’s mechanical system. This includes pipes, ducts, and equipment that distribute energy throughout the building. The objectives for insulating these components could be to save energy, maintain temperature control, protect personnel, or—on below-ambient systems prevent condensation. Most of the time, there are multiple objectives to be met. The design engineer will design and specify the insulation type(s) and thicknesses based on the objectives being considered. This article provides a step-by step approach to designing a mechanical insulation system suitable for a commercial piping project.

Regardless of the type of project, whether hot or cold, indoor or outdoor, large or small, HVAC/R or plumbing, some basic steps should be followed when designing a mechanical insulation system for a commercial project. A project will usually encompass several different applications, and possibly subgroups within an application, each of which will have to be considered separately. Before outlining the steps, a note on the overall design: One should not just specify the type and thickness of insulation to be used, but design a complete system where all the application parameters, environmental conditions, and mechanical codes will be considered, as well as the various components of the system— insulation, jacket, pipe insulation supports, adhesives, coatings, sealants, fasteners, labeling, and more—which all must be compatible and work together to  provide an application that functions efficiently. ASHRAE Handbook Fundamentals (2013), Chapter 23, Insulation for Mechanical Systems, provides general guidelines for designing a mechanical insulation system. However, each application should be evaluated based on its individual parameters and local conditions. The North American Commercial & Industrial Insulation Standards Manual (www.micainsulation.org), formerly known as the MICA Manual, goes into more detail and provides insulation design plates where the designer can fill in the type of insulation material. The Mechanical Insulation Design Guide, available at www.insulation.org/designguide, is another excellent resource for information.

Once the HVAC/R and plumbing requirements for the job have been defined and grouped by category, and the piping has been laid out, one can begin to think more specifically about the mechanical insulation requirements. However, even in this initial phase, the engineer needs to be aware of where each insulation system will be located on the project to allow the necessary space needed (e.g., distance between pipes in a run or along a wall) for the insulation system thickness (i.e., insulation plus all parts of its system, including jacketing or accessories).

The next step is to define why insulation is being installed and what outcome one hopes to achieve by insulating the piping. It is for energy savings, condensation control, maintaining process temperatures, personnel protection, or an acoustical goal? Various sub-systems may need to be broken out for special consideration. This step involves reviewing the layout of all the pipe and tubing sizes, lengths, supports, fittings, flanges, valves, and more.

Next is to identify the process temperatures of the equipment being insulated in the various applications of the job. This will narrow down the choices of insulation materials and help determine the thickness required, although this will not be the only parameter used in determining thickness. NIA’s Insulation Materials Specification Chart NIA-TIC-101 (http://www.insulation.org/specs) is an easy independent resource for reviewing the high- and low-temperature use limits on various insulation materials. Note that the guide is based on ASTM International Specifications, not individual products, so always double-check the manufacturer’s data sheet before finalizing the specific product selection. With a few exceptions, most mechanical insulation materials, although they vary in form (fibrous, cellular, granular) and composition (non-petroleum base and petroleum base) have thermal conductivity values in a relatively narrow range: 0.24–0.30 BTU (hr/sq.ft.-F), as indicated in the Insulation Materials Specification Chart. Density becomes a selection criterion when considering the specifics of how the insulation will be treated. If it is likely to undergo inevitable wear and tear or withstand pressure, then a heavier density might be chosen.

The environmental conditions of each sub-system should be defined next. The environmental conditions are usually straightforward for indoor applications but should not be taken lightly. For example, one should consider whether the conditioned spaces are always temperature- and humidity-controlled or intermittently uncontrolled. In the latter case, they must be regarded as unconditioned or uncontrolled and treated as such.

Outdoor applications involve greater extremes in temperature, humidity, and wind, and will always require some type of abuse or weather protection for the insulation system (e.g., coating, jacketing). In addition, many current mechanical codes require jacketing or coatings on exterior piping for most insulation materials to protect against ultraviolet degradation from the sun and all the other elements insulation is exposed to outdoors (e.g., wind, rain, birds, vermin, foot traffic). The type of protective covering required will depend on these and other environmental and personnel conditions, the expectation of the owner, and the cost, among other considerations.

