T.S. Raulston Wins 2023 Construction Award For Award Winning Tech Stack
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T.S. Raulston, Inc. Mechanical Contractors was founded in 1947 and has since grown to be a full service mechanical contractor specializing in Plumbing, HVAC, Mechanical Piping, Process Piping, Medical Gas, Sheet Metal, and Refrigeration. The fourth generation family-owned company prides itself in the quality of craftsmanship in all phases of construction.
T.S Raulston has been using Trimble products since 2009. However, in the past year, the company has developed a full VDC position to deliver better products to customers at a reduced cost and timeline.
A Multi-Product Process
When a new project presents itself, T.S. Raulston uses AutoBid Mechanical to produce a low estimate, allowing the organization to maintain its competitive advantage while also ensuring their bid is within budget. After the job has fully taken off, the company uses Supplier Xchange to input local pricing and build a file with job costs broken out per system (Fixtures, Sanitary, Domestic Water, etc.). Once the job has been awarded, drawings are input into Trimble ProjectSight and T.S. Raulston prepares to start submittals and revit models.
Once the design Revit files are acquired, T.S. Raulston’s Revit team begins tracing the system with Trimble SysQue to produce their own 3D drawings. On a daily basis, these drawings are published to Trimble Connect for coordination and collaborating with other trades. This process helps ensure the field team is not waiting on answers or re-routing lines. “On average, this saves us 10% before even starting physical work,” shared Jake Raulston.
Trimble Connect helps the company keep project models organized and ensures T.S. Raulston is notified of any new models or updates. Using to-dos, employees and other contractors are assigned tasks to address issues and potential conflicts. Once all conflicts are resolved, the team sends the material from Revit to Supplier Xchange for procurement.
Front there, T.S. Raulston uses Trimble Connect2Fab to begin to spool pipe and prepare for fabrication. By following this process, T.S. Raulston is able to retain workers during weather delays or slow periods by giving them a space to work inside building spools, while still progressing on the overall status of the job. After spooling, a spool map is created in both 2D and 3D. These maps are hosted inside ProjectSight, and link to both spool drawings and models so field employees have one platform to view all data.
From there, Site Vision is used to begin mapping and laying out for digging. Site Vision is again used after digging has taken place in order to verify slope and elevation of the laid pipe. Once the pipe has been covered up, the team uses Total Station for a final check to ensure accuracy and to record exact pipe positions before assembly lines are set up.
For above ground work, the Total Station is used to place hangers in combination with Connect AR. Connect AR allows T.S. Raulston to verify placement and to record any existing conflicts. This software is also calibrated by placing QR markers around the jobsite. At the completion of the project, the team has a detailed project model to turn over to the owner. Employees can scan the QR codes using Connect AR to later find pipes and valves without needing to open walls or ceilings. Site Vision also stores the GPS data, so underground utilities can easily be identified at a later date as needed.
An Award Winning Tech Stack
T.S. Raulston has seamlessly brought together 10+ Trimble products to streamline their internal process, while also ensuring that the project owner is set up for success upon completion. It’s pretty clear to see why T.S. Raulston was awarded the 2023 Construction Award for Most Impressive Use of Virtual Design and Construction.
Interested in learning how Trimble can help your organization do the same? Head over to our website to learn more.
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