Typically, the most extreme conditions should be designed for—unless it is completely impractical. When the extreme conditions cannot be designed for, accommodation must be made for when the design conditions are exceeded, particularly when the purpose of the insulation system is condensation control or personnel protection.

The specific insulation system (types) appropriate for a given system can be determined using the pipe and tubing size, process temperature, environmental conditions (e.g., humidity, ambient temperature), and overall goal of insulating the system. Experience and history of local insulation contractors with certain insulation materials should be considered and may also play a role in this selection process. For example, specifying a product that is difficult to obtain or unfamiliar to the local insulation contractors may result in an over-budget project on bid day.

By reviewing the insulation system requirements more closely, one can select the best insulation for the application. Ease of installation (flexibility or rigidity), project conditions, moisture resistance, fire and life safety, the need for a load-bearing component, clean room requirements, compatibility of the insulation and the type of piping being used, pipe and tubing size, cost, and more will all play a role in selecting the best insulation assemblies from the possible materials that meet the mechanical code, system conditions, and environmental condition parameters. Some engineers try to use one type of insulation on an entire project. This approach may diminish performance and may not be the most cost-effective approach. Using different types of insulation on large (over 8”) and small (run-outs) piping —even for lines that are operating at the same temperature and under the same conditions—often provides system advantages in performance and cost if compatibility is considered and the system is designed properly.

Once the insulation type has been established for the specific application, the minimum insulation thickness can be determined by the applicable current local mechanical code, which usually specifies thickness based on pipe and tubing size or process temperature, by either thickness in inches or R-value. Be careful to make sure the specified insulation thickness will meet the mechanical code requirement for the installed condition, not just the nominal manufactured factory thickness. Local mechanical codes vary and should always be double-checked to be sure they are consistent with the project’s site location. The Mechanical Insulation Design Guide (www.insulation.org/designguide) has several easy-to-use calculators that can assist.

When determining thickness for condensation control or personnel protection, environmental conditions are essential (e.g., ambient temperature and relative humidity). In addition, wind speed and the emissivity of the insulation’s outer surface/jacket (if required) play a key role in determining the thickness of the insulation required to inhibit condensation. Again, the thickness should be calculated based on the most extreme conditions, if possible, or accommodations will have to be made for when the design conditions are exceeded to prevent system failure. In addition to the insulation calculators, NAIMA’s 3E Plus® insulation software program, available at www.3EPlus.org is a valuable tool for determining insulation thickness. For more current product-specific information, many insulation manufacturers have similar programs specific to their products and may provide more accurate, updated information.

 

Thickness Myths

Also, one note of caution in determining insulation thickness: One of the easiest mistakes to make is to use the thickness recommendations for energy conservation when trying to control external surface condensation. Energy conservation thickness recommendations are not applicable for condensation prevention and can be far below what is required for condensation control in most regions. To avoid a common misstep when designing condensation-prevention systems, make sure to factor in the effect the emissivity of the insulation/jacket will have on the insulation thickness. One of the biggest myths in insulation design is to over-specify thickness instead of a needed moisture vapor retarder/barrier. Increasing the thickness will not replace a vapor-barrier system in condensation-control applications, especially under humid conditions. The proper insulation thickness will prevent exterior surface condensation, while vapor retarders will help prevent moisture migration into/through the insulation and the resulting condensation on the cold substrate surface.

 

Final Steps

The last step in the process would be to review the entire project, looking at all the applications within to ensure all design elements are working together. The layout should allow for the specified engineered insulation thickness. Take note: The number one complaint of insulation contractors/installers is that there needs to be more space for the pipe insulation system as specified. This error can lead to delays in the installation schedule or reduced insulation, resulting in reduced system performance. All system parts should be specified, including vapor retarder systems/jacketing and vapor dams (where required), pipe and tubing supports, and any other needed materials. It is also important to specify detailed explanations on how to install the insulation in difficult areas such as valves (e.g., use of removable insulation if required) and vessels.

During this step, the issue of aesthetics can also be considered. The system may function properly, but if it does not look good, it could be an issue for the owner. If uniform appearance is a particular concern, it is advisable to specify one brand type within the same room or area. Differences in brand type will likely not be noticeable in different places, but using different types of materials from various manufacturers within one room—while they may perform equally—may not look exactly alike (e.g., color [shade] variation or outer diameters not matching perfectly), which may give the appearance of a “patchwork” installation. Ideally, one manufacturer for each insulation type should be used on each system to ensure compatibility with products such as facings, adhesives, and other related items.

The use of pre-fabricated products (e.g., pre-fabricated fittings, insulation with factory applied jacketing, or the use of pre-applied adhesive to the insulation/insulation jacket) may be specified for numerous reasons, such as faster installation or better performance. Basic manufacturer installation instructions or recommendations can be part of the specification for each system, as well as a project inspection process detailing when and what should be inspected at various steps during the installation.

Product submittal sheets/data sheets should also be reviewed for compliance with engineering specifications and local code requirements. Current product data sheets should be thoroughly examined to be sure each product is compliant with all regional mechanical insulation codes for the application as well as the requirements of the insulation material standard. To be sure the insulation materials and products used in the project coincide with what was specified, a no-substitution clause can be included in the specification design. This should specify that there will not be a product substitution that could affect performance (note though, this does not mean that there can be no brand substitutions, as long as performance is the same). This will ensure that no product substitutions are allowed unless submitted to the engineer on record in writing. The rationale for the substitution, cost variances, data sheets, and product samples being proposed to be substituted must be supplied and approved 60 days before the installation. This provides assurance that the specified design will perform as intended.

 

Real Life Note of Caution

Another note of caution: Selecting an old thermal insulation system design from the engineering archives and using a cut-and-paste method to adapt it for new projects may speed up the design process, but it is also fraught with peril because of differing environmental conditions. Similarly, a design for a project that performed well in one region—for example, the cooler Northeast—may not work in the humid Gulf Coast region because of different environmental conditions or local mechanical insulation codes. This is particularly true for applications where condensation control is one of the primary goals of the insulated pipe and tubing system.

 

Conclusion

By evaluating the system at this stage of the project, you will ensure that all the materials and accessories in the system are being specified and that all the elements will be compatible and work together to provide the thermal insulation performance on the project. Following the above steps in the order designated, should help ensure the mechanical insulation system will meet the expectations of the project in a long-term, cost  efficient manner. The next step is to get a quality, professional insulation contractor who is experienced and can install the system properly. Many projects specify the requirement of a Certified Insulation Inspector™ to inspect and verify that the installation is done according to the project specification. You can find a Certified Insulation Inspector at www.insulationinspectors.com.

After the installation, there is a need for a maintenance plan or periodic inspection of the installed system to ensure proper maintenance of the system and replacement of damaged insulation, which will keep the system functioning up to expectations.

If you have an existing insulation system that may need to be brought up to code or improved, contact a Certified Insulation Energy Appraisers to receive a report on energy savings and carbon emission reductions available in your facility or plant. Insulation improvements usually pay for themselves in less than a year, freeing up operational funds for the future. You can find Certified Insulation Energy Appraisers at www.insulationappraisers.com.

 

Field Experience

As a final note, engineers, particularly those newer to the industry, are encouraged to take some time to observe insulation installation in the field. While on site, you are more likely to notice the things that need to be tweaked: the gaps, what is missing, or what is not really working. It is essential to look around at the changes in the application requirements and the products available to meet those requirements. Seeing how systems are installed, and working with insulation contractors, will improve the ability to design the best systems.

In most applications, the primary feature of a thermal insulation material is its ability to reduce heat exchange between a surface and the environment, or between one surface and another surface. This is known as having a low value for thermal conductivity. Generally, the lower a material’s thermal conductivity, the greater its ability to insulate for a given material thickness and set of conditions.

If it is really that simple, then why are there so many different terms, such as k-value, U-value, R-value, and C-value? Here is an overview with relatively simple definitions.

 

k-value

k-value is a material property that changes with temperature—it is simply shorthand for thermal conductivity. The ASTM Standard C168, on terminology, defines the term as follows:

Thermal conductivity, n: the time rate of steady state heat flow through a unit area of a homogeneous material induced by a unit temperature gradient in a direction perpendicular to that unit area.

This definition is really not that complex. Let’s take a closer look, phrase by phrase.

Time rate of heat flow can be compared to water flow rate, e.g., water flowing through a shower head at so many gallons per minute. It is the amount of energy, generally measured in the United States in Btus, flowing across a surface in a certain time period, usually measured in hours. Hence, time rate of heat flow is expressed in units of Btus per hour.

Steady state simply means that the conditions are steady, as water flowing out of a shower head at a constant rate.

Homogeneous material simply refers to one material, not two or three, that has a consistent composition throughout. In other words, there is only one type of insulation, as opposed to one layer of one type and a second layer of a second type. Also, for the purposes of this discussion, there are no weld pins or screws, or any structural metal passing through the insulation; and there are no gaps.

What about through a unit area? This refers to a standard cross-sectional area. For heat flow in the United States, a square foot is generally used as the unit area. So, we have units in Btus per hour, per square feet of area (to visualize, picture water flowing at some number of gallons per minute, hitting a 1 ft x 1 ft board).

Finally, there is the phrase by a unit temperature gradient. If two items have the same temperature and are brought together so they touch, no heat will flow from one to the other because they have the same temperature. To have heat flow by conduction from one object to another, where both are touching, there must be a temperature difference or gradient. As soon as there is a temperature gradient between two touching objects, heat will start to flow. If there is thermal insulation between those two objects, heat will flow at a lesser rate.

At this point, we have rate of heat flow per unit area, per degree temperature difference with units of Btus per hour, per square foot, per degree F.

Thermal conductivity is independent of material thickness. In theory, each slice of insulation is the same as its neighboring slice. The slices should be of some standard thickness. In the United States, units of inches are typically used for thickness of thermal insulation, so we need to think in terms of Btus of heat flow, for an inch of material thickness, per hour, per square foot of area, per degree F of temperature difference.

After picking apart the ASTM C168 definition for thermal conductivity, we have units of Btu-inch/hour per square foot per degree F. This is the same as the term k-value.

 

R-value

Typically, this term is used as a 75°F mean temperature comparison for labeled performance rating of building insulation one can buy in a big box store. It is used less frequently for mechanical insulation, but it is still a useful term to understand. Its official designation is thermal resistance. This is how ASTM C168 defines it:

Resistance, thermal, n: the quantity determined by the temperature difference, at steady state, between two defined surfaces of a material or construction that induces a unit heat flow through a unit area.

ASTM C168 then provides an equation, followed by typical units. In the inch-pound units, thermal resistance is measured in degrees F times square feet of area times hours of time per Btus of heat flow.

Most people know that for a given insulation material, the thicker it is, the greater the R-value. For example, for a particular type of insulation board, a 2-inch-thick board will have twice the R-value of the 1-inch-thick board.

Equation 2: R-value = 1 / C-value

If the C-value is 0.5, then the R-value is 2.0. One can calculate it from the equation for C-value in Equation 1 above.

Equation 3: R-value = thickness / k-value

Thus, if the thickness is 1 inch, and the k-value is 0.25, then the R-value is 1 divided by 0.25, or 4 (leaving off the units for brevity).

 

 

U-value

U-value, known officially as thermal transmittance, this is more of an engineering term used to designate the thermal performance of a system as opposed to a homogeneous material. The ASTM C168 definition is as follows:

Transmittance, thermal, n: the heat transmission in unit time through unit area of a material construction and the  boundary air films, induced by unit temperature difference between the environments on each side.

There are a few new terms: the boundary air films and between the environments on each side. The previous definitions did not refer to environments.

The best way to illustrate thermal transmittance or U-value is through an example. Consider the wall of a typical insulated house with nominal 2 x 4 boards (which actually measure about 1-1/2 inches x 3-1/2 inches), spaced 16 inches on center, running vertically. One might see 3/8-inch-thick gypsum wall board on the inside of the wall, with a plastic film vapor barrier separating the gypsum wall board from the wood studs. Fiber glass batts may fill the 3-1/2-inch-wide spaces between the 2 x 4 studs. On the outside of the studs, there might be 1/2-inch-thick polystyrene insulation boards covered with exterior wood sheathing. This example will ignore doors and windows, as well as the k-value and thickness of the plastic sheet used as the vapor barrier.

The calculation of the wall’s U-value is sufficiently complex to be beyond the scope of this article, but the following values must be known (or at least estimated) for its thermal transmittance to be calculated: *

  • C-value of the indoor air film
  • k-value of the 3/8-inch gypsum wall board
  • k-value of the 3-1/2-inch-wide wood studs
  • Spacing between the studs (16 inches, in this case)
  • k-value of the fiber glass insulation batts, as well as their thickness (3-1/2 inches thick)
  • Width of the fiber glass batts (16 inches minus the 1-1/2 inch thickness of the wood studs = 14-1/2 inches)
  • k-value of the polystyrene boards, and their thickness (1/2 inch)
  • k-value and thickness of the wood siding materials
  • C-value of the outdoor air film

* Values for all of the above can be found in the ASHRAE Handbook of Fundamentals (2021), Chapter 26, titled: “Heat, Air, and Moisture Control in Building Assemblies—Material Properties. ” Chapters 24 through 27 of the same ASHRAE manual also discuss calculation of the wall’s U-value.

The lower the U-value, the lower the rate of heat flow for a given set of conditions. A well-insulated building wall system will have a much lower U-value, or thermal transmittance, than an uninsulated or poorly insulated system.

To determine a mechanical insulation system’s U-value accurately, one must account for heat transfer through the homogeneous insulation as well as through any breaches and expansion gaps with a different insulation material. There is also the outside air film and occasionally an inside air film.

In reality, many non-homogenous portions are typically unaccounted for. The standard thermal conductivity test procedures typically treat the material as being homogeneous. In real applications, there are joints and sometimes cracks in rigid materials. These inconsistencies make the U-value greater than if the insulation behaved as a homogeneous material.

 

 

 

C-value

C-value and U-value are both used to calculate heat loss, typically with building elements, based on performance at 75°F mean temperature. C value is simply shorthand for thermal conductance. For a type of thermal insulation, the C-value depends on the thickness of the material; k-value generally does not depend on thickness (there are a few exceptions not in the scope of this article). How does ASTM C168 define thermal conductance?

Conductance, thermal, n: the time rate of steady state heat flow through a unit area of a material or construction induced by a unit temperature difference between the body surfaces.

ASTM C168 then gives a simple equation and units. In the inch-pound units used in the United States, those units are Btus/hour per square foot per degree F of temperature difference.

The words are fairly similar to those in the definition for thermal conductivity. What is missing is the inch units in the numerator because the C-value for a 2-inch-thick insulation board is half the value as it is for a 1-inch-thick insulation board of the same material. The thicker the insulation, the lower its C-value.

Equation 1: C-value = k-value / thickness

 

Conclusion

The concepts of k-value, R-value, U-value, and C-value can be summed up in the following rules:

  • The better insulated a system, the lower its U-value.
  • The greater the performance of a piece of insulation, the greater its R-value and the lower its C-value.
  • The lower the k-value of a particular insulation material, the greater its insulating value for a particular thickness and given set of conditions.

These are the properties upon which users of thermal insulation depend for energy savings, process control, personnel protection, and condensation control.